Sony Rumoured To Buy Square Enix Next
The console wars have graduated from friendly competition to a battle waged by those with the deepest pockets. We're not surprised that the lucrative medium has led to a capitalist clash of the titans, but we're disappointed nonetheless.
Ever since Xbox stunned the industry by picking up Activision Blizzard, Sony has been playing catchup. It even bought Bungie in response to the burgeoning change in the world of gaming that requires the best developers under a company's belt to make exclusives for their consoles. Effective or not, this is the industry now, so it's time to get used to it.
Even though Sony hasn't made any announcements regarding more purchases (as really, it's still got some serious catching up to do), fans are theorising who could be next. And now, the latest rumour suggests that Sony could be about to step up in a major way.
Could Sony Buy Square Enix?
Click to enlargeThe founder of Eidos Montreal has recently discussed the events that led to the sale of many elements of the Eidos and Square Enix companies, and as hinted that they could end up getting swept up in a big purchase.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Stephane D'Astous suggested that the sales of Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal, and Crystal Dynamcis to Embracer Group were partly down to mounting pressures from Japan to make more money. "It was a train wreck in slow motion, to my eyes, anyway," he says. "It was predictable that the train was not going in a good direction. And maybe that justified $300 million." But, that's not all.
Eidos Montreal's Founder Thinks Sony Is Buying Square Enix Tokyo
D'Astous goes on to say that he's "aware" of rumours that Sony is keen to pick up Square Enix Tokyo, after three of its associated studios have stepped under the wing of Embracer. "I heard rumours that Sony said they're really interested in Square Enix Tokyo, but not the rest," he added. "So I think [Square Enix's CEO] Matsuda-san put it like a garage sale."
Sure, Square Enix Tokyo isn't the main branch known for Final Fantasy, but it's a step in the right direction. Then again, it's just as likely that this is another rumour akin to Sony buying Capcom or Konami that never game to pass. It'll be interesting to see if PlayStation makes the acquisition, as it'd do the company very nicely indeed. Dragon Quest as a PlayStation exclusive, anyone?
