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Sony teasing a possible Ember Lab acquisition?

It's kind of illegal to tease an acquisition unless the deal has already been signed, is it not? It's very hard to see if Ember Lab is a public or private company, but if they're public, and this is some way to tease an acquisition, then we'd of seen something reflected in their stock prices prior to this.

That said, I highly doubt it's a sign of any acquisition; that clip was focused on Sony as a whole and with a lot of filmic/cinematic properties. So I figure they'd want to showcase gaming exclusives that would fit the bill, and of those their best choices are Rachet, Kena and Miles Morales. Apparently Sony want to improve relations with indie devs, so if they only have enough to slot two games and Miles may've been redundant due to No Way Home, pick Kena and kill two birds with one stone.

IIRC the game is still slated to come to other platforms sometime next early next year, I would be surprised if this spot in a short advert was indicative of any purchase because that'd also likely mean Sony cutting out said other platforms for getting a game it'd otherwise receive, and that would upset a decent bit of folks considering such a pre-existing deal is honored in other instances (i.e Psychonauts 2, Deathloop etc.).
 
Didn't Sony helped a ton to the production of Kena?


I have heard them reference sony a lot when it comes to support but outside of the exclusivity deal and marketing I don’t really see anything concrete. They didn’t even use any of their outsourcing and support studios.

Sony didn’t even publish the game which makes it even more weird
 

SLB1904

Banned
It's kind of illegal to tease an acquisition unless the deal has already been signed, is it not? It's very hard to see if Ember Lab is a public or private company, but if they're public, and this is some way to tease an acquisition, then we'd of seen something reflected in their stock prices prior to this.

That said, I highly doubt it's a sign of any acquisition; that clip was focused on Sony as a whole and with a lot of filmic/cinematic properties. So I figure they'd want to showcase gaming exclusives that would fit the bill, and of those their best choices are Rachet, Kena and Miles Morales. Apparently Sony want to improve relations with indie devs, so if they only have enough to slot two games and Miles may've been redundant due to No Way Home, pick Kena and kill two birds with one stone.

IIRC the game is still slated to come to other platforms sometime next early next year, I would be surprised if this spot in a short advert was indicative of any purchase because that'd also likely mean Sony cutting out said other platforms for getting a game it'd otherwise receive, and that would upset a decent bit of folks considering such a pre-existing deal is honored in other instances (i.e Psychonauts 2, Deathloop etc.).
this video is exclusive to sony products, Kena is the only outliner. also, it took them almost a year to announce the bluepoint acquisition.
 
IIRC the game is still slated to come to other platforms sometime next early next year, I would be surprised if this spot in a short advert was indicative of any purchase because that'd also likely mean Sony cutting out said other platforms for getting a game it'd otherwise receive, and that would upset a decent bit of folks considering such a pre-existing deal is honored in other instances (i.e Psychonauts 2, Deathloop etc.).

There is nothign that guarantees the game will release on other platforms, there is no deals signed as of yet. It has a timed exclusive deal that doesn’t necessarily mean its obligated to release on other platforms.

Also, that platform could very well just be Steam which wouldn’t really contradict sony showing it here
 
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Tripolygon

Banned
I have heard them reference sony a lot when it comes to support but outside of the exclusivity deal and marketing I don’t really see anything concrete. They didn’t even use any of their outsourcing and support studios.

Sony didn’t even publish the game which makes it even more weird
Look at end credits for anything to see who’s involved. I bet you will find it there.
 

Lognor

Banned
Didn't know who they were, but cool if true. Kena seems like it was decent, but probably needed another 6-12 months in the oven. With Sony backing their next title could be better.
 
Didn't know who they were, but cool if true. Kena seems like it was decent, but probably needed another 6-12 months in the oven. With Sony backing their next title could be better.


In terms of what? I thought it was probably one of the most polished game releases this year. The story was quite lackluster, especially kena’ s but its a studio of 15 people so I’m not really comparing the scope of the game to something like zelda anyway
 

Topher

Gold Member
Including a game Sony invested in for PlayStation in a montage of other Sony products is teasing acquisition?

Confused Hanna Barbera GIF by Warner Archive


uh......ok?
 
