Sony Online Entertainment sold off to Columbus Nova

https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/sony-online-entertainment-becomes-daybreak-game-company.11500068269/&affiliateCustomId=6149513&CJURL=https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/sony-online-entertainment-becomes-daybreak-game-company.11500068269/&camp=CJ_DF&clickId=10396361&affiliateId=i5o5ppp0vw00ag8y01rgo&XID=A:6149513:CJ

Dear Players, Partners and Friends,

Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!

As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.

So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.

Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together.

Thank you for your continued support. See you in game!

The Team at Daybreak

What the ****?

Everquest next and H1z1 gonna be on everything now including iOS and android.

Saw this a little while ago. This is a big WTF

awesome. all they make is mmo nonsense anyway. good riddance

Whoa.

What the **** indeed. Was this known prior to this? Does Sony even know what they're doing with their online services. #GreatmessAwaits

effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world,

That falls inline with the by gamers FOR gamers mantra SONY has followed gen 8, not to mention the Live, Learn and Love philosophy,

isn't Sony facing multiple class action suits?

I haven't seen any rumors. Came out of nowhere for me. Guess Planetside 2 and Everquest Next will be coming to xbox.

Smedley even twitted about it.

https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/562305663083098112

seems like a good move.. wonder how much Sony got from it? The EQ brand has to be worth a nice chunk of cash.

I support the move...

No idea, but I do know that SONY is current gen 8 console leader with PS4 though!

Yeah, reading this elsewhere only confirmed my belief that Sony never really knew what this was other than some company with their name partially on it and something that was making money. They didn't even prioritize SOE's games for their leading consoles, almost ever.

Well that's....sudden

Indeed. Thank you sony

Sonys first party just keeps getting smaller

So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.

Guess that applies to Xbox now as well. Nice.

As big as this seems for people, SOE has always been a multiplatform studio. I'm not really seeing the outrage here.

SOE wasnt even apart of SCE Worldwide Studios

Yup and not to mention SONY keeping pace with current gen 8 console leader!

There's always going to be uninformed people, just ignore em m8.

They've been bought by a venture capitalist company

These guys actually made something. What about the team behind TLG? Still nothing after nearly a decade. Those guys need to go next.

RIP Sony.

Weren't you begging for Planetside2 inferior scraps? Also EverQuest:Next looks boss.

LOL yup. Heil68 gotta get off that Sony dick. They're not by anyone or for anything but profits. I'm happy for them with PS4 sales, look forward to games but this company has some issues

the beginning of the end for Sony.

Great news. Never understood why Sony had a PC gaming division.

This probably means more support and expansion for their 1st party studios.

The Sony fanboys will now think Planetside 2 and H1Z1 are trash since it is also going to be on Xbox.

arnt u the guy who doesnt even game on pc yet goes around trolling like u do? yep u are lmao

and no it wasnt me

So it's business as usual under a different name and company.

I've never got into any of their games, never tried any for that matter, though I can see the appeal of many of them. Wondering what their strategy will be from here on. Like I said I was never interested, so no feelings of loss on my end, and with this acquisition it can either remain par for the course or maybe they'll come up with something worthwhile that'll get my attention. I'm kind of fearful though of them bringing an addictive MMO to consoles. It's been easy to avoid them having a crap PC on my end but I worry it'll be like heroin and that's all I'll play and I'll never spend time with all the other awesome games to grace consoles.

Sold to an investor = Sony needs money

Investor makes new changes = to start making money

It's a GOOD thing for all of us to be able to play it now that the company will be multiplatform remember? At least that's what you cows were saying about Bayonetta 2. Now it's supposedly a WTF since it happened to Sony Online Entertainment

SOE are primarily a PC games developer so going indie isn't going to affect Sony or PS very much other than losing revenue from their existing games. It may even be a good thing for consoles over all.

Sony must be in worse shape than we thought.

It begins...

SoE has been operating as an independent studio under Sony for years. They aren't tied to Playstation in any way and have their own online network connecting their products. Furthermore SoE has been operating in the red for the last few years. Planetside 2 had just become profitable this year but the team was operating in the red by porting to the PS4. They also are developing two other games at the same time.

Sony really loses nothing by selling them. I'm more interested in the future of games like Planetside 2 and Everquest Next. This probably means Xbox One versions of their games too as now they have no reason not to support every console.

It's just one studio. It's not even as big of a deal as when MS sold off Bungie.

I think we're talking about different situations here.

Bungie MADE the Xbox for Microsoft. Without Bungie, that original Xbox would likely have suffered through some even greater growing pains attempting to break into an already well-established market. Bungie was hugely profitable and the split was motivated by entirely different things.

This is, I think, a sign of the times for Sony.

I thought PSN was considered under SOE?

Yeah they sort of try to merge them together like 2 years ago, but I dont think it went through.

Back then, online console gaming wasn't has prelevant, so Sony had a division for online specific games.

ITT: People not realizing SOE was never focused on the PS consoles.

I'm actually surprised they took this long to sell them. I mean they produced content mostly for PC...there is nothing wrong with that, but when you have consoles to sell it doesn't make much sense. Hopefully the sale means they will able to continue to make awesome games and perhaps venture a bit more into the console world (the new EverQuest looks pretty cool).

Also somewhat surprised EA or Acti didn't get them.

Oh lol so Sony will be doing Online games for Xbots O.o wtf

When you are out of buildings what else are you going to do. Where are Sony's financials? This must be a desperate attempt to make the company's losses not look as bad.

They don´t know what they want to do with games and now sold off to columbus.

Also they ruined Spider-Man. As we know, Sony wants Aunt May, Sinister Six, Venom, BlackCat spin-off movies. Oh and also spider-girl movie... and now Sony fucked up The Amazing Spider-Man 2 because Sony had no idea what they wanted to do.

Is it really so hard to hire good director and screenwriter and make quality movies? Sony goes bankrupt one day because rich people who knows nothing are leading sony, not profesionals.

J Smedley seems thrilled about being able to work on the Xbox One on his twitter. He even says that there's a chance that DC Universe will come to the XB1 ass well. Cool, cows said it was a fun game :)

Guess that explains why they pimped Spiderman off to Marvel Studios....

Sony put lead guy who made Ghost Riders, The Punisher, Wolverine Origins, Fantastic four 4, spider-man 3 to lead Spider-Man movie.

Director had full control of Spider-Man 1 and Spider-Man 2, and then producer got full power and made now Spider-Man 3, reboot with TASM1 and TASM2. The after bad reviews he wanted Aunt May movie and Spider-Girl movie ass well. Also some women villains too.

Also we heard that Sony is making new bond, massive cost, 300 million and movie has no script.

Sony put business men lead but Marvel added guy in lead who knows everything about Marvel comics.

business men don´t care quality and now it´s fucked up.