Tencent has recently added another developer studio to its roster. This new acquisition is of the Japanese creative studio, Wake Up Interactive Ltd.
Wake Up Interactive is the parent company of Soleil; the development studio that is best known for its work on Ninjala, the Nintendo Switch exclusive title. Soleil has also worked on other projects such as Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, Devil’s Third, and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers. Soleil is known for its role in high-quality games for PC, mobile, and console games.
Tencent and NetEase have been busy recruiting in Japan in recent years, looking for studios and developers involved in anime and video games. This is a move to expand their reach, diversify, and decrease the high dependence on the Chinese domestic market. Restrictions on games and a crackdown on tech giants by the Chinese government have made it all the more necessary for these companies to look for options outside the domestic market as well.
90% Stake
Bloomberg has reported that Tencent has invested in 90% stake in Wake Up Interactive for more than $ 44 million, which is 5 billion yen. This move seems a bit new for Tencent, as it now seems to be taking over the entire company in Japan. Previously, Tencent has focused on publishing rights and has made only small investments.
Apart from this, NetEase has acquired Grasshopper Manufacture, which developed Travis Strikes Again. Tencent also has plans to invest in the famous publisher, Kodakowa Corporation, for a 6.86% stake. There are also several acquisitions or investments in smaller Japanese developers by both Tencent and NetEase recently. However, most of the deals are made in private, with only a handful being announced to the public. It seems like they are betting on these smaller studios and individuals to produce a good game to secure a comfortable position in their role in distribution.
Source: Bloomberg
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