Sony is selling Sony Online Entertainment to investment firm Columbus Nova and sale means expanded game making beyond the PlayStation, according to reports.
The sum for which Sony Online Entertainment was sold has not been disclosed, and what it means is that SOE will now operate as an independent company.
"Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well-known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies," said Sony Online Entertainment in a blog post. "This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multiplatform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!"
SOE is currently behind a number of successful games, such as EverQuest, PlanetSide 2, DC Universe Online and more. Previously, the company is known for being behind Star Wars Galaxies, The Matrix Online and others.
"As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players," continued the company in its blog post. "It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward."
The rebranded company will continue working on games and expanding its lineup. In the statement the company said that it plans on continuing development of EverQuest, which will be released in the "near future."
One of the best things about the deal is that Daybreak, as the company is now called, will be releasing games to multiple platforms rather than just the PlayStation lineup. This means that Xbox gamers, PC gamers and even mobile gamers should expect to be able to play games from Daybreak in the future.
The news comes after a rough few years for Sony Online Entertainment, with a number of expensive games largely failing to meet financial expectations. Last year, the company laid off a number of workers in both San Francisco and Austin.
SOE originally formed in 1998, with EverQuest being its first release in 1999. Almost half of a million subscribers were playing EverQuest by 2004. More recently the company is known for its zombie survival game H1N1.
The move, while surprising, makes sense for Sony, which is projecting a $2 billion loss for the financial year ending in March. This totals a whopping $10 billion loss over the last eight years.