It's kind of illegal to tease an acquisition unless the deal has already been signed, is it not? It's very hard to see if Ember Lab is a public or private company, but if they're public, and this is some way to tease an acquisition, then we'd of seen something reflected in their stock prices prior to this.

That said, I highly doubt it's a sign of any acquisition; that clip was focused on Sony as a whole and with a lot of filmic/cinematic properties. So I figure they'd want to showcase gaming exclusives that would fit the bill, and of those their best choices are Rachet, Kena and Miles Morales. Apparently Sony want to improve relations with indie devs, so if they only have enough to slot two games and Miles may've been redundant due to No Way Home, pick Kena and kill two birds with one stone.

IIRC the game is still slated to come to other platforms sometime next early next year, I would be surprised if this spot in a short advert was indicative of any purchase because that'd also likely mean Sony cutting out said other platforms for getting a game it'd otherwise receive, and that would upset a decent bit of folks considering such a pre-existing deal is honored in other instances (i.e Psychonauts 2, Deathloop etc.).

If you can't see if a company is public or not, then it's not public
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
It's kind of illegal to tease an acquisition unless the deal has already been signed, is it not? It's very hard to see if Ember Lab is a public or private company, but if they're public, and this is some way to tease an acquisition, then we'd of seen something reflected in their stock prices prior to this.

That said, I highly doubt it's a sign of any acquisition; that clip was focused on Sony as a whole and with a lot of filmic/cinematic properties. So I figure they'd want to showcase gaming exclusives that would fit the bill, and of those their best choices are Rachet, Kena and Miles Morales. Apparently Sony want to improve relations with indie devs, so if they only have enough to slot two games and Miles may've been redundant due to No Way Home, pick Kena and kill two birds with one stone.

IIRC the game is still slated to come to other platforms sometime next early next year, I would be surprised if this spot in a short advert was indicative of any purchase because that'd also likely mean Sony cutting out said other platforms for getting a game it'd otherwise receive, and that would upset a decent bit of folks considering such a pre-existing deal is honored in other instances (i.e Psychonauts 2, Deathloop etc.).

Or maybe they will buy Ember Labs and allow Kena to be on Xbox consoles, but all other games will not be.
 

Topher

Gold Member
I mean if I were sony, i could have used MLB The Show, Destruction All Stars, Or Death Stranding DC. Kena is the only outlier here but ok

If they included Death Stranding would that mean they would be buying Kojima Productions? Sorry dude......I just think this is an hell of a reach.

Of course, now that I've said that.....

5yts0j.jpg
 

SLB1904

Banned
If they included Death Stranding would that mean they would be buying Kojima Productions? Sorry dude......I just think this is an hell of a reach.

Of course, now that I've said that.....

5yts0j.jpg
no because death stranding is owned by sony
 

Tripolygon

Banned
Says special thanks to sony and list people like Greg Rice, and others who run the indie and partnerships department. No actual outsourcing. Same for Epic and Tencent
Look at the Localization QA section and as I said, people who are involved get credited doesn't really matter what capacity.
 

Topher

Gold Member
no because death stranding is owned by sony

Kojima Productions is not. Just as reasonable of a reach as anything else, imo.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see it. These guys do great work and could do even more with Sony's funding. I just don't think this video points to anything in that regard.
 
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jakinov

Member
if your basis is that the main marketing team included kena in their twitter video than that's not even a teaser or an indicator. Sony though they have greatly improved at this over the years is a bujnch of different organizations/divisions works fairly dindepednently. The HQ marketing team likely has no idea there's an acquistion if there was or are plans for one. And the Playstaiton team asking them to shove in Kena clip because they might buy it is highly unlikely. If they do end up buying ember labs this is likely not a teaser for it.


MLB and Destruction all Stars are not included becasue they likely at goals for how long this promotional video is. It's not just gaming, and because it's called THE BEST of Sony's 2021. Kena sold "well, reviewed well, got awards and is pretty to show in a montage.
 

SLB1904

Banned
Kojima Productions is not. Just as reasonable of a reach as anything else, imo.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see it. These guys do great work and could do even more with Sony's funding. I just don't think this video points to anything in that regard.
99% of the stuff in that video is sony stuff but kena. i mean we are speculating right now, but the evidence is there. if i had to bet right now i would sony already got them
 
this video is exclusive to sony products, Kena is the only outliner. also, it took them almost a year to announce the bluepoint acquisition.

