Sony has struck a “strategic business alliance agreement” with Bandai Namco, additional strengthening its ties to Elden Ring and FromSoftware. The partnership was introduced on July 24 after Sony bought a 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco. Both corporations have made it clear that anime and manga are the principle focus on this partnership.
Sony and Bandai Namco stated in a joint statement: “Through this business alliance and Sony’s investment in Bandai Namco, as two of the leading Japanese entertainment companies, Bandai Namco and Sony will focus on expanding the fan community for IP such as anime and manga around the world and strengthening engagement, particularly in the anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated, while merging their strengths to create new and emotionally moving experiences for fans, and as a result of these efforts maximize the value of IP.”
The assertion additionally mentions “the expansion of works as well as products and services based on IP developed by Bandai Namco.” This appears to recommend Sony could have a hand in creating new content material round Bandai Namco’s IP, which might imply we might get extra manga and anime spin-offs of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Tekken, and different Bandai Namco franchises.
Of course, Elden Ring is already getting a highly-anticipated live-action movie adaptation directed by Alex Garland and produced by A24. However, on the time of writing Sony would not have a direct hand in that venture.
Elden Ring and Dark Souls have each had manga spin-offs, however neither has an anime sequence but (regardless of whispers of a Dark Souls anime again in 2023). Likewise, Tekken bought a Netflix anime in 2022, Tekken: Bloodline, but it surely was met with lackluster evaluations.
So, it might be thrilling to see Sony adapt a few of Bandai Namco’s greatest manufacturers into anime and manga sequence (if performed proper, in fact). This is the second main step Sony has taken in that course. Back in December 2024, Sony additionally grew to become the most important stakeholder in Kadokawa, FromSoftware’s father or mother firm.
That partnership additionally emphasised movie, TV, and anime variations of Kadokawa’s IP, with the press release particularly mentioning “initiatives to adapt KADOKAWA’s IP into live-action films and TV dramas globally, co-produce anime works, [and] expand global distribution of KADOKAWA’s anime works through the Sony Group.”
On prime of that, Sony purchased the anime-focused streaming service Crunchyroll in 2020 in a $1.2 billion acquisition. Between all three offers, it is abundantly clear that Sony is betting its future on increasing its position within the anime and manga world, notably via videogame licenses.
As thrilling as that might probably be, some followers are involved these partnerships might imply future Bandai Namco video games will launch as PlayStation exclusives. Sony was the Japanese writer for Demon’s Souls (and printed the 2020 remake), so it is actually attainable Sony is aiming to collaborate on FromSoftware video games once more. However, it is most likely too quickly to fret about console exclusivity, particularly contemplating Sony has been porting increasingly more PlayStation exclusives over to Xbox in recent times.
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