Mergers & Acquisitions: Playstation Acquire Firewalk

[Cyhwuhx]

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NACON ACQUIRES DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT, A LEADING VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIO FOR 53 MILLION EUROS

 

This operation represents the biggest external growth yet for Nacon and is in line with its development strategy in the video game industry.

Already partners in the publishing of one of the most anticipated games of 2022, The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™, the two companies decided to tighten their collaboration. This transaction will enable NACON to acquire several key intellectual properties and to benefit from Daedalic Entertainments remarkable publishing and game development expertise.

 

https://corporate.nacongaming.com/en/press/daedalic-acquisition/

[layten]

On 14/02/2022 at 17:41, Robo_1 said:

Interestingly, Atsushi Inaba, president and CEO of Platinum has been speaking about how Platinum are open to a buyout offer. I'm not sure how this would square with their recent investment from Tencent, but I think of all the major players in the gaming space, nobody would benefit from their addition as much as Nintendo and they would IMO, do well to make their play before somebody else does!

 

 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/platinums-ceo-says-he-wouldnt-dismiss-acquisition-offers-as-long-as-our-freedom-is-respected/

 

 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/hideki-kamiya-says-hes-totally-serious-about-resurrecting-xbox-exclusive-scalebound/

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Kamiya added: “Phil! Let’s do it together!”

[Robo_1]

45 minutes ago, Cyhwuhx said:

 

https://corporate.nacongaming.com/en/press/daedalic-acquisition/

 

You're really good at keeping up to date with all these Cyhwuhx, cheers.

 

39 minutes ago, layten said:

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/hideki-kamiya-says-hes-totally-serious-about-resurrecting-xbox-exclusive-scalebound/

 

I could certainly see it. There doesn't seem to be any bad blood at all around whatever went wrong with Scalebound and there appears to be a lot of mutual respect there. To be honest I'd support anybody buying out Platinum who would look to steer them away from their GaaS ambitions and allow them to focus once more on blockbuster single player action games.

[RubberJohnny]

I dunno, Microsoft's main acquisition targets have been studios who can avoid development hell. Platinum have had quite a few projects go south, Scalebound being the big one, but they had that Granblue Fantasy RPG taken away from them and given to another developer and Bayonetta 3 looks like it might finally launch after what, 5 years of radio silence and tumultuous development? Even Babylons Fall has taken a long road, switching genres and artstyles during development.

 

I do feel bad for Platinum, because they do swing for the fences in what they want to achieve, and they're in this weird position where everyone that cribs from them is way more successful than they are (Mihoyo gachas love to mine that seam, and there's a wave of retro shooters integrating character action mechanics)

[JoeK]

It would be great if Platinum were bought…always get the feeling they’re caught in a terrible vicious circle where they have got huge talent and clearly can make fantastic games but because they don’t sell big numbers it means they have to make more and more games to tide things over and they never have enough dosh coming in to make any of them really great. 
 

Scalebound could have been awesome.

[Cyhwuhx]

If Microsoft truly wants a Japanese studio, Platinum will be their best bet I think. But reading between the lines, it's clear Platinum would mainly expect financial backing and not much interference otherwise (Sony's Bungie move basically).

 

Now I do believe Spencer and co. could make this work, but I'm not sure they would want to for such a small studio. I can get letting Bethesda and ABK continue as if nothing changed, but Platinum is not that large nor that weighty a studio... Going to be interesting to see if Microsoft is moving here.

[Mr. Gerbik]

12 minutes ago, Cyhwuhx said:

If Microsoft truly wants a Japanese studio, Platinum will be their best bet I think. But reading between the lines, it's clear Platinum would mainly expect financial backing and not much interference otherwise (Sony's Bungie move basically).

 

Now I do believe Spencer and co. could make this work, but I'm not sure they would want to for such a small studio. I can get letting Bethesda and ABK continue as if nothing changed, but Platinum is not that large nor that weighty a studio... Going to be interesting to see if Microsoft is moving here.

Also worth noting that the Scalebound mess/mishandling was a leftover from the Matrick era that Phil had to deal with iirc. Current friendly uncle Phil Microsoft would handle it differently from the get go. But as has been said, Platinum isn't the most reliable of developers - with Double Fine and Obsidian for example you can see their potential and how giving them more wiggle room financially and creatively could yield even greater results. While current Platinum seems to be stuck in development hell with every project they attempt.

