Sony Online Entertainment Buyout for 300 million

Zenien

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NEW DELHI: Zapak Digital entertainment, the online gaming company promoted by Anil Ambani-led ADAG group, is all set to buy out Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for around $300 million (Rs 1,200 crore).

According to sources close to the development, the deal will be finalised within the next few days. Sony Online was on the block for the past two weeks and Zapak, which has been looking for acquiring international studios, is finally said to have reached a consensus over the valuation of Sony Online.

“The deal is almost through. It is in the final stages of negotiations and by next week, Zapak will have a full right to all content, owned and published by Sony Online,” sources told SundayET.

Sony Online Entertainment is the game development and game publishing unit of Sony and posts revenue of around $ 150 million (the company doesn’t reveal the exact details for the division). It has in the past come out with popular games such as Everquest, PlanetSide, Star War Galaxies and Vanguard. SOE’s headquartered at San Diego, California, with additional game development studios located in Austin, Texas, Denver, Colorado and Seattle.

This acquisition is in line with the future plans of Zapak Digital, which is planning to enter the gaming space in China by early next year. “This makes perfect sense for us, as around 80% of content in the gaming industry is manufactured internationally. Buying out Sony, will not only give us access but also expand our reach in the global market,” said a senior Zapak Official.

The major expenses in the gaming industry is on content and marketing, and Zapak aims to reduce the cost of publishing a game by buying out those studios and relocating them to India. “This will reduce the cost drastically from $30 mn to $10mn, which will give us the advantage to channelise our funds towards marketing and other activities,” the official said.

In the recent past, Sony has aligned with Virgin Comics, a Bangalore-based collaboration of famed, self-help guru Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and Richard Branson of Virgin Group. After the proposed acquisition, Zapak plans to retain control over all the deals, which has been signed by Sony Online.

According to the latest IMRB report, there are about 2.8 million online gamers in India and the online gaming industry is worth Rs 21 crore. Zapak is one of the top players in the Indian gaming space.
 
Well, I have a feeling that SOE's employees are relieved that this is all made up. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that their company has been bought out, and that their new boss is going to send their job to India.
 
I had hopes that this somehow would have fixed Star Wars Galaxies :csad:
 
monsters2_dorothy_photo_03_dp.jpg
 
SOE deserves to be sold. Sony treats the developers under its umbrella like trained monkeys anyhow, which has led to a complete lack of creativity.
 
SOE deserves to be sold. Sony treats the developers under its umbrella like trained monkeys anyhow, which has led to a complete lack of creativity.

Sony has a few good developers like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, SCE Santa Monica, Sucker Punch, Polyphony Digital and some would say (not me) Team ICO.

Sony Online however, and the vast majority of the others...isn't one of them. Microsoft and Nintendo offer far superior first and second party games.
 
SOE deserves to be sold. Sony treats the developers under its umbrella like trained monkeys anyhow, which has led to a complete lack of creativity.

That's entirely innacurate. If you're speaking about SOE (which until very recently was not a part of SCEWWS) than yes, but SCE proper, no.
 
And deciet, you forgot to mention deciet.

It would have been a good move on Sony's part imo. I can't imagaine that SOE has been doing anything but losing money.

now i'm not a good speller by any means but this bugged me. i before e except after c
 
hey i let you off the imagine typo.
 
That's entirely innacurate. If you're speaking about SOE (which until very recently was not a part of SCEWWS) than yes, but SCE proper, no.

I'm talking about SOE, not SCE. :cwink:

Sony's SOE execs have pretty much destroyed any remnant of talent that was in that division.
 
I don't doubt it. I still think Sony should offload them.
 
SOE is better than Guerrilla and 989. If anything, Sony should sell those last two studios and use the money to buy Bungie.
 
If I become a mod I'm taking you with me! I'd have to campaign to get Zenien mod-ship too.
 

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