Sony has acquired a major stake in Kadokawa, the parent company of From Software. This follows reports that Sony is in talks to acquire the company outright. That doesn’t seem to be happening, but Sony increased its total ownership in Kadokawa to 10 percent after spending about $300 million to increase its stake. This will make Sony the Japanese publisher’s largest shareholder.
Sony likely made this move to pick up some of Kadokawa’s IP, including games from FromSoftware and the entire roster of franchises produced by Spike Chunsoft and Gotcha Gotcha Games. KADOKAWA also publishes a large amount of anime and manga. The press release states that the two companies will “discuss specific future collaboration efforts” including “live-action films and television dramas.”
Does this mean an Elden Ring or Dark Souls movie will be released soon? It’s certainly possible as these are some of Kadokawa’s most prominent franchises. The two companies also pledged to promote “the global expansion of a wide range of entertainment, including anime and games.”
Don’t hold your breath when it comes to console exclusivity. Sony already owns a 14% stake in FromSoftware, and games like Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are available on PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and PCs. To that end, some cooperative DLC is coming to Elden Ring over the next year.
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