Game developer Square Enix Tokyo is now being eyed for purchase by Sony just months after selling companies Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.
Months after selling gaming companies Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, developer Square Enix Tokyo is now being scouted for potential purchase by Sony.
Stephane D’Astous, the founder of Eidos Montreal, revealed the details in an interview with GamesIndustry. D’Astous discussed the frequently strained relationship between Eidos Montreal and Square Enix in-depth, inferring that it killed chemistry and caused games such as the Tomb Raider series to perform poorly. “It’s a train that is slowing down and needs some injection of energy or money or something, but the train is slowing down,” D’Astous said. “And it’s unfortunate because there are a lot of good people in those studios.”
D’Astous continued, mentioning the company’s disappointment in Square Enix’s lack of involvement and revealing a vital piece of information. “If I read between the lines, Square Enix Japan was not as committed as we hoped initially. And there are rumors, obviously, that with all these activities of mergers and acquisitions, that Sony would really like to have Square Enix within their wheelhouse. I heard rumors that Sony said they’re really interested in Square Enix Tokyo, but not the rest. So, I think [Square Enix CEO Yosuke] Matsuda-san put it like a garage sale.”
Eidos Montreal, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix subsidiary Square Enix Montreal were sold in May to gaming company Embracer Group for what some have called a staggeringly low $300 million. Embracer Group was founded in 2011 as Nordic Games Licensing AB and has been a massive part of the gaming industry while remaining in the shadows to many. The company’s purchase of the developer trio adds even more names to its ever-growing list of gaming franchises, now including notable titles such as Thief and Deus Ex.
News of the potential interest in Square Enix comes just weeks after the finalization of Sony’s deal to acquire Halo and Destiny 2 developer Bungie. Some have called Sony’s actions a response to Microsoft’s 2021 purchase of Bethesda and other studios, which has resulted in fears that future titles like Fallout 5 and The Elder Scrolls 6 may release as Xbox exclusives. If true, Sony’s purchase of Square Enix would allow them to respond by making popular franchises such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest into PlayStation exclusives.
Gamers interested in the Square Enix discography can take advantage of Sony’s revamped PlayStation Plus system, with six main series Final Fantasy games available to play today.
Source: GamesIndustry