 

However, Microsoft badly wants a Japanese developer and has found it very difficult to get a foot in the shoji door. Maybe if Platinum is now offering themselves, seemingly begging for it, this could be worth it just to make a start in Japan. Approach other studios through Platinum once they're part of the Phil biome.

[deerokus]

They generally do their best work when they have a more hands-on publisher helping them and overseeing production. Nintendo, Square etc.

 

That could work with MS.

 

 

[Mr. Gerbik]

But whoever buys them, it does indeed feel like they desperately need it before they go the way of Treasure. Which would be a great loss. And that's the thing, people can have bad feelings about these acquisitions all day long but for devs like Arkane and now Platinum it feels like a life saver.

[Cyhwuhx]

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Netmarble US to join Kabam

 

Today mobile game developer Kabam announced that the Netmarble US studio will be joining as of March 1. Kabam, creator of Marvel Content of Champions, was acquired by Netmarble back in 2017.

 

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-02-17-netmarble-us-to-join-kabam
 

This may be a bit confusing upon reading it, so step by step:

• Netmarble buys Kabam.
• Kabam absorbs Netmarble US studio.
• Kabam is still a studio under Netmarble.

[moosegrinder]

15 hours ago, deerokus said:

They generally do their best work when they have a more hands-on publisher helping them and overseeing production. Nintendo, Square etc.

 

That could work with MS.

 

 

 

This was my thinking. I think there's a middle ground for them to be steered and kept on course by someone like MS without necessarily dominating their creativity and stifling it. They really do need someone to stop them wandering off during development because fucking hell fire.

[Mr. Gerbik]

5 minutes ago, moosegrinder said:

 

This was my thinking. I think there's a middle ground for them to be steered and kept on course by someone like MS without necessarily dominating their creativity and stifling it. They really do need someone to stop them wandering off during development because fucking hell fire.

Indeed. Microsoft needs to merge  good Platinum and bad Platinum into one super dev studio - let's call it Platinum Prime. A more focused Platinum that produces experiences on the level of Bayonetta and Vanquish consistently with no more Koras or Turtles dribbling out between the good stuff.

 

PLATINUM PRIME

 

[Cyhwuhx]

1 minute ago, Mr. Gerbik said:

Indeed. Microsoft needs to merge  good Platinum and bad Platinum into one super dev studio - let's call it Platinum Prime. A more focused Platinum that produces experiences on the level of Bayonetta and Vanquish consistently with no more Koras or Turtles dribbling out between the good stuff.

 

PLATINUM PRIME

 

 

"MTX is the right of all sentient beings."

[mushashi]

PG want to balloon up to a 500+ person company and set-up a new Tokyo location specifically for live service ops. Given the recent comments from Inaba about how he sees the future and how even platform holders generally see the future, I don't think expecting them to make themselves voluntarily extinct is the best idea. You either adapt or die in the games industry.

 

Look at Epic, made side scrollers then arena/cover shooters, neither of which they still bother with.

[Cyhwuhx]

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Tencent has acquired Canadian development studio Inflexion Games from parent company Improbable
 

Improbable intends to move away from internal development to focus on its technology business, and specifically hopes to accelerate "metaverse activities."

As a result, the British company sold the entirety of its stake in Inflexion to Tencent for an undisclosed fee.

Moving forward, Inflexion will continue development on its debut project, a shared-world survival crafting title called Nightingale. The studio will continue to be led by CEO Aaryn Flynn and operate from its base in Edmonton, Canada.

Nightingale is due to launch in early access on PC later this year.

 

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/tencent-buys-nightingale-developer-inflexion-games-from-improbable

[Cyhwuhx]

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Nintendo acquires long-running partner studio SRD Co

Tokyo-based firm has worked with platform holder on games dating back to Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros

 

Nintendo has made a rare acquisition, officially making one of its long-runnng development partners an internal studio.

Tokyo-based SRD Co. will be wholly owned by Nintendo, with the deal expected to close on April 1, 2022. No sum was disclosed.

The company is led by director and president Toshihiko Nakago, and has been working with Nintendo for almost forty years.

SRD has assisted with the programming and development of first-party games as far back as the NES versions of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr, as well as iconic titles like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda.

