Exclusives sell consoles, and after Microsoft’s rapid-fire studio acquisitions over the last few years, Sony might be on the defensive for the first time in almost a decade. The bolstering of Xbox Game Studios hasn’t yet borne fruit. Still, soon, we’ll likely see Microsoft’s platforms putting up a flurry of appealing, exclusive content. So it seems inevitable that Sony will make a big studio purchase to offset Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, but which one?
What studio will Sony buy next for PlayStation?
A few years ago, there were a handful of third-party studios that seemed too established to be acquired. After all, given how successful it is, who would think that ZeniMax Media was even for sale? However, that’s not the case, and ZeniMax is no anomaly, as shown by Microsoft’s plans to acquire Activision Blizzard. So, how will PlayStation answer this?
Rumors of a Game Pass-like service coming to PlayStation are all but confirmed, which means Sony will be looking for more exclusive content to fill out its lineup. It’s possible we’re just seeing the opening moves of a major competition between Microsoft and Sony to fuel their subscription services with games.
When Sony goes shopping, it’s likely we’ll see it turn to its home turf, a territory that Microsoft has never been able to penetrate: Japan. Sony’s strong Japanese ties would be bolstered by acquiring a major studio located there. We can think of three that would make for giant jewels in Sony’s crown:
- Capcom
- FromSoftware
- Square Enix
All three of these companies have had great success in recent years and have a treasure trove of IPs that Sony could leverage. However, one Japanese studio is ripe for acquisition that’s a better target. Konami has essentially spent all its goodwill and only keeps its IPs around to make a quick buck occasionally. As such, it would likely be amiable to sell its gaming division for the right price. Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid, and Castlevania alone would be a massive boon to Sony’s IP stable.
Only time will tell what’s in store, but we’d hedge our bets on at least one of the above studios joining Sony’s first-party team soon.
In other news, Sony is has renewed the trademark for closed studio Psygnosis, and a major third-party PlayStation exclusive should be revealed this year.
