Sony's PlayStation Studios just listed "Death Stranding." Could this mean the company is officially acquiring Kojima Productions?
PlayStation Studio Adds 'Death Stranding' to Its Banner
According to the story by GamesRadar, the news could point to either a large acquisition on the way or maybe nothing at all. With that, the rumors regarding the Kojima Productions acquisition stem from PlayStation Studio making a slight modification to its top banner.
Within the modification, visitors can see that "Death Stranding" will now be included. This, however, is where the rumor starts since "Death Stranding" is technically not a PlayStation Studios game but rather a Kojima Productions game.
Rumors About Sony's Acquisition of Kojima Productions
GamesRadar mentions the implications as "obvious," saying that the listing could be a sign that Sony is set to buy Kojima Productions. There are, however, strong reasons as to why this might not be the case.
One argument against Sony's potential acquisition of Kojima Studios is actually the fact that Sony published "Death Stranding" in the past and thus is owner of the IP rights despite being produced by the independent studio, Kojima Productions.
Sony's Previous Acquisition of 'Insomniac'
This is one of the strongest arguments as to why Sony's listing of "Death Stranding" might not be that big of a deal. Since the company owns the IP rights, the listing might just be a way for them to expand their offering.
Other games like "Death Stranding," which were published by Sony but came from external studios, were labeled by PlayStation as "first-party" games in the past. Examples of these "first party" games include other titles like "Ratchet & Clank" before Sony bought "Insomniac."
Parallels In the 'Insomniac' Acquisition
This supports the argument against the Kojima Production acquisition pointing towards Sony potentially just including "Death Stranding" in order to show its other first-party titles. However, since Sony purchased "Insomniac," this could also provide a glimpse of hope for those wanting to see Kojima Productions under the Sony umbrella.
The article by GamesRadar points to other parallels with Sony listing "Demon's Souls" in the past before buying Bluepoint Games, its remake developer. The publication describes the situation as "conspicuous" questioning why PlayStation Studios is only now adding "Death Stranding."
Read Also: Sony and Nintendo to Change Their Automatic Renewal Policy in the UK
Why Did Sony List 'Death Stranding' Just Now?
Despite the game launching back in 2019 with the director's cut being a few months old, Sony is still adding "Death Stranding" to its banner. The fact that the game was just recently added raised suspicion by GamesRadar pointing towards the potential purchase of Kojima Productions.
Although highly speculative, Kojima Productions has been long celebrated by fans waiting for the studio's next big title. Should Sony really acquire the production studio, Kojima Productions could potentially gain access to more resources under the company's umbrella.
Related Article: Bandai Namco, Nintendo Likely Working to 'Remaster/Remake' a 3D Action Game
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.