They really should merge Crunchyroll and Funimation now, how many people are paying for two anime services?
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Kadokawa (From Software Parent Company) to form capital alliance with CyberAgent & Sony to strengthen games and anime business
- Thread starter ggx2ac
- Start date
They really should merge Crunchyroll and Funimation now, how many people are paying for two anime services?
"Multimedia rollout centered on animation and games" under "maximization of use of existing IPs" seems pretty clear cut to me.
Now then, about that Bloodborne harem anime thread...
Now then, about that Bloodborne harem anime thread...
But they bought shares ...
Anyway, I could see Sony making steps in 1-2 years to get the majority of shares in Kadokawa. The minority stake and the alliance are the first test to see how to take advantage of Kadokawa's gaming and anime content.
If that works out fine, they will be under Sony's umbrella sooner or later.
Yeah, iunno, the problem is that both names are valuable. Funimation as a dub outfit, and Crunchyroll because they have like 70m free users. I'll be interested to see what they do.
They wouldn't need Kadokawa for that, the Bloodborne IP is fully owned by Sony.
This kind of came out of left field, but I do expect a lot of 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine' sub-sub-sub-deals which will be really interesting to see where it goes. I haven't seen anything on CyberAgent's or Sony's site, for instance. Yet.
For the former relationship, I do know the reasonably popular isekai series Konosuba ('Blessing This Wonderful World') has a mobile game that is developed by Sumzap Inc (https://konosubafd.jp/). Additionally whilst it's struggling a bit at the moment CyberAgent's smartphone game segment is spearheaded by Cygames, whom were thrown under the bus in favour of Susumu Fujita's ABEMA tv internet streaming platform when Dragalia Lost underperformed I think two years ago. Anyway putting aside potential new games from them, this probably explains the large number of Konosuba re-runs on ABEMA (joking)
The latter relationship does lean towards a bit of everything - Crunchyroll was bought out by Sony Pictures/Sony Music which will cover the overseas (global) animation streaming segment as well as Aniplex which have their fingerprints over many large anime production committees (and anime studios, and Live2D and so on). Specifially 'consumer' games though might have some SIE involvement (though in this case I suspect Aniplex again now that they're publishing some console games).
The most interesting part is that all three will be participating in creating, developing and acquiring new IPs which might mean some acquisitons as well as maximising existing IPs for global rollouts.
Which, in Kadokawa terms, is a whole bunch of isekai series (lol). I'm assuming since it's in their presentation pack.
And no, I don't think they'll get FromSoftware to do a new cross-media IP.
For the former relationship, I do know the reasonably popular isekai series Konosuba ('Blessing This Wonderful World') has a mobile game that is developed by Sumzap Inc (https://konosubafd.jp/). Additionally whilst it's struggling a bit at the moment CyberAgent's smartphone game segment is spearheaded by Cygames, whom were thrown under the bus in favour of Susumu Fujita's ABEMA tv internet streaming platform when Dragalia Lost underperformed I think two years ago. Anyway putting aside potential new games from them, this probably explains the large number of Konosuba re-runs on ABEMA (joking)
The latter relationship does lean towards a bit of everything - Crunchyroll was bought out by Sony Pictures/Sony Music which will cover the overseas (global) animation streaming segment as well as Aniplex which have their fingerprints over many large anime production committees (and anime studios, and Live2D and so on). Specifially 'consumer' games though might have some SIE involvement (though in this case I suspect Aniplex again now that they're publishing some console games).
The most interesting part is that all three will be participating in creating, developing and acquiring new IPs which might mean some acquisitons as well as maximising existing IPs for global rollouts.
Which, in Kadokawa terms, is a whole bunch of isekai series (lol). I'm assuming since it's in their presentation pack.
And no, I don't think they'll get FromSoftware to do a new cross-media IP.
It's not impossible but Capital Alliances/Minority Stakes aren't really a sign of an intent to acquire otherwise Nintendo would have bought Kadokawa, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, CyGames(from CyberAgent lol), DeNA, Konami and Koei Tecmo years ago.
It will happen eventually but it takes time. My guess is the streaming service will use the Crunchyroll name but Funimation will be running it.
