Sony Invests $250 Million in Epic Games, Acquires Minority Stake

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It looks like Sony and Epic Games are going to be working much closer together, as the electronics giant has invested $250 million for a minority stake in Epic Games, the company best known for the Unreal Engine, and of course, the mega-hit game, Fortnite.

Note that this won’t affect Fortnite’s availability on other platforms, and Epic Games will be able to publish future titles on other platforms in the future. Sony is acquiring a 1.4% stake in Epic Games, which puts Epic’s valuation at a staggering $17.86 billion!

Here’s what Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, and Epic CEO and Founder Tim Sweeney had to say about the deal:

Epic’s powerful technology in areas such as graphics places them at the forefront of game engine development with Unreal Engine and other innovations. There’s no better example of this than the revolutionary entertainment experience, Fortnite. Through our investment, we will explore opportunities for further collaboration with Epic to delight and bring value to consumers and the industry at large, not only in games, but also across the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape. – Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony
Corporation.

Sony and Epic have both built businesses at the intersection of creativity and technology, and we share a vision of real-time 3D social experiences leading to a convergence of gaming, film, and music. Together we strive to build an even more open and accessible digital ecosystem for all consumers and content creators alike. –Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic.

It isn’t clear yet what (if any) advantages Sony’s upcoming console the PS5 will get from this deal. Epic’s latest game engine, Unreal Engine 5, is supported by the PS5, and the Xbox Series X.

Source: VentureBeat, Sony

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