FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Corporation has reportedly been pushing Sony Group towards a purchase, according to a new report. We first saw speculations last week that Kadokawa set the stage for a Sony acquisition to fend off a hostile takeover from foreign companies, including South Korea’s Kakao Corp. A fresh report by Bloomberg partially backs up these claims.
Analysts say Kadokawa purchase is in Sony’s best interests, FromSoftware a bonus
Bloomberg reports that both Kadokawa and Sony have been going back and forth for a number of years, with the former wanting Sony to make a full purchase whereas the latter was only interested in strategic investments in anime and video game IP.
Though Bloomberg’s report mentions that Microsoft, Tencent, and Kakao have all expressed an interest in Kadokawa, it stops short of confirming that Kadokawa wanted to fight off a foreign entity in favor of the local Sony Group.
Established in 1945, Kadokawa is an anime powerhouse with a library of over 100,000 novels and comics. The company previously dismissed suggestions of an acquisition, but with its founding members gone and it being publicly listed, Kadokawa doesn’t seem interested in fighting off any offers going forward.
Interestingly, Bloomberg claims that news of a potential acquisition pushed Kadokawa’s market value up to $4.1 billion, making a deal with Sony more difficult than it was just a week ago. Additionally, offers from other buyers are also a possibility, so what happens next remains to be seen.
Analysts have told Bloomberg that Kadokawa could be one of Sony’s best purchases, and that FromSoftware alone holds massive value, although the acquisition has more to do with anime than video games.