Perfect World Entertainment becomes Gearbox Publishing.
Despite the name change, our organization, employees, products, and passion remain - just with a new makeover. We’ll continue releasing content for our service titles like Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and Have a Nice Death as we always have. Our previous releases, including games like Remnant: From the Ashes and the Torchlight trilogy, will remain under our umbrella, with more amazing new games to come!
What does this mean for Perfect World Entertainment games?
All of our games will continue to be published by the same group of enthusiastic gamers. Though the company name is changing, our titles, development plans, and passion for our work will remain.
It’s definitely a hefty sum in the case of Aspyr, but I’d guess the main point of that acquisition was the their retail logistics - I remember Aspyr being the partner for physical distribution of games for a number of publishers. Just like Kochmedia (also part of Embracer now) is in Europe for companies like Square Enix.
That’s a steal. You mean when Sony was looking for an answer to Microsoft’s Activision purchase or when Microsoft was rummaging through the couch cushions they couldn’t find the money to make this happen? Feels like the perfect catalog depth for Game Pass.
SE gave some strategy for this selloff in their press release.
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.
Also, there’s some scuttlebutt that WB/Discovery is shopping their game dev studios around because the new bosses don’t see videogames as being in their wheelhouse.
I’ve been hearing the same rumors. Crazy to me that you’d be leading a major entertainment company and not feel comfortable with games as part of your business.
Why make them yourself when the licenses are the profitable part? You can get other studios to make your games for you, you just get cash off of the IP.
I mean, that is basically what Disney did as well.
