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Sony has entered a “strategic business alliance” with Bandai Namco Holdings, acquiring around 2.5 percent of the Japanese media and the games editorial with an investment of 68 billion yen ($ 465 million), the companies announced. The objective, Sony said, is to expand the fans community “for IP as anime and manga worldwide and strengthen … commitment, particularly in the anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated.”
Companies pointed out that historically they have collaborated in fields such as games, anime and music, but plan to extend this to a “broader range of areas.” Bandai Namco specifically called the “production and distribution of anime and other video content, as well as marketing.” In other words, the two companies may want to join the current (and successful) trend of creating series and films from video games and other content. At the same time, they plan to develop and promote a new IP in the anime and manga areas, according to the press release.
The agreement is aligned with the recently declared objective of Sony to maximize the value of its content in games and entertainment ecosystems. And clearly, the conversion of IP video games into films and series has proven to be very lucrative, of franchises ranging from Minecraft to Mario Bros. to The last of us.
Bandai Namco added that companies plan to provide “optimal products and services in optimal regions.” In other words, it will focus more in some regions than on others, depending on the demand. With luck, we can expect some ads about the new Bandai -based content IP in the near future.
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