Fromsoftware Elden Ring was one of the greatest game released in 2022 and the studio behind it has become independent recently.
With Sony and PlayStation, developer FromSoftware has reportedly had an excellent working relationship in the past. Fans of PC games won’t let you forget that Bloodborne is still only available on the PlayStation4, and FromSoftware’s initial franchise, King’s Field, was only available on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.
However, the studio’s interest in releasing its largest games—Elden Ring, most recently—on as many platforms as possible has grown over time. But following Sony’s latest investment, some are questioning whether one of the world’s top developers will ever become a part of the PlayStation Studios family.
With tremendous Elden Ring sales and an apparent march toward a 2022 GOTY win, FromSoftware—a firm known for popular games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne—is one of the hottest developers in this era of mega-acquisitions.
More external parties are now showing interest in FromSoftware. It was previously revealed that Tencet will acquire 16.3% of FromSoftware, making it the company’s second-largest stakeholder, while Sony would own 14.1%. Bandai Namco and From still own the Fromsoftware Elden Ring IP, while Japan’s Kadowkawa still held the majority once upon a time.
The best assumption, based on the language shared by Sony, is that Sony bought FromSoftware shares to have some additional control over the studio’s destiny. Although Bloodborne, a PlayStation exclusive, was formerly FromSoft’s most highly acclaimed game, Elden Ring is currently that title. Even if Sony didn’t buy enough stock to start pressuring Fromsoftware to produce more PlayStation exclusives, this investment may provide them a greater influence over the company’s future creative endeavors and expand their awareness of them.
FromSoftware intends to use the additional funding to grow, create more intellectual property, and enhance its publishing capabilities. Though given the state of the market, it’s not unthinkable that one of these firms would buy them someday, that isn’t what’s occurring at the moment. In other news, Tencent owns a stake in almost every aspect of the gaming industry, while Sony recently acquired Bungie.
Does that suggest that FromSoftware is attempting to enter the multimedia gaming market through Sony? More than ever before, video game IPs are in high demand for TV shows and motion pictures, and it’s understandable why someone would want to try their hand at adapting titles like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Elden Ring into non-gaming media.
Naturally, the one indisputable inference that can be made from this paper is that Sony bought FromSoftware in order to benefit from the studio. To put it simply, this investment makes sure that Sony receives a larger share of the profits from FromSoftware’s success. That’s the foundation of most investments, and this one is clear. In that regard, it appears that this is a wise investment.
Regarding the games themselves, we have yet to learn of any potential Fromsoftware Elden Ring DLC, but considering the enormous sales and the volume of DLC that would probably be sold, it does seem imminent.
Given how much of a hit the first Fromsoftware Elden Ring was, everyone expects a sequel to come out at some point, although that announcement may still be years away. To put it another way, it appears that From is currently attempting to make sense of all of its recent achievements and determine how and with whom to move forward.
If a more dramatic setting is what you’re after, thenActually, it’s possible that this investment has a less spectacular motivation. However, it is sense to talk about the potential that this acquisition was influenced, if not entirely, by Microsoft’s and Xbox’s recent shopping spree.
As you may remember, Microsoft announced at the beginning of 2022 that it was purchasing Activision Blizzard, leaving the many properties owned by that business uncertain. Microsoft officially acquired a number of franchises, including the critically crucial Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Crash Bandicoot, as a result of the deal. The gamers were eager to find out if that purchase would make Call of Duty an Xbox-only title.
Fromsoftware Elden Ring IP is currently solely owned by FROMSOFTWARE as a result of investments made by Sony and Tencent to support the developer’s self-publishing. This investment guarantees, at the very least, that Sony will become more interested in FromSoftware’s multiplatform releases. Considering the interests of the PlayStation teams and the increasing popularity of FromSoftware, it is plausible that Sony expects that this investment will give them more clout if and when they approach FromSoftware about creating another PlayStation exclusive.
Fromsoftware Elden Ring was previously shared with Bandai Namco Entertainment, however a recent trademark filing modification indicates that FromSoftware now owns the entire asset. When Elden Ring first came out in 2022, it was the best-selling and highly regarded game FromSoftware had ever created. The game was not only a fantastic continuation of Dark Souls, but its open-world design also enhanced the franchise’s history and enhanced FromSoftware’s reputation.
To the amazement of director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Fromsoftware Elden Ring won numerous Game of 2022 accolades for its success. A year or so after the release of Elden Ring, FromSoftware announced that it was developing Shadow of the Erdtree, a post-game DLC. However, no release date for this content has been specified.
This casts doubt on recent speculations about Tencent’s mobile version of Fromsoftware Elden Ring, since FromSoftware is the exclusive owner of the Fromsoftware Elden Ring intellectual property. Fromsoftware Elden Ring’s mobile version is said to draw inspiration from HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact, a free-to-play gacha game with numerous characters that can be summoned.
Fans’ main issue with this report is how Tencent will adapt Fromsoftware Elden Ring’s vast open environment into a gacha game designed to be played for an extended period of time. However, as of right now, this is just a rumor, so until Tencent or FromSoftware issues a more formal statement on the matter, fans should treat this news with caution.
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