Sony Online Entertainment sold off to Columbus Nova

Yea, thats right, Sony has nothing to do with Sony. Smh

-sarcasm-

The parent company of SOE is Sony. Sony abandoned and sold SOE. Columbus Nova is now the parent company and changed the SOE name to Daybreak Game Company. Whatever assets and revenue from games like Everquest, Planetside, H1Z1 etc. gets from now on, goes to Columbus Nova and not Sony. Sony has no more say to where games will be playable on from now on. This is not a partnership. When Sony are in trouble they usually discontinue, cancel and sell their investments. This sale just shows you another failed investment from Sony. RIP Sony Online Entertainment. Now that these games are finally free from their neglected parents, hopefully they get the attention they needed and could now be finally decent.

So the deck is stacked you say and Sony/PS4 gets yet another pass because of it?

What about the SOE games that were going to PS4/PC? They were at least going to count nicely towards the PS4's gaming library. Now they'll all most likely become multiplat and will show up on Xbox. How are cows deflecting that aspect of things? You guys were just cheering on PlanetSide 2 to release on ps4 the other week...now its nothing, as well as the other games?

I hope PS2, EQN and H1Z1 go to XBONE now ...just for the tears.

Lems like PC F2P MMOs now? Wow, Sony can work miracles.

Then again they're the losers hyping up Smite, so maybe the foundations were already laid.

Sony never owned Insomniac, genius.

Because SOE was a money sink. The only game they produced that turned a profit was Everquest and PS2 and H1Z1 have been having their own set of problems. One quarter last year a potential profit was turned into a loss because of SOE. Looks like F2P isn't the money spawner of the future.

And the mustards will still keep you rats at more than arms length, Insipid8. Even more so when Xbone loses all its exclusives.

Usually when a company sells of a studio that company (Sony) retains the IP's I have yet to see any mention of Planetside 2, Everquest or H1Z1 being developed for Xbone. Daybreak only said that they are now making Xbone games.

Here it comes, Boom.... The Sony's Dooooomed... again. :P

You mean multiplats are going multiplat? Funding will be going to exclusives rather than multiplat F2P mmos, sounds like an amazing trade off. Cows still get to play the games, and now the PS4's exclusives will be an even bigger focus.

Waaat? does that mean SOE wasnt making enough profits?

well anyways as long as the new company will continue on current games and make more games thats good and will that mean finally some cross platform games across PS4 and xbox soon?

SOE had been losing Sony money, I think they lost them around $60 million. That and the fact that they don't fit into Sony anymore, now that Sony is so focused on Playstation. It didn't make sense for them to keep their PC gaming division around anymore. Makes more sense to take the money that was going to making PC games/multiplats and to use it on making PS4 exclusives instead.

Except they wont be using the money on PS4 exclusives, they'll be using it to simply survive LOL

That's true. They could be like Microsoft. All that money, but no games.

Do people actually realize that Windows itself is just an OS? That MS doesn't make revenue off pc gaming? If you buy a game for windows/pc, MS doesn't get a cut.

They never had a reason to support it. They tried with GFWL, and failed due to being a miserable piece of shit.

With xbox, every penny you spend on the thing, they do get a cut.

The fact it was stealthy, got some people I know and other watching Sony Corp going WTF, and now are wondering if Sony's actually worse off then they said. Doesn't take much to get the people to jump and wonder about their investment. Also, some people think SOE was making money, clearly that's not the case either.

Personally this isn't surprising outside why they made it stealthy, we already know Sony was moving to place all their Chips on Entertainment with Playstation and Movies, with their Insurance, and Camera lens business. Eveything that wasn't making money or had potential to make it back is being cut or shrunk. So like I said not too surprising.

That's not true, they have their reasons for supporting it. It's Microsoft's goal for Windows to remain the OS that everyone uses, that includes gamers. They're putting Windows onto everything now, from PCs, phones, Xbox. They bought Minecraft for billions just to strengthen the Windows platform. You'll see increased PC support from Microsoft.

Even Phil Spencer says PC gaming is incredibly important to Microsoft and that gaming on Windows is critical to Microsoft's success.

All of this fits into Microsoft's goal of having all their products tied together through Windows.

Yep, exactly. You're the kind of poster I'm talking about. There's a reason no one with two brain cells to rub together takes this forum seriously.

Nothing looks worse to investors, especially not really keeping track of what everything actually is, then a STEALTH sell of an asset.

Considering it was Stealth, I think Sony already had someone in mind.The reason they didn't sell them before is because they were not bleeding ink.

