Asymmetric Advisors的阿米尔•安瓦尔扎德(Amir Anvarzadeh)此前表示，“毫无疑问，索尼想要收购FromSoftware，后者一直是角川出版公司皇冠上的明珠，这是一家高质量的游戏工作室，我一直认为它应该被其他第三方收购。”Sony said on Thursday that it will invest about 50 billion yen (0.32 billion US dollars) to acquire new shares of the Kadokawa Group.
Zhitong Finance learned that Sony Group (SONY.US) said on Thursday that it will invest about 50 billion yen (0.32 billion US dollars) to acquire new shares in the Kadokawa Group (Kadokawa), increase its shareholding ratio in the Japanese media giant to about 10%, and become the largest shareholder of the Kadokawa Group. Sony and Kadokawa Pictures plan to strengthen joint investment and cooperation in the content field and jointly discover new creators through a capital alliance.
The deal could strengthen Sony's entertainment portfolio, which includes games, movies, music, and anime. These two companies and Tencent Holdings are major shareholders of FromSoftware, the developer of “Eldon's Ring”. Sony already owns 2% of Kadokawa's shares, as well as shares in Kadokawa subsidiary FromSoftware.
Amir Anvarzadeh (Amir Anvarzadeh) of Asymmetric Advisors previously stated, “There is no doubt that Sony wants to acquire FromSoftware, which has always been the jewel in Kadokawa Publishing's crown. This is a high-quality game studio, and I've always thought it should be acquired by another third party.”
Kadokawa started as a publisher in 1945, but has expanded franchises such as “Re:Zero” to games, anime, events, and characters. Prior to reporting, its market capitalization was around $2.7 billion. As the inventor of Walkman, Sony has transformed from an electronics manufacturer to an entertainment and tech giant, with businesses spanning movies, music, games, and chips.
Anime is the focus of Sony's attention, and the popularity of streaming services and a deep understanding of Japanese culture have driven Sony's growth around the world. Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said last year: “Lovely characters and intellectual property can exist for 30, 50, or even 100 years. This is an area where we want to invest in sustainable growth.”
