In recent years, Microsoft has made significant investments in the gaming industry, buying up many teams, ranging from smaller ones like Ninja Theory and Obsidian to the massive acquisition of Activision Blizzard. For this deal alone, Microsoft spent a staggering 69 billion dollars. But what about its rival, Sony PlayStation? How much has Sony invested?
The answer comes from Eric McCall, the Director of Strategy and Portfolio at PlayStation Studio.
Sony’s Investment in Acquisitions Over the Past Years
McCall shared a very specific figure regarding Sony’s investments in the last four years via his LinkedIn profile. According to McCall, Sony has spent around 4 billion dollars on acquisitions, with a total of 9 companies acquired. While this figure may not be completely exact, McCall has been with Sony for over 11 years, making him one of the most reliable sources of information.
It’s worth mentioning that the number “9 acquisitions” seems to differ slightly from the actual number of teams Sony has bought in the past few years, especially when considering non-gaming-related companies. Nevertheless, McCall’s list should include most of the following teams:
- Housemarque
- Bluepoint Games
- Nixxes Software
- Firesprite
- Firewalk Studios
- Fabrik Games (bought and integrated into Firesprite but still under Sony)
- Valkyrie Entertainment
- Haven Studios
- Neon Koi (formerly known as Savage Game Studios)
- Bungie
Sony’s Bungie acquisition alone cost 3.6 billion dollars, which accounts for a large portion of the 4 billion investment. PlayStation has also invested in teams such as iSIZE, Audeze, and Repeat.gg, among others.
Furthermore, Sony previously announced an 11.5 billion dollar budget for future acquisitions. This suggests that the actual amount Sony spends in the coming years could be even higher.