Kadokawa Games In Negotiations to Develop a PS5 Game
Kadokawa Games has been tackling a variety of platforms for its games, including PS4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch, but the next-generation is approaching.
twinfinite.net
Dunno if it's Sony asking them to do it, but I don't really see why anyone else would want to bankroll a PS5 SRPG early in the life of the console.
Bamco, Sega and SE are the only companies with console IP in the genre that could sell, but the former two work with Media.Vision on that stuff and SE would probably do it themselves.
Well then, someone needs to send that thread to Sony posthaste. Asking this for a friend, of course.
This should be on the OP
They're making IPs, and using already available ones and alliance and working together for the IPs Sony and Kadokawa has.
We just had a kakao thread the other day and that one's larger than these transactions. (5,178,300 shares which is 7.3%)
Kakao becomes the largest shareholder of Kadokawa Corp (Owns From Software)
https://www.webtooninsight.co.kr/Forum/Content/7503 Kadokawa is the owner of From Software alongside thousands of popular Japanese Light Novel, anime and manga IP's. Kakao is big and have multiple services around Asia, they also have a gaming subsidiary called Kakao games that makes Black Desert.
www.resetera.com
EDIT: Also noted is Bandai Namco Holding's share is diluted to 2.08% as a result of these new shares.
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Could you imagine a Kart racer with that baroque, beautiful art style, running at a buttery smooth 20fps.
It's not insignificant a stock trade, but it's not huge enough to consider some sort of gradual buyout within the decade. As stated earlier, Kakao got a much larger stake with their deal than this.
Kadokawa are a publishing conglomerate who are most known in the West for being a manga publisher and the owner of From Software (Souls).
Cyberagent own Cygames, who make a lot of mobile stuff like Granblue Fantasy
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I just noticed I probably didn't explain clearly that Kadokawa is paying out of their own pocket to issue the shares so I added this note to the OP:
"Note: Kadokawa has raised ¥9,999,999,250 in funding to issue those shares to CyberAgent and Sony."
Absolutely, minority stakes are usually no indication for a buy-out. But we know where Sony is coming from, trying to strengthen their anime and gaming business.
Using Kadokawa's content and integrate it within the Sony ecosystem, be it crunchyroll/funimation or Playstation, will make a future acquisition a lot likelier and easier to integrate within Sony's structures.
Kadokawa is a monster conglomerate when it comes to anime, manga, light novels, etc. They also own a couple of game studios (From Software being by far the biggest, but then also Kadokawa Games which mostly works on SRPGs, VNs and remasters, Spike Chunsoft, etc).
CyberAgent owns a bunch of streaming and social media stuff alongside CyGames, which itself has a bunch of game studios (mobile, but pushing into AAA too) and an animation production and publishing arm, etc.
I think because funimation being such a power house in anime from dubbing, distribution, streaming and having content deals on tv and other streaming services like starz and hulu it becomes complicated to just say merge with crunchyroll who does their own productions now and mainly their business is streaming, so funimation is all over the place with deals and businesses and crunchyroll has millions of subcribers, its hard to just merge the two businesses when content is mostly licensed and pre existing deals are still in place. If anything You'd just hope for some sorta package deal with both like what vrv was doing.
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Your first post said Sony and CyberAgent were paying for the shares. They're not. They're getting it for free.
Kadokawa is the one paying for it.
If 5% of Nintendo on CyGames did nothing then this would be the same.
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This should be on the OP
They're making IPs, and using already available ones and alliance and working together for the IPs Sony and Kadokawa has.
The image is very blurry. If you have a source for that so I can just copy and paste text it would be preferable because I can only find that information from the Japanese press release.
So you meant it's not a capital investments by Sony/CyberAgent? anyway I'll wait for an english press release lol
Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sony Music are in completely separate divisions of a conglomerate, so no.
It's not an investment by them, no. It's an alliance Kadokawa is forming with them with the shares as a buy-in.
Nope, this deal is between CyberAgent and Kadokawa.
This kind of deals don't necessarily have those implications anyway. Nintendo owns 5% of CyGames and that obviously hasn't had an impact on those games you mentioned.
As I said it's not impossible but I'd say the fact that they're doing an identical deal with CyberAgent at the same time indicates that on the Kadokawa end at least they're not looking to be bought by Sony.
Bandai Namco has the monopoly on anime licensed video games, owns a bunch of anime brands and owns Sunrise via Bandai.
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I have that link in the OP already, It's where I detailed the shares issued.