 

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-02-24-nintendo-acquires-long-running-partner-studio-srd-co

[Cyhwuhx]

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THQ Nordic acquires German animation studio Metricminds

 

Metricminds is known for creating cutscenes, keyframe animation, cinematics, and more.

Based in Germany, Metricminds is known for creating vcutscenes, trailers, motion capture, keyframe animation, facial animation, and cinematics.

The company has worked on high-profile projects including Dying Light,Borderlands 2, Batman Arkham Origins, and both Horizon titles.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/thq-nordic-acquires-german-animation-studio-metricminds

[Cyhwuhx]

Christ, so many acquisitions…

[Cyhwuhx]

 

QLOC worked on Dark Souls Remastered among others.

[amc]

Everyone spending that cash before it goes to shit.

[deerokus]

8 hours ago, Cyhwuhx said:

 

QLOC worked on Dark Souls Remastered among others.

1c  used to publish loads of cheap but good pc games from central and Eastern europe. Classic eurojank company but havent seen the name around much recently.

[MNFRMTMRRW]

On 17/02/2022 at 18:30, Mr. Gerbik said:

Also worth noting that the Scalebound mess/mishandling was a leftover from the Matrick era that Phil had to deal with iirc. Current friendly uncle Phil Microsoft would handle it differently from the get go. But as has been said, Platinum isn't the most reliable of developers - with Double Fine and Obsidian for example you can see their potential and how giving them more wiggle room financially and creatively could yield even greater results. While current Platinum seems to be stuck in development hell with every project they attempt.

 

However, Microsoft badly wants a Japanese developer and has found it very difficult to get a foot in the shoji door. Maybe if Platinum is now offering themselves, seemingly begging for it, this could be worth it just to make a start in Japan. Approach other studios through Platinum once they're part of the Phil biome.

They need a publisher to make a dent. Bandai Namco, Sega Sammy or Capcom most likely candidates. 
 

I also see someone buying or licensing the entire Konami IP catalog. 

[mushashi]

4 hours ago, MNFRMTMRRW said:

They need a publisher to make a dent. Bandai Namco, Sega Sammy or Capcom most likely candidates. 
 

I also see someone buying or licensing the entire Konami IP catalog. 

 

Does making a dent in Japan really matter anymore? Why did Sony, a Japanese company decide to move its PlayStation corporate HQ from Japan to America and give the job to successive Westerners?

 

Even Microsoft's most recent activity in the region is centred on pan-Asia, rather than being Japan-specific, as the Japanese market continues losing global relevance.

 

Winning in India, China or the rest of Asia is probably more useful going forward than trying to fight a past, increasingly irrelevant war.

[MNFRMTMRRW]

21 hours ago, mushashi said:

 

Does making a dent in Japan really matter anymore? Why did Sony, a Japanese company decide to move its PlayStation corporate HQ from Japan to America and give the job to successive Westerners?

 

Even Microsoft's most recent activity in the region is centred on pan-Asia, rather than being Japan-specific, as the Japanese market continues losing global relevance.

 

Winning in India, China or the rest of Asia is probably more useful going forward than trying to fight a past, increasingly irrelevant war.

It's not irrelevant, but I get your point. 

 

It's a smaller market, but without a proper market share in Japan, Microsoft won't see 50% of the Japanese titles that are now associated with Nintendo/PlayStation brands. Without those franchises, it will be harder to increase market share in the west. So yes, the size of the Japanese domestic market might be relatively small, those IPs still control mind share in Europe and the US.

[mushashi]

The best way for Microsoft to obtain those titles is for those games to be proven commercially successful on the Xbox platform worldwide, which doesn't really need Japan itself as even the PlayStation is increasingly seen as a secondary market domestically with the declining home console market there.

 

The simple answer to all of it is for Microsoft to underwrite ports to the Xbox and spend lots of money on advertising to prove to the Japanese developers who still don't see any worthwhile commercial value in the Xbox platform to their business that it is worth their time and money to bring their games to Xbox.

 

They did this before multiple times in the past, but clearly the results weren't that encouraging, otherwise those games would come naturally as the Xbox sales would make it worth the effort and money they have to spend.

[Cyhwuhx]

That’s a chicken and egg problem really. Xbox traditionally got a lot of Japanese experimental titles which turned off people who liked more traditional titles. 
 

