Recently, we’ve been reporting on the potential acquisition of FromSoftware owner Kadokawa by Sony. Kadokawa itself acknowledged that talks were going ahead, but we weren’t able to hear any more, that is until now.
According to a new news release from Sony, a full acquisition hasn’t taken place, but the PlayStation owner has increased its ownership of Kadokawa shares considerably. Sony and Kadokawa signed a “strategic capital and business alliance agreement,” reads the post. “with Sony acquiring 12,054,100 new Kadokawa shares for approximately 50 billion yen.”
This, combined with the shares Sony acquired in 2021, makes Sony the largest shareholder for Kadokawa, even if it doesn’t have a majority or controlling stake. With this new alliance, Sony seeks to initiate further collaboration using Kadokawa’s IP, including developing the IP into live-action films and TV dramas to be released globally, as well as further distributing Kadokawa’s anime works.
“By combining Kadokawa’s extensive IP and IP creation ecosystem with the strengths of Sony, which has promoted the global expansion of a wide range of entertainment, including anime and games, we plan to work closely together to realize Kadokawa’s ‘Global Media Mix’ strategy, aimed at maximizing the value of its IP, and Sony’s long-term vision, ‘Creative Entertainment Vision,'” said Sony COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki.
What do you think of this result?