Rumor: Sony interested in buying Square Enix

[Abby_TheLastofUs]

The former head of Eidos Montreal, founder Stephane D'Astous has heard rumors that Sony wants to acquire Square Enix.

 

He speculates that it may have been why Edios Montreal and Crystal Dynamics were sold off for such a low price.

 

Quote

He continues: "If I read between the lines, Square Enix Japan was not as committed as we hoped initially. And there are rumours, obviously, that with all these activities of mergers and acquisitions, that Sony would really like to have Square Enix within their wheelhouse. I heard rumours that Sony said they're really interested in Square Enix Tokyo, but not the rest. So, I think [Square Enix CEO Yosuke] Matsuda-san put it like a garage sale."

 

This is just a small portion of a larger article which I recommend everyone check out. It gives some insight into what things were like for Edios Montreal under Square.

 

Jim Ryan did say more acquisitions were coming (nothing surprising there), and Sony recently hired a notable antitrust lawyer. Could be they are gearing up for a big acquisition. ?

 

Acquisitions aren't something that usually leak out beforehand, and he left Eidos Montreal back in 2013 but he's still in the industry so if he's heard something, there might be something to it.

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Abby_TheLastofUs

[Valyrious]

This is the worst kept secret in gaming. Yes, even more than a Bloodborne remaster being in the works.

With a bunch of the Final Fantasy games being on PS Plus Extra, and not being on Xbox Game Pass... I think it can be safely assumed that their partnership will expand to an eventual acquisition.

Sony really should tie the knot already. Final Fantasy XVI is going to be a system seller. It has the potential to be the best Final Fantasy in the entire series.

[DrBloodmoney]

Everyone is interested in buying everyone - that's industries 101.

 

Every one of these massive companies has entire teams dedicated to gaming out these kind of theoretical deals - which means it is impossible for anyone to be legitimately wrong when they say "X is interested in buying Y!".

 

It doesn't necessarily mean they are legitimately right either though...

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by DrBloodmoney

[Breakingthegreen]

I never approve of these acquisitions that will end up limiting what were typically multiplatform companies to one brand, despite how much Square Enix has been on a downward trend completely unprommented. I feel the same about Activision Blizzard, although what that company needs is a security feed to the nearest police station if even half of their accusations are true.

I'll be honest, when I heard one of my favourite studios (Tequila Works) was majority acquired by Tencent, my immediate reaction was "Phew, at least the games will stay on Playstation"

As long as the Kingdom Hearts games remain good, and available to me, I'll try not to worry.

[SelectiveGamer]

If it happens... I hope they force them to stop their NFT BS

[sepheroithisgod]

Next, they're gonna say the sky is blue.

[majob]

I don't know, I thought Sony still had stock in SE but they sold it in 2014 and do they have the money after the Bungie deal? Though if it were to happen I could see it as for more than just the game IPs like people think. Square Enix has sizeable anime studios, IPs and manga publishing and with Sony tightening their grip on the international anime market, this would be a good deal in that regard

Edited July 27, 2022 by majob

[AJ_Radio]

Am I the only one sick and tired of these massive corporations buying out gaming companies? 
 

Like what Microsoft did with Bethesda and Activision/Blizzard. 
 

This is already an oligarchy, just like Google/YouTube, Facebook/Instagram and Twitter dominating the social media front. 
 

33 minutes ago, sepheroithisgod said:

Next, they're gonna say the sky is blue.

We’re already there. WEF (World Economic Forum) is saying we need to block out the sun.

[The Alchemist]

Meh, this is kinda like asking your girlfriend to marry you. Yeah it's nice but you don't really gain any additional perks by doing it. 

 

Jokes aside, Sony are already in deep with Square so this would come as no surprise if it happens. It'll lock down Final Fantasy once and for all, some other big franchises too. Square hasn't exactly been free from controversy of late, though. A lot of flops and bad decisions. But maybe Sony taking charge would put them back on the straight and narrow. 

