Why Doesn't Sony Buy More smaller Developers like the Kena and Sifu studios?

Box

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I don't understand why Sony doesn't lock these studios down after they release successful games, Sony had the chance to buy Hellogames but they didn't.

Sony should be very proactive with smaller studios

Buy Shift Up as well
 

JAHGamer

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I been said Sony should buy Ember Lab, a small team of 12 made one of the best games of the generation. And if they don't want to be acquired then at least fund some exclusives like they do with Arrowhead.
 
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Yurinka

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I don't understand why Sony doesn't lock these studios down after they release successful games, Sony had the chance to buy Hellogames but they didn't.

Sony should be very proactive with smaller studios

Buy Shift Up as well
They made many recent acquisitions and are still paying related costs to the point it has been hurting their profitability, so decided to pause acquisitions for a while, because more acquisitions would hurt it more. In fact, they just fired 900 people to adjust that profitability. More acquisitions now maybe would mean more people fired.

And well, maybe because Sony prefer to buy instead studios who have a track record of making a lot of money and/or a long and successful relationship of working for them.

But yes, when possible and if the other side wants to be acquired, in addition to Arrowhead I'd buy BlueTwelve, Shift Up, Sloclap and Ember Lab too.
 

Sircaw

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I don't understand why Sony doesn't lock these studios down after they release successful games, Sony had the chance to buy Hellogames but they didn't.

Sony should be very proactive with smaller studios

Buy Shift Up as well
Have you ever listened to those groups that had a 1 hit wonder? In most cases, the rest of their albums songs are terrible.

Imo if Sony should buy someone it should be someone with a track record over time, with multiple great games.
 
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Box

Box

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Have you ever listened to those groups that had a 1 hit wonder? In most cases, the rest of their albums songs are terrible.

Imo if Sony should buy someone it should be someone with a track record over time, with multiple great games.

Yet Sony bought Media Molecule after Just Littlebigplanet. Sometimes you need to invest and put a little faith in these small studios
 
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Killer_Sakoman

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With everything going multiplat and with Microsoft releasing games on Playstation. What's the point of buying developers? It's more profitable to get that 30% cut without worrying about cost, headcounts, and all management shit.
 
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Dr Bass

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The industry is way healthier with more, smaller, companies that are able to support their own products. It also gives platform owners more of an incentive to make their offerings more attractive.
 

Maverick

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Media Molecule is literally a one hit wonder
Sadly, yes. LittleBigPlanet is one of my favorite games of all time but all of their games including the sequel of LBP couldn't capture the magic of LBP.
 

Kokoloko

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They should.

The times of all old are gone where you can wait a decade to work with someone and then buy them.
Ember Labs have obvious talent, at least graphically, animations and art style. And the combat was more polished than most AAA vets.
Slocap defo is proven.


Like how Quantic Dreams showed with Detroit and Supermassive with there games. Sony needs to be more on the ball, it justs cost them more in the future to buy theses studios

Sony literally bought Haven and there latest game doesnt look appealing
 

Yurinka

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Media Molecule is literally a one hit wonder
No, all their games have been profitable and all of them won many awards.

With everything going multiplat and with Microsoft releasing games on Playstation. What's the point of buying developers? It's more profitable to get that 30% cut without worrying about cost, headcounts, and all management shit.
Buying a dev Sony gets 100% of the revenue and profit they make everywhere, instead of 30% (or a bit mor if 2nd party) in their platform. They also their IPs -in case of 2nd party in most cases too-, and secure them in a long term scenario counting with them to fit them strategically in their multi year roadmaps of 1st and 3P release better adapting them as needed to their strategies.

Also can help them grow to become bigger and better without them going away to be acquired by someone else as happened with Ready At Dawn, Quantic Dream, Sumo Digital or seeing them making games console exclusive for other platforms like Kojima Productions. On top of that, it also blocks them from being in rival game subs and cloud platforms like the ones from MS or Nintendo.

Being acquired they also make sure that they follow their orders and adapt as needed to the company plans and strategy. In some cases, also help them to have gamedev presence in certain countries or regions, which helps them better discover or poach talent from nearby studios. And also provide extra expertise and knowledge that complements diferent areas.

It is also an investment: normally with 3-4 games they recoup that investment and from there they only produce profit.
 
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Danja

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No, all their games have been profitable and all of them won many awards.
Why do you feel the need to lie so blatantly? Only Little Big Planet 1 & 2 were profitable. TearAway & Dreams weren't. They were just lucky their chest two games made a ton of profit it kept them in the green for years after.
 

Yurinka

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Why do you feel the need to lie so blatantly? Only Little Big Planet 1 & 2 were profitable. TearAway & Dreams weren't. They were just lucky their chest two games made a ton of profit it kept them in the green for years after.
Inform yourself with what Media Molecule bosses said in interviews or go to read their publicly available yearly profits and shut the fuck up. They said some time after releasing Dreams that all their games had been profitable.
 
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