Sony Has Purchased A Stake In From Software Owner Kadokawa Corporation

Kadokawa Corporation has given Sony a 1.93% ownership stake in the company, a financial deal that the Japanese media conglomerate says will allow it to utilize Sony's “global expansion power of animation and consumer games.”

“We believe that it is necessary to procure such funds in order not to miss potential investment opportunities and to solidify our ability to create IP based on our track record of creating rich and unique IP consisting of a diverse portfolio of books, movies, animations, games, and UGC platforms, both financially and financially,” it said in a statement as reported by VGC.

The deal will also see CyberAgent--owner of popular smartphone game developer CyGames--receive the same percentage of shares in the company, which in turn will allow Kadowkawa Corporation to create and develop new intellectual properties in addition to maximizing the IP that it already owns.

The company is also the owner of Dark Souls developer From Software, which it acquired back in 2014. From Software has a positive history with Sony, as more than half of its video game catalogue since 1994 have released as PlayStation platform exclusives, including 2015's Bloodborne.

Sony's deal may also be linked to its recent plans to turn anime and manga into a core pillar of its business, which it has invested serious money into expanding lately. Anime streaming platform CrunchyRoll was acquired for $1.2 billion by Sony, adding the service to its Aniplex and Funimation divisions. Kadokawa Corporation subsidiary Kadokawa Shoten has helped produce popular anime such as Re:Zero, Rising of the Shield Hero, and Overlord.

As for From Software, its next game is the fantasy-RPG Elden Ring, and it's lore was created in collaboration with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Described as an evolution of the Dark Souls series by game director Hideki Kamiya, details on the project have been scarce since its reveal at E3 2019. For the few tantalizing details that we do know, you can check out our Elden Ring hub.