I don't think people here actually realize what situation SOny is in and how this Stealth sell is actually not going to do them any favors with investors. It also shows that it was bleeding and they needed to cut it, for a company shifting to mostly entertainment with Movies and Playstation while cutting off or shrinking other areas, cutting out a game division is pretty bad.

The reason why they kept them while in the red was because of potential profits, clearly they can no longer wait and had to cut the division off. It was also a stealth acquisition. I don't understand this theory as if Sony loses nothing by getting rid of them. Outside decent selling games, it's not the company itself it's the reason why they cut the company off that's the problem. As well as the fact that they are not cutting out assets related to their restructuring vision, which will be looked at as bad despite what the long-term effect may or may not be,

As I said above in the many quotes, no, they will have some issues for doing this in general, stop looking at it like it's some small PS change only.

You are correct, BUT there are people here not looking at the big picture on both sides however.

This is interesting because games they imply that were on the PS3 are coming to the Xbox One, and those games aren't on the PS4, because they are already on the PS3. Then you have PS2 coming on Xbox One possibly, So it's like SOE never happened for the last couple years as an advantage. Which is why this decision pretty much means they had no choice.

Yes, it's not really surprising looking at the company as a whole.

@kratosyoloswag:

You're talking about windows 10. That's something they're doing and i'm waiitng to see how it goes.

My point was about how MS being teh owner of the windows os means they some responsibility or contact with pc gaming, while Sony and Nintendo don't.

Nothing is stopping Sony/Ninty from creating their own digital store front like Valve and releasing drivers for their controllers on pc. But just like MS, they don't have any power over the platform. Xbox is a closed ecosystem that they can controll and profit over, just like all consoles. PC, despite being also a platform, is an open ended one where you're forced to compete with everyone else. Also like another market.

MS's lack of support is obvious, just liek Sony letting go SOE. Why invest in a platform where you must compete with Steam and many others, when you can lock it down to your own console.

The thing is, windows sales for gaming are fracture of what the OS is sold for. MS releases DirectX to allow for better development but there's not much more they can actually do. Relocating the MS studio efforts towards PC would not benefit the xbone.

No dude, it's SONY's New mantra of 'we are in the shit financially and we need a serious cash injection to keep our head above water' and quit with the live ,learn and love philosophy' SONY is a business dude and business ultimate aim is to make money but fair play to you if you are Naive enough to believe that any of these companys actually care about you beyond what you have in your wallet.

Ignorance is bliss i guess.

'Also we heard that Sony is making new bond, massive cost, 300 million and movie has no script.'

Latest bond movie does have a script because it was leaked online

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/546852/James-Bond-Spectre-Plot-Spoilers-Leak-Online-Sony-Picture-Hack

Oh yeah and before I forget, SOE was put under WWS after the last reorg if I'm not mistaken, will have to double check with those conference calls and reports but pretty sure they did, along with integrating it's games with SEN accounts.

@TigerSuperman: I wasn't meaning to imply that it had no significance, just that it is not as big of a deal as say, Sony selling Naughty Dog or something.

Unless they were going to pull SOE off of PC development, which would have caused a shtstorm, there's really no point in keeping them. Especially if SOE was financially draining. They will still make games for PS4 and Sony doesn't have to manage an entity that operates separately from their main studios.

PS4 is Sony's priority and they've been pulling out of the PC business for years.

be careful with that guy Stormy. He's not too bright. Here's a pro tip...stay away from metaphors. They make him upset and even more dumb lol.

@delta3074:

And PS4 is current gen 8 console leader.

You are pretty dumb if you think I said WTF to your post because of Metaphors which were not even a 5th of your post dumbass. You're disruptive posts of completely unrelated nonsense are just completely dumb and you post the same way everywhere, prime example, right now.

I though Sony sold more than PS4's.

Sony is downsizing big....

Where do they go from here? they don't have the infrastructure in place to go "Multiple device/platform" in the same way the competition can....

While I'm sure the PS4 will remain the sales leader and maybe even games over the X1 .... but... as stated before I think Microsoft are still in a far better position than sony as a company moving foward....

Sony off loading more asset's.. Things are only going to get worse.

ooooohhh....-yawn-

I'm not sure why you would think my writing should change every other post, but ok. Lol...is english your first language? I'm feeling that its not. Where are you from friend?

What does that have to do with what i said? oh yeah..Nothing.

Ps4 doing well is not enough to save SONY , any profit they make the PS4f any, is a mere tiny fraction of what they are losing.

