Former Blizzard CEO Mike Ybarra is now commenting on Sony’s plans to acquire the Japanese media company Kadokawa Corporation. This is the parent company of FromSoftware, the studio behind games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls. The experienced gaming manager assesses the acquisition: the deal is much better than Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, Ybarra believes.
This is the current state of affairs: Sony has sent a letter of intent to Kadokawa Corporation indicating that they want to buy them.
The Japanese company’s market value has exploded in recent days, rising by 48.5%. This represents an increase in value of over one billion euros.
Kadokawa has acknowledged the acquisition offer and is currently reviewing it.
Manager explains why FromSoftware would be such a valuable acquisition for Sony
This is what Ybarra says: The manager holds FromSoftware in high regard, seeing it as the crown jewel around which the acquisition revolves in the eyes of many gamers. He states: FromSoftware is incredible. They rapidly release games, and their titles are “AAA and epic.” Their balance sheet is fantastic.
For him, Elden Ring is “the best game of the last 10 years” – this is a studio with 400 employees who always work on just one game. The developers are super-focused, which Ybarra views as an important criterion for success.
For Ybarra, an acquisition of FromSoftware by Sony would be one of the 2 best gaming deals of all time.
Only Microsoft’s purchase 10 years ago was bigger
Which deal was better? The only better deal was the bargain Microsoft made when they bought Minecraft for just $2.5 billion, Ybarra explains. That was in 2014.
Which acquisitions does he compare it to? Ybarra says (via x): It would be even bigger if Sony were to buy the Steam owners Valve or Nintendo. And both scenarios are extremely unlikely. He just doesn’t see how those acquisitions could happen.
Ybarra believes: Microsoft may regret the Activision purchase now
How is this being discussed? A Twitter user tells Ybarra: Sony isn’t really interested in FromSoftware with this deal; rather, it’s about the many animes and mangas that will change hands if Sony swallows the Japanese media conglomerate.
Another person disagrees with Ybarra: That Microsoft purchased Activision and Bethesda is much more important.
However, Ybarra counters this critical voice: Microsoft spent $69 billion on Activision alone. Such an investment brings tremendous pressure. You can already feel that pressure at Microsoft. He is not sure whether Microsoft regrets the purchase now.
How good the purchase of FromSoftware by Sony ultimately is also depends on the price, Ybarra adds.
Is he afraid that soon games will only come for PS5? Ybarra says that would be annoying since he plays on PC. But he believes it could be part of a deal that games from FromSoftware are released on additional platforms.
The games from Bungie also continue to be released simultaneously on all platforms.
A user brings up Bungie, the developers of Destiny. After Sony has acquired Bungie, he fears for the fate of FromSoftware if Sony gets its hands on them, he says. Ybarra coldly responds: Bungie had its difficulties even before the purchase by Sony. Well, he is probably right: Destiny 2: Sony allegedly considers the purchase of Bungie a failure and is angry at “greedy bosses”