What does that have to do with Ember Lab though?

There is nothign that guarantees the game will release on other platforms, there is no deals signed as of yet. It has a timed exclusive deal that doesn’t necessarily mean its obligated to release on other platforms.

Also, that platform could very well just be Steam which wouldn’t really contradict sony showing it here

If you sign a timed exclusivity deal, it's 99% usually because it has intent to be released on other platforms, and you want a window to keep it exclusively on your platform and in your ecosystem. Otherwise you wouldn't refer to it as a timed exclusive, it'd just be an exclusive.

You don't need contracts signed showing obligation to release on other platforms, but again if you're signing a timed exclusive deal, the logical thought is to conclude that the game is set to eventually arrive on other platforms. And in the way Sony particularly focused on timed exclusivity deals, they do so in the context of other video game consoles, i.e in comparison with Xbox and/or Switch. They do not view PC as a competitor generally speaking, and don't unless it's VERY specific singular instances, like with Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Needless to say, Kena has nowhere near the brand power or relevance of FFVII Remake to warrant Sony looking to PC as a competitor to consider Kena as a timed exclusive in comparison to that ecosystem.

If you can't see if a company is public or not, then it's not public

That's probably true, but at most it'd just tell us Ember Lab is a private company. That's about it.

Or maybe they will buy Ember Labs and allow Kena to be on Xbox consoles, but all other games will not be.

Maybe, but Sony generally don't give off the vibe they'd play that way. And that's not just in relation to Xbox; if the game was in some way planned for Switch and Sony acquired Ember Lab, they would most likely shelve that version as well.

But you all already know I'm not into this acquisition speculation stuff anyway; I just wait for an outright confirmation from the source itself if something's gone through or not, and go from there, generally positively. Tho, I will say it's funny how some people's views on acquisitions have changed since this time last year.
 

EDMIX

Member
It's most certainly that Sony signed them for their next project, and maybe after that, if it will be succesful, they will start talking about acquisition.

Could be, but theses are unusual times for Sony and MS, they are buying so much that I feel they might buy them earlier then they planned or something, I don't disagree with you though.

For all we know it really is some deal for another game and they mean "we" like some marketing, funding deal etc.

So if they buy them, not surprised, if the do another game and then buy them....not surprised lol
 
What does that have to do with Ember Lab though?



If you sign a timed exclusivity deal, it's 99% usually because it has intent to be released on other platforms, and you want a window to keep it exclusively on your platform and in your ecosystem. Otherwise you wouldn't refer to it as a timed exclusive, it'd just be an exclusive.

You don't need contracts signed showing obligation to release on other platforms, but again if you're signing a timed exclusive deal, the logical thought is to conclude that the game is set to eventually arrive on other platforms. And in the way Sony particularly focused on timed exclusivity deals, they do so in the context of other video game consoles, i.e in comparison with Xbox and/or Switch. They do not view PC as a competitor generally speaking, and don't unless it's VERY specific singular instances, like with Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Needless to say, Kena has nowhere near the brand power or relevance of FFVII Remake to warrant Sony looking to PC as a competitor to consider Kena as a timed exclusive in comparison to that ecosystem.



That's probably true, but at most it'd just tell us Ember Lab is a private company. That's about it.



Maybe, but Sony generally don't give off the vibe they'd play that way. And that's not just in relation to Xbox; if the game was in some way planned for Switch and Sony acquired Ember Lab, they would most likely shelve that version as well.

But you all already know I'm not into this acquisition speculation stuff anyway; I just wait for an outright confirmation from the source itself if something's gone through or not, and go from there, generally positively. Tho, I will say it's funny how some people's views on acquisitions have changed since this time last year.

FYI it'd be more accurate to compare Kena to Starfield or Redfall if Sony has bought Ember and canned any Xbox or Switch port. Not Deathloop or Psychonauts
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
Would love to see Sony acquire Ember Lab as it would be a great fit and Kena is such a great game. Hoping this happens!!!
 
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