'live,learn, love and lose a Ton of money and sell our assets so we can bullshit ans say we are doing fine finacially' lol

has to do with EVERYTHING.

It shows TRULY what Live, Learn AND Love can do with matched with the by gamers FOR gamers mantra that SONY deploys.

Couple that with the world's most powerful video game console in the HISTORY of video games and you get current gen 8 console leader the illustrious, high sought after PS4.

i'm sorry, you're right. Tell me how Sony has nothing to do with Sony please. I want to understand this. I was thinking that Sony Online Entertainment had something to do with Sony, the company, somehow. Really, can you explain to me how they werent involved in any kind of business together please. I mean, how was Sony even able to sell the division if they aren't even business related? That's where i got confused....

@TigerSuperman:

As I said SOE are a PC developer. Most of their games are MMO's of one form or another and very few have gone to PlayStation. Planetside 2 will still arrive on PS4 as will H1Z1, so no loss there. Sony's potential loss is from future revenue but I'm sure they are happy with the buy out deal they've received.

The biggest potential winner from this is MS and Xbox One as they don't have (to my knowledge) any SOE titles

+1 for seeing your act through to the end :P

You're trying to hard to downplay this sale. A stealth sale at that, which gets people, especially investors jumpy, when they just had a Reorg to put all chips on etertainment involving gaming and movies with a few side things going on by either cutting or shrinking other areas. SOE was placed under WWS during the Reorge and they were going to Link them to SEN accounts, clearly they could not sustain it long enough for that to be possible and sold it off.

Boy Sony is really trying to get out this hole before they show this annual report they have delayed until march, shutting down chip making factories, selling their whole SOE it must still not be looking good even tho they have sold 15 million ps4 in this year alone.

I think we're discussing this from different angles to be honest.

I'm thinking of the future of SOE and the possibility of the developer's sell off being a good thing for the games industry in general. More people will get to play their games and they'll potentially make more money.

On the other hand, I'm not overly concerned about Sony's reasons for selling the division off. I of course don't want to see them go under, that would be a tragedy and rather catastrophic for the current day games industry. Though it's likely that the Japanese government will bail them out before letting them completely sink and the chances are another company would buy out the PS division before it got liquidated.

Nah see you're talking about SOE, now no longer SOE, I am talking about Sony.

However,I believe The Japanese government will probably not bail them out due to better selling options over there, if they do need a bail out, if they do, they won't throw money on video games much, if at all, since I doubt that will be part of the agreement for a bail out. But like I said Sony's only real gate for a bail out is historical significance only.

Gonna have to reaaaallly think hard about this one.

Let's see...how many games from this lot did I even play? Oh that's right: 0
Let's see...how many of those games were predominantly offline or at least had single player: 0
Let's see...how many fucks do I give for multiplayer only games: 0

Nothing of value was lost. They take forever to release games anyway even lems will be waiting awhile.

So you are saying that you are really worried about the state Sony is in? I feel ya man. Not good and it will only get worse.

Just know we are always here to help you though these trying times. I will never turn my back on a fellow gamer and you sir are getting sent hugs and porn subscriptions.

The ****? I will clink that champagne flute with your lem-ass in celebration! I could not care less if I tried. Means more money into the studios that actually focused on consoles in the first place! :P

co-signed. Bludgen that ignorance!

You don't know what that means. Nobody does. it's only hopeful cows thinking Sony (who's obviously in financial trouble) will all of a sudden dump that money into other games. Why wouldn't they use it to cover loses from all the other divisions just hemorrhaging money? Cows have already proven they'd pay for shit as long as that shit was from Sony.

...

Same could be said about the people saying it won't be used on games. Like you said, nobody knows. By your logic any profit they make you assume goes straight to paying off that debt? Fucking lol. They've had that debt for an age. It's business as usual, pump money into the division that's making money. Now what, bottomlem?

Bu, bu, but Playstation isn't in trouble, just the rest of Sony!!!

Where did I say that's what they were going to do? You El Tormenteds alt? I said nobody knows super cow and that included me, especially since I haven't made any claims one way or the other unlike you super cow.

What studios are making them money super cow? The PS4 is selling well and PS+ is making them money but how many of their 1st party studios are bringing in lost of cash? I've already stated super cows such as yourself, will purchase shit on top of shit as long as it has that shiny PS logo. Why would Sony pump money into something when they know they have such brain washed fans?

Now what super cow? You going to claim Sony will dump money because they love the gamers? Bwhahahahahaa you're just as brain washed as El Tormented super cow.