A report from TechCrunch tells us that Chinese tech and entertainment giant NetEase recently acquired "Detroit: Become Human" developer Quantic Dream. This buyout might be one of the biggest this year following Sony's Bungie acquisition back in January. However, the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In a recent news release, the Hangzhou-based company expressed that this purchase signifies an important phase in NetEase's pursuit of supporting innovation and game development initiatives worldwide.
NetEase Eyes Europe, US Expansion
This move by the billion-dollar game studio embodies its first market foothold in Europe. With NetEase snapping up French video game studio Quantic Dream, the Chinese company now has its own Europe game studio. This is just a few months after it launched Jackalope Games. Jackalope Games is the company's first gaming studio in the United States, located in Austin, Texas.
While employing NetEase's significant game development resources, Quantic Dream will continue to operate independently, concentrating on developing and releasing its own video games across all platforms and supporting and releasing titles created by third parties.
NetEase Acquires French Game Studio Quantic Dream
In a March report from Tech Times, NetEase shares reportedly dipped by 7% after a delayed "Diablo Immortal" release in China. The same article claims that the delay was caused by the NetEase development team's ongoing work on several improvements, including network and performance improvements and compatibility with a wide range of devices.
Despite these setbacks, the Chinese tech giant continued its expansion westward with game releases and acquisitions. The latest one is Paris-based developer Quantic Dream.
"NetEase will continue to fulfill our promise to support Quantic Dream to realize its full potential. By combining the wild creativity and exceptional narrative focus of Quantic Dream with NetEase's powerful facilities, resources, and execution capabilities, we believe there are infinite possibilities that could redefine the interactive entertainment experience we provide for players worldwide," said William Ding, CEO, and Director of NetEase, Inc.
The Chinese e-commerce company was founded in 1977. Since its establishment, the company has developed hit games like the battle royale game "Rules of Survival," which ceased its operations early this year. Another known title from NetEase is "Diablo Immortal."
NetEase also features a lineup of games set to be released in the near future. Two are "The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War" and "Tom and Jerry: Chase." With this recent acquisition, the Chinese company could be eyeing some more game titles to announce soon.
Chinese Tech Companies Goes Global
A recent Reuters report catches up on the Chinese tech expansion that has been in the works for a few months. Aside from NetEase, "WeChat" operator and game studio, Tencent has acquired a 16.25% stake from "Elden Ring" developer FromSoftware Inc. This measure by the two Chinese tech giants is said to be triggered by a recent regulatory crackdown backtracking in China.
