Sony Game Studios Acquisitions and Divestitures

[RDGoodla]

Sony seems to have much more cash.

Sony and Apollo Express Interest in Buying Paramount in $26 Billion Deal

Paramount has been exploring a potential deal for months, talking to suitors including Skydance, producer of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

www.nytimes.com

Sony will be majority shareholder of the $26 billion all cash acquisition. Will Sony continue to buy big studios now?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Not game related. I image that'd reduce their spending on studios.

They bought 2 studios in 2019. 6 in 2021. 3 in 2022. 1 in 2023. Looks like their panic buying is over to me.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

They should buy Tango devs. That would be killer PR for them.

 

[see colon]

They should buy Tango devs. That would be killer PR for them.

Where would they work? Didn't Sony already close all of their Japanese studios outside of Polyphony and Team Asobi? I would imagine those teams are full assuming any staff that were saved from the studios that did close would have ended up at one of these studios. Asobi, in particular, as they were essentially a group within Japan Studio before that studio closed.

 

[SmooTh]

They could do the Deviation Games move (if the rumour is true) and make a new Team/Studio inside PlayStation

 

[tuna]

Where would they work?

Maybe Sony can take over the office lease? Or move them to Sony HQ (which is like one kilometer or two stations away).

 

[Charlietus]

I don't think that anyone will "save" tango gameworks, but I wonder why publishers just don't let them go, like Microsoft itself did with toys for Bob. Why do they have to kill them? I'm sure after divesture the studio would have to make deep cuts to the workforce, but they would probably find some investors to remain open for at least another project.

 

[tuna]

If MS could package up Tango Gameworks with Hi-Fi Rush and other IP, it should be worth *something*. Probably more than just have the games be hidden somewhere in Gamepass, Steam and PS store.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I don't think that anyone will "save" tango gameworks, but I wonder why publishers just don't let them go, like Microsoft itself did with toys for Bob. Why do they have to kill them? I'm sure after divesture the studio would have to make deep cuts to the workforce, but they would probably find some investors to remain open for at least another project.

It's probably a complex process and notable cost. If the plan is to not waste money, hence closing the studio, paying for it to go to someone else doesn't make sense. And even if another party would fit the bill, it still doesn't bring anything to MS.

 

[see colon]

It's probably a complex process and notable cost. If the plan is to not waste money, hence closing the studio, paying for it to go to someone else doesn't make sense. And even if another party would fit the bill, it still doesn't bring anything to MS.

Agreed. And the IP Tango made (Evil Within, HiFi Rush, maybe even Ghostwire Tokyo) are move valuable to a company than the cost of maintaining the studio. Even the lesser of those IPs have value. A TV show set in the Ghostwire universe could be entertaining, maybe more entertaining than the game.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

I don't think that anyone will "save" tango gameworks, but I wonder why publishers just don't let them go, like Microsoft itself did with toys for Bob. Why do they have to kill them? I'm sure after divesture the studio would have to make deep cuts to the workforce, but they would probably find some investors to remain open for at least another project.

That's a VERY good question and answering it is likely the key to understanding why MS closed them in the first place. After all, they let Toys for Bob go. In all likelihood Tango was completely mismanaged and couldn't be saved, though I'll admit that we have no proof of this yet.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That's a VERY good question and answering it is likely the key to understanding why MS closed them in the first place. After all, they let Toys for Bob go. In all likelihood Tango was completely mismanaged and couldn't be saved, though I'll admit that we have no proof of this yet.

Why 'in al likelihood' when they had finished and shipped an excellent project. If they had been years without producing anything but cancelled projects, there's be some reason to think they were mismanaged. But I can't see how you think it's likely they were given their output.

 

[Nesh]

That's a VERY good question and answering it is likely the key to understanding why MS closed them in the first place. After all, they let Toys for Bob go. In all likelihood Tango was completely mismanaged and couldn't be saved, though I'll admit that we have no proof of this yet.

They released two games in two years. One was exceptional and received awards. That's an awesome track record by such a small studio that almost rivals the production capabilities of Insomniac in terms of speed. Nothing indicates at mismanagement. It shows a studio with very very high potential.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

The truth will come out in the end. As much as you're skeptical of the "Tango was mismanaged theory", I'm skeptical of the "MS are complete bastards/idiots theory" as well. I'm open to whatever turns out to actually be true.

 

[Charlietus]

The truth will come out in the end. As much as you're skeptical of the "Tango was mismanaged theory", I'm skeptical of the "MS are complete bastards/idiots theory" as well. I'm open to whatever turns out to actually be true.

Didn't they already told us? They want to concentrate on big games, and tango isn't geared up for that. Also, (and this is informed speculation) gamepass not growing+console sales cratering+cloud not taking off means that Nadella and friends have required a change of strategy and cuts. Is there much to speculate on aside from that?

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Plenty, but I can wait.

 

[RDGoodla]

It is interesting how SONY can afford the majority of $26 billion cash? SONY can afford buy big Japanese studios like SQUARE ENIX SEGA. Maybe $4~5 billion.