Following the news that Sony’s set to acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion, The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley claimed to have heard from multiple sources that there are “major” games industry deals currently in final stages of negotiations and he hinted that we’ll hear about them as soon as this year.
Keighley, who has well-established connections within the industry, is one of a number of insiders who have talked about these deals but it’s unclear if they’re only talking about mergers and acquisitions and/or video game exclusivity agreements. The latter have also been rumored for a while.
Sony’s already confirmed more PlayStation acquisitions
Like Microsoft, Sony has made it clear that it isn’t done with acquisitions yet. Both companies have been window shopping for a while, but Microsoft has splashed far more money on consolidation than its rival. It certainly helps that it has a healthier cash flow than Sony. Nevertheless, Sony seems to have money stuffed aside somewhere if Bungie’s $3.6 billion deal isn’t its last.
Have heard from multiple people: As you might suspect, there are a few other big video game deals in final stages of negotiations. It’s going to be an interesting year!
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 1, 2022
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan insists that PlayStation acquisitions have nothing to do with consolidation. The company aims to go beyond gaming and claims that its acquisitions aid the process.
Opinion: The thought of more acquisitions is kind of scary
Zarmena writes… I’m sure Sony and Microsoft have valid reasons for spending the kind of money they’ve been using to pick up game companies but the idea that there are “major” deals still in the works is a tad concerning. Microsoft has already picked up two major publishers and with Sony starting to nab major studios like Bungie, I’m not sure where this will all end.
In other news, Dying Light 2‘s retail copies have leaked, and Sony has shipped 17.3 million PS5s despite supply constraints.
