Final Fantasy XVI
Clearly, we’re not out of the era of massive acquisitions and video game consolidation just yet, and a new rumor is something that many fans have theorized about for some time that Sony might be considering a move. buy the Japanese Square Enix for the PlayStation brand.
This report comes from the PS show I Love You, where Greg Miller says he has heard that Sony is trying to acquire Square Enix, although it is unclear what stage of this process may occur and if it will or will not happen. no, and he says to take it with a grain of salt.
(around 1h15-1h16)
Square Enix made headlines last week after selling Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and a bunch of IPs like Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, and Thief to Embracer Group. Today, the theory is that the company is “shrinking down” to potentially become a more attractive acquisition target.
There is a long-standing connection between Square Enix and PlayStation, as the two companies have collaborated many times in the past. The idea behind an acquisition is that maybe Sony could make something like Final Fantasy a PlayStation-exclusive series once and for all. Although following their purchase of Bungie, who knows, because that deal didn’t require Bungie’s only game franchise, Destiny, to become fully owned by PlayStation. Future games from Destiny and Bungie all remain cross-platform. But would it be the same for Square Enix and its remaining IP addresses? It’s not clear.
This report agrees with past rumors that it is in fact Microsoft who was looking to acquire a major Japanese studio and break into that market. But then again, the relationship between Square Enix and Sony seems so established that MS buying them instead seems unlikely (although I guess there’s still a number). This has led some to speculate about Microsoft’s interest in companies like SEGA or Capcom.
Sony also had other rumors that it might buy FromSoftware, but that ultimately lacks a concrete supply base and the origins of this most recent report turned out to be a misunderstanding. However, “logically” Sony also has a close relationship with FromSoftware, and obviously anyone would want From’s stable of games and talent in their roster to be potential exclusives, as proven once again but the leader of GOTY, Elden Ring.
Essentially, it’s like saying that if you’re not Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or a big tech company, you might be acquired by one of the former. The deal with Activision proved that anything is possible in the industry. In this case, Square Enix selling to Sony makes more sense than most offers, and we’ll see if what Greg Miller heard pans out.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels Herokiller Series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
