Sony Could Look At Acquiring Capcom Or Konami Next
It's a war of the gaming worlds, as Sony and Microsoft continue to lock horns. Like a real-life game of Risk, the gaming map is in a constant state of flux, as regions are marked off in either blue or green. So, what's next?
Both sides have made some big acquisitions in the past few weeks, and while even we thought Sony was licked at one point, another acquisition for Team Sony could put the PlayStation powerhouse back in the game. The latest whispers claim Sony could be looking to the East.
Is A Japanese Developer The Next Big Acquisition?
Following that record-breaking ZeniMax Media deal that saw Microsoft swallow Bethesda last March, Xbox boss Phil Spencer didn't waste any time in marching his acquisition army forward. Jaws were on the floor when the troubled Activision Blizzard was next to join the ranks - with the Bethesda buyout being dwarfed by a cool $69 billion.
Sony hasn't hung around, and with the recent buyout of Bungie, the former Halo dev team is flying the PlayStation flag alongside other newcomers like Housemarque (Returnal) and Bluepoint Games (2020's Demon's Souls remake). Now, one insider thinks a big Japanese studio will help Sony try to butcher its biggest rival.
Speaking to Nathan Brown's Hit Points, Kantan Games CEO and analyst Dr. Serkan Toto claims Japan is where Sony could strike gold. Even though Spencer is keen to continue his Microsoft monopoly, Toto says it's "very unlikely" a Japanese studio will add itself to the Xbox ledger.
Discussing the problems with foreign companies like Microsoft trying to claim a Japanese studio, Toto explained, "They are generally considered the antithesis of the Japanese way of doing business, and almost always a very bad idea. A foreign entity taking over a publicly traded studio against its own will would be a suicide mission: everybody would leave instantly. I would bet my house this will not happen, ever."
Could Sony Claim A Japanese Studio?
Mulling over what Sony could do, Toto asserted, "Sony of course has the home-field advantage, and some of the challenges that would come up for Microsoft would not apply to Sony." Remembering that Sony is a major Japanese corporation, Toto continued, "It doesn’t have to be one of the publicly traded powerhouses, but I believe Sony is at least considering making a move in Japan soon."
He also reminds us that a lot of big Japanese developers like Bandai Namco, Sega Sammy, and Square Enix were born from mergers. Looking at the bigger picture of who could fall under the Sony umbrella, the obvious ones are Capcom and Konami. In terms of Capcom, it would be wild to think the former PlayStation-exclusive Resident Evil could return home.
A more likely purchase would be Konami. There's been a lot of discussion about how the once-lauded developer has let legendary franchises like Silent Hill, Metal Gear, and Castlevania gather dust. We regularly speculate about what's going on with these, while the forgotten Abandoned was once rumoured to be a secret Konami game.
Dare we also dream that Square Enix could be engulfed by Sony? The Final Fantasy games have a long history with the PlayStation, but for now, it's purely speculation. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has promised more acquisitions and more exclusives, so for those disappointed by the Bungie news, don't count Sony out just yet.
At the end of the day, Toto's musings are just the words of one man. However, as someone in the know, a big acquisition from Japan is looking more likely by the day. If some of your old favourites are destined to become PlayStation exclusives, you'd better get back on the hunt for those elusive PS5s.
