Sony snaps up Savage Game Studios in console pivot
Sony snapped up Finnish and German mobile game developer Savage Game Studios this morning as the company continues to pivot away from consoles and towards mobile.
Savage Game Studios, which was founded in 2020, will join the newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, an independent operation from the traditional console development.
Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios, said the company “must continue to expand and diversify our offering beyond console”, with this acquisition being “another strategic step towards that goal”.
“Our move into mobile, like our expansion into PC and live service games, strengthens our capabilities and our community, and complements PlayStation Studios’ purpose to make the best games that we can,” Hulst said.
Sony did not disclose how much the deal with Savage Game Studios was worth, but the move notably adds to the flurry of acquisitions made in recent months, including its $3.7bn swoop for Destiny maker Bungie.
The Japanese giant has been under increasing pressure to push back against dwindling consumer demand and supply chain challenges. Just last week, Sony said it would be upping the price for its PlayStation 5 (PS5) console
“The global economic environment is a challenge that many of you around the world are no doubt experiencing,” Sony said in a blog post.
“We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries.”
In the UK, this means a £30 increase for gamers, bringing the price to £479.99 for the disc versions of the console and £389.99 for the digital edition.
Sony said it would not be raising prices in the US, and will not boost prices in Japan until next month.
Meanwhile, rival firm Nintendo said it would be avoiding price rises for consumers, despite its own production costs soaring in recent months.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa told newspaper Nikkei: “In order to offer unique entertainment to a wide range of customers, we want to avoid pricing people out.
“Our competition is the variety of entertainment in the world, and we always think about pricing in terms of the value of the fun we offer.”
Sony shares were down nearly five per cent today.