Kadokawa, the massive Japanese conglomerate renowned for its extensive reach in manga publishing, as well as its presence in visual media including feature films and anime, has announced its acquisition of Acquire, the co-development studio behind Octopath Traveler.
During an earnings presentation for the third quarter of the 2023 fiscal year, Kadokawa revealed its transition of Acquire Corp. into a wholly owned subsidiary, aiming to enhance its capacity for creating intellectual property within the gaming sector.
While the specific financial details of the acquisition remain undisclosed, this move amplifies Kadokawa’s footprint in the video game industry. Notably, Kadokawa already commands a significant stake in FromSoftware, further solidifying its position within this realm.
According to Kadokawa’s earnings presentation, the acquisition of Acquire is intended to “generate synergies with [Kadokawa’s] existing game-related subsidiaries” and “enhance [Kadokawa’s] lineup of console games.”
In the earnings report, Kadokawa discloses a decline in sales both on a year-to-date basis and specifically in the third quarter.
The corporation attributes this decrease to slowing sales of Elden Ring, although Kadokawa notes that “repeat sales of the title have remained steady.”
Moreover, Armored Core 6 has surpassed expectations, according to Kadokawa, and the corporation remains optimistic about its financial outlook due to the upcoming DLC for Elden Ring.
Regrettably, no release window for the DLC is provided, but it forms part of the company’s strategy to “enhance profitability in the medium to long term,” suggesting a potentially extended wait for the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree.
Acquire, known for its work on the Octopath Traveler games with Square Enix and the Tenchu franchise published by FromSoftware in Japan, is also responsible for the fanservice-heavy Akiba’s Trip franchise.
Kadokawa’s goals for Acquire include “lineup expansion, including redevelopment of past works,” as well as “collaboration with FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft.”
The specific outcomes of these collaborations are yet to be revealed, but the merging of Acquire’s successful portfolio with Kadokawa’s extensive list of popular IPs leaves me eagerly anticipating the possibilities.
Personally, I hope this partnership will result in full-fledged games based on beloved light novels, manga, and anime franchises.
We are just starting to see a rise in the release of such games in the West, including a proper Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? video game, one based on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, and 2022’s Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness. Additionally, there’s the upcoming Goblin Slayer strategy RPG and the recently launched KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire!