If Persona, FF, and the like would actually release their mainline titles consistently on the Xbox, more Japanese devs would release the more mainstream games for their Japanese audience. 
 

I mean, the most well known Japanese Xbox 360 game is arguably EDF2017. A remake of a Phoenix-like budget series in Japan. 
 

Xbox was never seen as a viable platform and never became one as a result, trapping people who like those type of games to Sony and Nintendo. 
 

I really feel Microsoft had way less influence there than is suggested. 
 

For me personally, this still makes the Xbox feel a bit like a “US jock” console, despite it broadening its horizons tremendously over the years. 
 

Does Microsoft need these titles? Less and less. But it will always feel like it’s lacking something without some Japanese support at some level. 

[mushashi]

2 hours ago, Cyhwuhx said:

That’s a chicken and egg problem really. Xbox traditionally got a lot of Japanese experimental titles which turned off people who liked more traditional titles. 
 

If Persona, FF, and the like would actually release their mainline titles consistently on the Xbox, more Japanese devs would release the more mainstream games for their Japanese audience. 
 

I mean, the most well known Japanese Xbox 360 game is arguably EDF2017. A remake of a Phoenix-like budget series in Japan. 
 

Xbox was never seen as a viable platform and never became one as a result, trapping people who like those type of games to Sony and Nintendo. 
 

I really feel Microsoft had way less influence there than is suggested. 
 

For me personally, this still makes the Xbox feel a bit like a “US jock” console, despite it broadening its horizons tremendously over the years. 
 

Does Microsoft need these titles? Less and less. But it will always feel like it’s lacking something without some Japanese support at some level. 

 

Well yes, but it's too much to expect developers and publishers to support a platform just because, they didn't support PC much in the past until it was shown to be commercially viable as it is the only platform with truly global reach, none of the consoles have the same coverage. You're supporting Xbox if you want some extra sales in a select few viable markets, otherwise the other major platforms will net you most of your sales without that extra risk. For niche games, it's even more questionable if you don't do many sales in total to support it.

 

EDF is an interesting one, it went Xbox exclusive for some bizarre reason for a single game, despite originating on PlayStation and has now reverted back to being a PlayStation/PC game. Either the sales on Xbox were never that great or it's tinfoil hat time.

 

I have no idea why any normal person in Japan would willing choose Xbox as their platform if they wanted domestic support, it's always trapped in that negative feedback loop of not enough owners buying too few copies to justify the investment without Microsoft having to write cheques to make it worth developers and publishers time, like they currently are doing with their XGP deals for Japanese games.

[Cyhwuhx]

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Tencent acquires minority stake in Beyond the Wire dev Offworld Industries
 

Beyond the Wire and Squad developer Offworld Industries has received an undisclosed "strategic investment" from Tencent.

The deal will see Tencent acquire a minority stake in the Vancouver-based studio and allow Offworld to "build upon the live services of its successful first-person shooter titles."

 

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/tencent-acquires-minority-stake-in-i-beyond-the-wire-i-dev-offworld-industries

[Cyhwuhx]

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Developing Games Around the World: Netflix to Acquire Next Games
 

Since I joined Netflix last summer, our vision for games - to build a library of great games for our members to enjoy - has always been clear and simple. But to get there is no simple feat; it takes time to develop games that people love. So today, I am pleased to share that we have entered into an agreement to acquire Next Games, a developer and publisher of mobile games based in Helsinki, Finland.  

Founded in 2013 and led by Teemu Huuhtanen, Next Games specializes in mobile games based on popular entertainment franchises like Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales, the story-driven puzzle RPG (role-playing game) inspired by one of our most watched series. Over the years, the team has successfully created and operated live service games with a dedicated fan base across the globe who play over long periods of time.  

 

https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-to-acquire-next-games

[Cyhwuhx]

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Toge Productions Acquires Tahoe Games for 4 Billion Rupiah

Indonesia-based game developer Toge Productions has announced the acquisition of Tahoe Games, an indie game studio located in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. Toge Productions was first founded in 2011, well known for their zombie survival series Infectonator and barista simulation game Coffee Talk. Tahoe Games is well known for the release of their hell-raising Rising Hell.

 

https://www.togeproductions.com/toge-acquires-tahoe/