discussion Square Enix to sell Tomb Raider and Deus Ex studios

[Crashed]

Square Enix announced today that they intend to sell their western studios including several IPs such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex 

 

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The Embracer Group, a planet-swallowing mass of video game publishers that already includes the likes of Gearbox and THQ Nordic, tonight announced a deal to purchase a number of storied studios and properties from Square Enix.

 

While the purchase isn’t final—this is just “an agreement to acquire” them until everything is signed off later in the year—the announcement press release says that if approved it will be a USD$300 million deal. For the $300 mil, Embracer will get hold of:

 

• The studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal (the latter of which will presumably be in for a name change), numbering around 1100 employees worldwide.
• The “catalogue of IPs” owned and/or worked on by those studios, including Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Thief, Legacy of Kain and “the continued sales and operations of the studios’ more than 50 back-catalogue games”. Also of interest: “Crystal Dynamics is actively working on several AAA projects, including the next mainline Tomb Raider game that will deliver next-generation storytelling and gameplay experiences.”

Source

 

Statement by Square Enix:

 

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SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (the “Company”) today signed a share transfer agreement with Sweden-based Embracer Group AB concerning the divestiture of select overseas studios and IP (the “Transaction”). The Company’s primary assets to be divested in the Transaction are group subsidiaries such as CRYSTAL DYNAMICS, INC.; EIDOS INTERACTIVE CORP. and IP such as TOMB RAIDER, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain. At the Company Board of Directors meeting held on 27 April, 2022, the Board resolved to entrust Representative Director Yosuke Matsuda with

the right of final decision. All conditions having being met, the share transfer agreement was

concluded today.

 

1. Purpose of the Transaction

The Transaction will assist the Company in adapting to the changes underway in the global

business environment by establishing a more efficient allocation of resources, which will enhance corporate value by accelerating growth in the Company’s core businesses in the digital

entertainment domain. In addition, the Transaction enables the launch of new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud. The move is based on the policy of business structure optimization that the Company set forth under the medium-term business strategy unveiled on May 13, 2021. The Transaction will also provide an opportunity to better align our overseas publishing function with our organization in Tokyo, revisit the current governance structure and associated reporting

lines, and advance integrated group management with the goal of maximizing the worldwide revenue generated from future titles launched by the group’s studios in Japan and abroad. Going forward, the Company’s development function will comprise its studios in Japan, Square Enix External Studios, and Square Enix Collective. The Company’s overseas studios will continue to publish franchises such as JUST CAUSE, OUTRIDERS, and Life is Strange.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Crashed

[LustSpell]

Square-Enix is truly stupid  Having extraordinary sales projections for all games then calling then underwhelming when you didn't even bother to promote aside from 1 or 2 tweets is highly annoying and frustrating. The IPs will be in a better place w/o em.

[jezebelvictoria]

I wonder if this will change anything for the current Tomb Raider they just started working on on the UE5.

 

I've been dreaming for decades they bring back the original Lara from 96 to 03.  Especially for Judith to voice her again; she voiced TR2 & 3 Lara. She said she would definitely do it again if asked.

 

Regardless, to have her old personality and backstory would more than suffice. Though it probably won't happen anytime soon but I do believe a change back will happen one day. 

[Attitude]

Who are they gonna blame when Final Fantasy flops? 

[Crashed]

14 minutes ago, LustSpell said:

Square-Enix is truly stupid  Having extraordinary sales projections for all games then calling then underwhelming when you didn't even bother to promote aside from 1 or 2 tweets is highly annoying and frustrating. The IPs will be in a better place w/o em.

This was always bothering me, like the only thing they properly promote is Final Fantasy  Also the deal is way too cheap imo 

[Hephaestus]

What? 

 

It's one thing to admit that they didn't do any of those IPs justice, but to sell them altogether is... Interesting to say the least. Tomb Rider alone would bring them a lot of money if they only perfected the formula (aka going for something closer to the original games).

[JBJT2786]

1 hour ago, Attitude said:

Who are they gonna blame when Final Fantasy flops? 

FF is too huge to flop but I can see it underperform their completely unrealistic expectations. 

 

OT:it's honestly for the best because they'll get more love and care than what SE has given both franchises.

 

Look at Hitman for example...

[omni]

Sony, it's your time to shine. Don't let Microsoft buy everything.

[Better Mistakes]

Sony needs to snatch miss Croft up considering she debuted on their original console. Microsoft’s strategy seems very much buy the studios to force people to have to buy Xbox and Sony needs to get in on that too

[tiagol88]

2 hours ago, Attitude said:

Who are they gonna blame when Final Fantasy flops? 

Final Fantasy XV is one of the best selling games of the series 

FFXVI is also highly antecipated. 

 

FFVII Remake was hugely successful.

 

FFXIV is the biggest MMO on the market right now 

 

No they won't need to blame anyone

[Revolution]

inch resting

[tiagol88]

1 hour ago, omni said:

Sony, it's your time to shine. Don't let Microsoft buy everything.

 

11 minutes ago, Better Mistakes said:

Sony needs to snatch miss Croft up considering she debuted on their original console. Microsoft’s strategy seems very much buy the studios to force people to have to buy Xbox and Sony needs to get in on that too

I don't think you read this right. It has already been bought by Embracer group 

[Fevesy]

Well it's no secret that Square Anus doesn't know what they are doing with those franchises. I have a friend who works at Crystal Dynamics so I just hope their job is safe and things get better for them. 

[Totami Legend]

1 hour ago, omni said:

Sony, it's your time to shine. Don't let Microsoft buy everything.

When they make a Tomb Raider / Uncharted collab 

[Oxy]

Their best and most popular IPs.

 

What do they have now? FF and Kingdom Hearts? 

[tiagol88]

1 hour ago, Oxy said:

Their best and most popular IPs.

 

What do they have now? FF and Kingdom Hearts? 

Forspoken which will flop later this year  

[Bey]

So no more Ms crybaby Croft? 

[mystery]

They are so dumb for mishandling Tomb Raider, glad that it is no longer in their hands and that it might potentially get a better treatment.

[Villanelle]

Perched to see how this works out for the legendary Lara Croft. How they don't mess up TR.

[rcksluke]

What the actual ****???? They are selling all these IPs for $300 million? There's something wrong and fishy bc this is way below market.

[Oceania]

I accepted a long time ago that the classic Tomb Raider formula (Core era) will never come back.

 

Isolation, challenging gameplay, atmosphere, ambient sfx, intricate level design, vibrant colors, badass female lead and sparse cinematics...that is everything that's unpopular in modern mainstream gaming. 

 

But anything is better than SE at this point (except for Naughty Dog and Capcom). 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Oceania

[CosTaSsSs]

Why Tomb Raider? they did a great job rebooting the series and making her less sexualized. 

[Gogetonthebus]

The streets are saying that SE is cutting the fat so that they are more attractive to be acquired, most likely by Sony.

[lovecatt]

they're an extremely poorly managed company so it's for the best I guess

[Mythology]

I think this would benefit Tomb Raider series because SE had no clues how to manage TR and other western properties