Jim Ryan says Sony is looking at studio acquisitions
"Companies new to the games industry looking at the market with hope is something we definitely welcome"
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan says the publisher and hardware maker is looking at acquiring development studios.
Gematsu has translated an interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun in which Ryan says Sony is looking at mergers and acquisitions, particularly in light of more competition from companies like Google (with Google Stadia).
"Content is becoming more important than ever before," he said.
"Companies new to the games industry looking at the market with hope is something we definitely welcome. Sony Interactive Entertainment has 25 years of experience in the games industry and has big assets."
Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal shared that Sony Corporation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida was looking at a focus on internally-developed AAA games and partnerships with major publishers as it moves into the next generation of consoles. He described the eventual PlayStation 5 as a "niche product."
Sony putting a new focus on acquisitions would put it more closely in line with at least one aspect of the strategy of its direct competitor Microsoft, which last year acquired Playground Games, Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, Obsidian Entertainment and InXile. This year, it picked up Double Fine Productions and opened a new, dedicated Age of Empires studio.