Sony Buys 2.5% Stake in Bandai Namco for Anime, Manga, and Extra Avid gamers Enviornment

Sony has introduced that it has acquired a 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco, with a view to “increasing the fan group for IP equivalent to anime and manga around the globe”.

In a press launch, Sony says the purpose as regards to buying this stake within the Elden Ring and Tekken studio is “strengthening engagement, significantly within the anime subject”, an space by which Sony expects “fast market development”.

Sony acknowledges its earlier collaborations with Bandai Namco, however the firm says it desires to increase these efforts past “video games, anime, and music” right into a “broader vary of areas”, together with merchandising, “experiential leisure”, and extra.

It is price noting that this is not particularly a gaming-related funding; that is the broader Sony company investing in Bandai Namco Holdings fairly than Bandai Namco Leisure, so it would not simply pertain to the latter’s online game output.

Nevertheless, since Sony and Bandai Namco appear targeted on the anime and manga a part of this partnership, it is completely doable we’ll see some new anime or manga diversifications of Bandai Namco’s best-known works.

One significantly apparent addition to that catalog would appear to be Elden Ring, which is arguably crying out for an anime adaptation; I am not an enormous fan of the concept of any visible reimagining of FromSoftware’s work, but it surely makes much more sense than the recently-revealed live-action film.

Different Bandai Namco properties, like Tekken, the Tales collection, and even perhaps Little Nightmares could possibly be prime candidates for anime and manga adaptation, however in fact, we’ll have to attend and see what comes of this partnership to seek out out whether or not any of these are on the playing cards.

This information comes simply a few months after Bandai Namco celebrated a robust yr in gross sales phrases, with income virtually doubling on the earlier yr. That success seemingly comes because of the sturdy efficiency of 2024 releases like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.