Sony has signed a “strategic global business partnership” with NCSoft, the South Korean company behind massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as Guild Wars and Lineage.
Outgoing Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Jim Ryan and NCSoft CEO Taekjin Kim issued a joint statement signaling the deal, which will see both companies “collaborate in various global business fields, including mobile”.
No projects or games were mentioned, but it sounds like the idea here is for Sony to leverage NCSoft’s tech as it plots to make inroads into the huge mobile game market.
“This partnership with SIE is the beginning of our efforts to build various synergies together, utilizing both companies’ core competencies, technological capabilities, and expertise,” said Taekjin Kim. “We will deliver a new and enjoyable experience to our audience across and beyond genres and regions.”
“Partnering with NCSoft advances our strategy to expand beyond console and broaden PlayStation’s reach to a wider audience,” said Ryan. “Like SIE, NCSoft shares a similar vision in creating high-quality, impactful entertainment experiences for players everywhere, and together we’re excited to collaborate to push the boundaries of gaming further.”
Sony announced a significant push into mobile gaming last year with the formation of a PlayStation Studios Mobile Division and the acquisition of the untested Savage Game Studios to develop "a triple-A mobile live service action game". This came after Sony had announced that releasing games on new platforms was now a key part of its business strategy.
However, we’ve heard little since, and last week, it was reported that Savage Game Studios has gone through a complete rebrand after several key team members exited the studio. It's now named Neon Koi, "a new identity that better aligns with our vision for the future", the team said on LinkedIn. "Neon Koi represents our culture and the passions of our game project."
Video game rival Microsoft's recent $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard brings with it King, maker of one of the most popular mobile games ever, Candy Crush Saga. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has made no secret of Microsoft's intention to take on Apple and Google with an app store of its own, and securing King was seen as a key element of that strategy.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