 

And yeah I'm not a fan of large-scale acquisitions, but thanks to the likes of Microsoft and their bottomless pit of cash, it's about survival at this point and making sure your platform has content for the future. If you don't lock stuff down one of the other big players is going to snatch it up and keep it off your platform. 

[AJ_Radio]

1 minute ago, The Alchemist said:

And yeah I'm not a fan of large-scale acquisitions, but thanks to the likes of Microsoft and their bottomless pit of cash, it's about survival at this point and making sure your platform has content for the future. If you don't lock stuff down one of the other big players is going to snatch it up and keep it off your platform. 

It’s not about freedom. Should Microsoft put Bethesda in the right direction and put Fallout back into being a competent game franchise, then I’d be happy. Until then, I remain skeptical. 
 

This goes beyond the gamers like us. Big business acquisitions means a shift in management. Usually a change in attitude. 
 

I just see a bunch of executives at a board room greenlighting these acquisitions, because they have the power to do so. Meanwhile, everybody else below them suffers. The last decade has been a hell scape. 
 

Right now it’s just two power giants (Microsoft and Sony) going at it. Nintendo is basically on its own and I seriously hope they can ride the wave a bit longer. 

[Lance_87]

19 minutes ago, AJ_Radio said:

We’re already there. WEF (World Economic Forum) is saying we need to block out the sun.

 

Like this?

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Lance_87

[AJ_Radio]

31 minutes ago, Lance_87 said:

 

Like this?

 

I’d post a video but I don’t want to completely derail this topic. Good chance it will get hidden too.

[Xillynoc]

34 minutes ago, Lance_87 said:

 

Like this?

 

"For year, mankind has yearned to destroy the sun. But I shall do the next best thing!"

[Valyrious]

1 hour ago, The Alchemist said:

Meh, this is kinda like asking your girlfriend to marry you. Yeah it's nice but you don't really gain any additional perks by doing it. 

 

Jokes aside, Sony are already in deep with Square so this would come as no surprise if it happens. It'll lock down Final Fantasy once and for all, some other big franchises too. Square hasn't exactly been free from controversy of late, though. A lot of flops and bad decisions. But maybe Sony taking charge would put them back on the straight and narrow. 

 

And yeah I'm not a fan of large-scale acquisitions, but thanks to the likes of Microsoft and their bottomless pit of cash, it's about survival at this point and making sure your platform has content for the future. If you don't lock stuff down one of the other big players is going to snatch it up and keep it off your platform. 

You know what's worse than asking your girlfriend to marry you? Watching as some rich old man comes by and offers your girlfriend a lambo if she marries him instead. I don't think there's a universe where Square Enix Japan will let themselves be purchased by Microsoft... but never say never when they have virtually unlimited pockets.

Sony's best acquisition right now, period, is to tie that knot and not allow something like that to happen. Especially when they are trying to monopolize the gaming market on their game subscription. Bethesda and Activision aren't a big loss to me, but if they acquired Square Enix? Not gonna lie, that would feel less like an old man buying your girlfriend from you, but more like watching your best friend shank you in the back and taking your girl whilst laughing at your corpse.

To me, Sony acquiring Square Enix is about as big of a no brainer as Nintendo acquiring Monolith Soft many years ago was. That's actually the big fish I wish Sony never let get past them.

[Tsundokuist]

Feels highly unlikely given all the non-gaming industry business Square Enix are also tied up in, ignoring that, this would be a disaster as (for me) Square Enix are currently the best they’ve been since the SNES-era...

 

- They’ve disposed of their sub-par North American arm.

- They’re not adding a tacked-on multiplayer modes to every game.

- They’re hitting every note with the FF7 franchise in terms of what fans want.

- They poached Capcom combat staff which undoubtedly helped FF7R and has FFXVI looking to have Bayonetta-levels of fluidity and fun. 

- They’re doing really interesting things like HD-2D and Pixel Remasters etc.

