For years Sony has been not so quietly buying up smaller (and larger) competitors in numerous fields related to electronics, entertainment and mobile devices, but in recent times it’s escalated and, in some arenas, including the gaming and anime industries, is reaching a fever pitch.
About a year and a half ago while Microsoft was still working on their purchase of Activision (which would bring them up to a 27.3% stake in the global gaming market), a US senator cited that Sony controls a 98% monopoly of the high-end gaming industry in Japan. This is listed at a cumulative 45.5% globally as of 2023.
Compared to second, Nintendo at 27.7%, and the aforementioned Microsoft, this is quite a large figure.
Sony is now also posed to purchase FromSoftware Inc. as part of their intent to acquire FromSoftware’s parent company, industry giant Kadokawa. Kadokawa owns a huge stake in the publishing, anime and gaming industries and as Sony pushes ever closer to a global monopoly (in said fields), I have to wonder if this is really good for anyone other than Sony?
I mean, it’s already happening so the typical first post response of “Somebody will always own everything, what’s new?” is probably the easiest one to accept, but on the other hand I know that some members here work in the gaming industry, and everyone here has some stake in being entertained, so I imagine a few people might have already given this topic some thought.
Now generally speaking, Sony-san is not your typical mustache twisting villain.
They are somewhat socially conscious and support a number of charities as well as having started a mental wellness program for artists, creators and support staff within their notoriously brutal domestic entertainment industry.
Here's a short list of various charities which I found that Sony supports in one way or another, some they run and others they pay into:
- Global Social Justice Fund: Supports organizations that promote social justice and anti-racism initiatives
- Sony Education Foundation: Supports schools and teachers with science education
- Sony Foundation Australia: Improves the health and wellbeing of young Australians with severe illness, disability, and homelessness
- Sony Canada Charitable Foundation: Supports children, the environment, and the community in Canada
- Theatre Development Fund: Supports education and accessibility programs, including the Autism Theatre Initiative
- Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF): Helps underserved youth develop academic ability, social values, and personal resilience
- Gameheads: A Bay Area-based nonprofit that trains low-income youth of color for careers in the tech and video game industries
- Sony Science Foundation: Organizes special science programs for children
- Sony Music Group: Supports a variety of non-profit partners globally and locally, with a focus on corporate social responsibility, COVID relief, environmental sustainability, and social justice
So, what do you think? Feel free to discuss Sony Ericsson or Columbia pictures, Crunchy Roll, Screen Gems, basically anything Sony has a hand in which you feel might be relevant to the overall picture of Sony’s empire as it relates to fair market practice or it’s impact on consumers.
There is a FromSoftware games thread if you just want to talk about games, I know this topic was mentioned in that thread but it’s really both it’s own thing, and a lot bigger in scope than the discussion about FromSoftware would allow for.
As always, let’s be chill about it, thanks!