What Would Sony Gain from Buying Kadokawa?
Today, otakus around the world woke up to bombshell news. According to Reuters Japan, Sony is currently in talks to explore the possibility of buying Kadokawa, a giant in the world of anime, manga/light novels, and game development.
Judging from online opinions, many fans are concerned and do not want Sony to purchase Kadokawa, as it would give Sony even more of a monopoly in the anime industry.
In this post, we’ll evaluate what Sony would gain by buying Kadokawa.
What Would Sony Gain from Buying Kadokawa?
First, let’s set aside a few things that don’t fall under the anime, games, and manga category. Sony would become the owner of the “Japanese YouTube,” which is Niconico. Imagine Niconico under Sony’s management!
Additionally, Sony would have control over the Anime News Network website, as Kadokawa is the current owner of the site.
Sony Would Acquire Doga Kobo
Recently, Kadokawa purchased the studio behind Oshi no Ko, Doga Kobo. So, if Sony bought the company, they would have this studio in their hands. ENGI is another studio that would come under Sony’s control, having produced anime like Unnamed Memory, KimiZero, Kantai Collection, among others.
Equally significant, Sony would own 31.8% of Kinema Citrus, which produced anime such as Yuyushiki, Black Bullet, My Happy Marriage, Shield Hero, and others.
It’s worth mentioning that Sony would also gain other smaller studios.
Would Spike Chunsoft and From Software Develop PlayStation Exclusives?
I don’t even want to think about it, as I enjoy playing on PC and I’m a fan of Spike’s games. But, as mentioned, Sony would gain Spike Chunsoft, the owner of franchises like Danganronpa, Zero Escape, and AI: The Somnium Files.
Sony already holds 14.09% of From Software. If they bought Kadokawa, they would control the 69.66% that Kadokawa owns. You already know the games they produce, like the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring, Sekiro, and more.
Kadokawa also owns Acquire, the developer of the recent Mario & Luigi: Brothership and other games like Octopath Traveler and Akiba’s Trip.
Manga and Light Novels Would See Sony’s Dominance
Sony would have several light novel lines at its disposal, and it would own two giant American light novel and manga publishers: J-Novel Club and Yen Press.
In addition, Sony would gain ownership of magazines like Famitsu, Dengeki Nintendo, Comptiq, among others. Several anime would become Sony’s property, including ReZero, Dungeon Meshi, Oshi no Ko, Shield Hero, Mushoku Tensei, Sword Art Online, Bungo Stray Dogs, Konosuba, Classroom of the Elite, Mahouka, The Eminence in Shadow, Toaru Majutsu no Index, and many more.
A concern among fans regarding this potential purchase is the censorship Sony might apply to all Kadokawa products, something they already enforce with their PlayStation brand.
via Voce Sabia Anime