Exclusive: Sony is in talks to buy media powerhouse behind 'Elden Ring' (Kadokawa), sources say
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/15350715
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/sony-talks-buy-media-powerhouse-behind-elden-ring-sources-say-2024-11-19/Open linkView original on ani.social
If the market authorities authorize this, Sony will actually have a near monopoly on Japanese media.
Between all the BDs they would have control over through this, they already also own Crunchyroll. That would be a huge market share.
Yes, it's fucking insane they even think they stand a chance. Edit: as in, that the market is such, that they think they have the freedom to do this
No! God please no!
Sorry 2nd comment, but Reuters' heavy focus on FromSoftware is very harmful imo, because it makes it seem way smaller than it actually is
Another aspect of this that I just realized is that the two most timely/thorough anime news sources I use for English language articles are:
I can imagine a scenario in which the news groups of these two companies are consolidated. There are other English news sources out there, but it doesn't sit well with me if these two big players combine.
I hope this shit gets blocked like hell, this would mean a defacto monopoly on Japanese media for Sony and that means nothing good.
There's no way this doesn't get blocked right?
Japan doesn't have antitrust at all
So we're going back to zaibatsus?
Astronautmeme.jpg
Never left
God I hope market authorities aren't sleeping on this
Important to know, but is this really relevant to anime?
It would pretty much give Sony complete control of the industry through ownership of Aniplex and Kadokawa. BD prices would skyrocket...
Sony also owns Crunchyroll for digital distribution.
CR falls under the Aniplex umbrella I believe.
Correct
Yup :/
I might quit consuming animanga if this goes through and JNC folds into Bookwalker.
Yes. Kadokawa has several anime studio subsidiaries, and also publishes manga.
https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/1696/Kadokawa
Here is the list of anime that Kadokawa produced. I'm sure you would know many anime on the list.