Sony plans to expand its portfolio of intellectual properties to become a so-called "house of entertainment trading." The company is targeting not only new games, but also assets in film and anime.
According to Nikkei Asia, Sony intends to acquire franchises, not stakes in companies. In the gaming sector, the corporation already owns large stakes in FromSoftware and Bandai Namco, but now it is about direct control over franchises. The situation with Electronic Arts is mentioned in the background: the publisher was bought for $55 billion, but after the deal it will have a debt of $20 billion. This may prompt EA to sell some brands. Dragon Age and Mass Effect are named among the possible candidates, which could get a new lease of life under Sony's management.
Another direction could be WB Games, given the talk of merging its parent company with Paramount. At the same time, Sony continues to work with its series, some of which remain without development, but film adaptations of games are being actively prepared.
All this is happening against the background of business reorganization. Sony has spun off its subsidiary Sony Financial Group, whose shares are valued at approximately $9.5 billion and are already traded on the stock exchange. The company has suffered for many years from a "conglomerate discount," which made its market value lower than that of its competitors.
