Video game site PushSquare has claimed Sony may be looking to acquire Alan Wake and Control developer, Remedy. The site purports it has “heard from a number of sources that Sony is lining up a bid” and whilst the report is chiefly speculation at this time, a number of coincidences – such as Remedy recently reacquiring the rights to Alan Wake and Sony boss Jim Ryan confirming it was looking to acquire more studios – add a layer of plausibility to the rumour.
Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently visited the company whilst touring first-party studios, and staff from the Finnish studio are also believed to have visited other first-party outfits like Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog, leading some to believe Sony may be encouraging its latest acquisition to collaborate with other Sony-owned studios.
Remedy Entertainment confirmed it has regained the publishing rights for Alan Wake from Microsoft earlier this week. “For its first half-year period of 2019, Remedy Entertainment Plc records approximately 2.5 million euros of royalties from previously released games as one-time income,” a press release said. “The royalties are paid to Remedy during the second half-year period of 2019. In relation to this, the publishing rights of Alan Wake games are reverted to Remedy.”
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan has confirmed the company is looking to acquire new studios, be that via mergers or acquisitions, as it competes against an increasing number of companies like Google and its new streaming service, Stadia. In recent interview, Ryan reportedly said: “Content is becoming more important than ever before. Companies new to the games industry looking at the market with hope is something we definitely welcome. Sony Interactive Entertainment has 25 years of experience in the games industry and has big assets.”