The React Podcast Episode 12 – Sony sells Sony Online Entertainment

Richard Bailey Jr. of The Koalition writes:
Earlier today, Sony sold Sony Online Entertainment to an investment firm by the name of Columbus Nova. While many may not think this is a big deal, the truth of the matter is that the move will have ramifications on future titles such as Everquest Next, H1Z1, and the PS4 release of Planetside 2.

Having picked up on the news as soon as it happened, we decided to record a brief react to share our candid thoughts on what this move could mean for Sony moving forward.

[Romudeth]

I never played any of the SOE titles but I can see how this is big news.

[rbailey]

As an Xbox One owner, I surely won't complain if PlanetSide 2, H1Z1, and EverQuest Next all come over to the system lol The move itself though definitely makes you wonder what exactly is going on over at Sony these days.

[Fro_xoxo]

Who in their right minds would complain about more games to choose from? :)

I have to say. . Didn't see this coming. .

The beauty of it all is that, Microsoft didn't even have a part to play in it ^_^.

[GameDev1]

You mean just like Sony didnt have a part to play in Bungie making games for the PS4??

Wonder why that statement you made was necessary

You could play SOE games on PC anyway and until Planetside 2 beta, hardly any of their games made it to the Sony console, apart from DC online which was published by Warner Bros

[HisRoyalFlyness]

I'd love to see you the Sony spin this into 'not important'

[WeAreLegion]

"you the Sony" is always spinning stuff!

[DeadlyOreo]

Don't start the fan boy rubbish. Please. Good news for Xbox One users though.

[Benjammin25]

Well...it's not really. The PS4 is flying off the shelves, all those games are still coming to PS4 anyway, and the money they earned will help their financials a great deal.

[GameDev1]

No it is really not important if you actually put effort into finding out information

Last fiscal report, SOE cost a loss of 60 million when you consider how planetside is handled, H1Z1 and EverQuest Next production slow down
http://recode.net/2014/05/1...

SOE published games never made it to the PS console (excluding PS2 delayed beta), with the new PS initiative of rebranding their entertainment to PS NOW, PS Video, PS Music, PS Vue, its easy to see why Sony would want to sell SOE

Good thing is that Sony got a good bit of money selling SOE and their IPs, and can put it into new IPs and First party studios for the PS brand

[Bathyj]

Well it feels "not important" to "me the Sony" since Ive never played a SOE game and never planned to.

If they were if fact costing them money then why not sell them? Why throw good money after bad?

Before you go and disagree with me, arent you the same guy who said Sony should dump Vita cos its on life support?

Besides, its SOE, its not like theyre selling Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch or Santa Monica. That would be a lost I would care about.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

I'm glad allot more people are excepting this bit of news. Its not coming lightly to some.

But I rather these games get multiplated/thrive than get cancelled never see them again.

[Walker]

Guess they realized the best way to sell PS4s is to stop paying people to make PC games.

[gangsta_red]

I wonder why we never got any "rumor" articles about this? I mean we get a good number of "MS to sell Xbox" articles all the time and yet not a peep about this.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

Must be a conspiracy/s

[gangsta_red]

@XabiDaChosenOne

Yup, you got me...I was sooooo talking about a conspiracy.

Anything else?

[DigitalRaptor]

This is a game studio. There wasn't so much indication that this was going to happen which is evidence by the fact that a lot of us are pretty shocked by this. This is pretty big news.

Anyway dude, isn't this dangerously close to you forming a conspiracy that the media is biased against MS/Xbox, something you usually condemn?

[gangsta_red]

"...isn't this dangerously close to you forming a conspiracy that the media is biased against MS/Xbox, something you usually condemn?"

And you can see just how silly it is to even think that which was half of what I was going for.

My other point is how come we get silly rumors that don't amount to anything, but not even a blip on something as HUGE as this? This isn't just a game studio, this was a whole (almost) division that Sony sold, not only sold but offloaded all the IP's that Sony heavily invested over the years.

And the whole "MS to sell Xbox" I never blamed the media, I always held a certain person accountable for spamming this site with that bit of rumored news.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

@Gangsta_red
"And you can see just how silly it is to even think that which was half of what I was going for."

LMAO No you weren't that was the most see through "aha gotcha" cope out I have ever seen!

[RedDeadLB]

Considering Planetside 2 only recently became profitable, I can see why Sony sold the studio. The F2P scene is not really profitable, with many F2P game developers closing their doors (Zombie studios).

SOE was only a financial burden to Sony and with current-gen games milking millions out of them, they had to get rid of them.

It's big news, but not necessarily bad news for anyone involved.

[Maxor]

Nice spin. This is huge.

[RedDeadLB]

What's the spin? I said it's big news and at the same time not bad news for anyone.

[Maxor]

How is this not bad news for anyone? It's horrible news. Sony just lost the EQ franchise and access to a 1st party MMO development house for the PS4. Then there is the matter of how this sale will impact games in development like EQ Next and the jobs that are at stake.

[RedDeadLB]

It's not bad news for Sony because they really didn't make much money out of the MMO games.

It's not bad news for SOE because they're not being shut down, they're continuing operation under a different publisher.

It's not bad news for Xbox One owners because now they get more games.

It's not bad news for PS4 owners because they're not losing any games.

It's not bad for PC players because their games are not being shut down.

Overall, no one loses, some win.

[MajorGecko]

definitely getting an Xbox one, ps4 is going downhill so much so I had to buy Xbox live for my 360 now I just need a xb1 Sony is making me waste money and time.

[windblowsagain]

I would Disagree.

It's easy to download free games, and many people playing them pay nothing. I would be one of them.

I don't like f2p transactions.

Planetside 2 is ok. But it's nothing special. Played on PC for awhile. But got bored of it. Same thing with war thunder.

SOE is leaking money. Better to get rid of.