 

Playstation studios on the other hand I don’t particularly have much hope for going forward…

 

- Ever since the Bungie/Haven acquisitions the noise is all about Sony’s big push to live service games.

- All of their North American studios have such high film/TV pretensions I sometimes wonder if Sony are losing track of what an actual video game is, or at least what made them fun…

- Their previous Japan studios they shuttered and what remains (Team Asobi) are likely stuck on a VR game few will play or some barely-enjoyable OS-level hub experience/experiment/novelty.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Tsundokuist

[MidnightDragon]

In other news, apparently cats are aliens.

[Caesar Clown]

3 hours ago, AJ_Radio said:

Am I the only one sick and tired of these massive corporations buying out gaming companies? 

 

No, I really wish this would stop. If this keeps up there won't be anything left but a small handful of publishers.

[Astray404]

Rumours about Square Enix every month, and almost 90% of them are wrong. 

[Ninjise]

This is like Microsoft buying Sega all over again, plenty of rumous and at the end of the day nothing happens.

 

I just don't see this happening, I'm very skeptical, Square always seemed happy to be independent and doing whatever they want ever since the 90's, that being said this would be a really good move from Sony if it is true.

[Xenoblast91]

The implications of such a hypothetical situation have too many forks and slopes, that I honestly don't know what could happen.

 

On the one hand, it's interesting that you think Sony had could control over SE, but... Since it now has a western focus and not the eastern aura that SE grew up with at the beginning of 3rd-4th generation, we could be in a very difficult situation. Similar to what happened with the acquisition of T2 and all its subsidiaries.

[ExHaseo]

This has been a rumor for decades. It's far more likely that they sold off the studios because they were hemorrhaging money after the commercial failure of Avengers and Guardians. Basically every game they made failed to meet Square's expectations too. Square is making plenty of money with their in-house titles, it doesn't make sense to keep spending money on studios that are continually losing money when they have plenty of other successful ways of making money.

[Infected Elite]

Sony should buy SE Japan. Not like Microsoft have any idea what to do with SE

5 hours ago, The Alchemist said:

Meh, this is kinda like asking your girlfriend to marry you. Yeah it's nice but you don't really gain any additional perks by doing it. 

 

Legit. it sounds nice on paper only. Chances are you already live together or have a kid/kids together. So marriage while it MAY work, majority don't. Then you get divorced and lose 90% of your shit. ? "But your money is my money too". gtfo lol

[Conor]

As big a PlayStation fan as I am, I'm not very keen on all these big acquisitions and industry consolidation. If this comes to fruition I would hope that Sony still actually allow for most SE titles to be multiplat releases; I bitched about Microsoft doing it with Zenimax so I'll be equally pissed if Sony do the same, not that I think I do can do much about it otherwise.  

Edited July 28, 2022 by Stan Lee

[majob]

11 hours ago, Tsundokuist said:

Feels highly unlikely given all the non-gaming industry business Square Enix are also tied up in

That would actually be the biggest motivator. An acquisition would mean Sony gets all of SE anime studios, IPs and publishing arms in a time where Sony is making massive grabs in the anime market. Square Music is incorporated into Sony Music. About the only thing they wouldn't have a use for would be the amusement facilities/arcades but Sony has those too

 

8 hours ago, Ninjise said:

This is like Microsoft buying Sega all over again, plenty of rumous and at the end of the day nothing happens.

 

I just don't see this happening, I'm very skeptical, Square always seemed happy to be independent and doing whatever they want ever since the 90's, that being said this would be a really good move from Sony if it is true.

I agree but the firesale Square Enix had for Crystal Dynamics raises questions. They sold them for almost nothing and it's not uncommon for a company to cut off undesired pieces to look more attractive for a buyout

[EDGES]

makes sense, I hoppe it happens just so I won't see other companies buy them and keep their games off of PlayStation, but it's werd if what the rumor claims is true that Sony didn't want Tomb Riader, that's just stupid of them