Columbus Nova Acquires Sony Online Entertainment, Renames to Daybreak Game Company
posted Sunday Feb 8, 2015 by Nicholas DiMeo
Sony Online Entertainment, the game studio behind popular titles like EverQuest, PlanetSide and more recently H1Z1, has been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment group. SOE will now become its own standalone studio and will operate independently under a new name.
Since 1999, Sony Online Entertainment has been creating top titles that have won over gamers from around the world. Now, the studio will be rebranded and called Daybreak Game Company. The new owners of the company said that its acquisition will stay true to the course of making new online games and placing those games on multiple platforms. The company also said they would not be shutting down any current SOE titles or services.
Jason Epstein, senior partner with Columbus Nova, said in a statement,
Sony Online Entertainment, newly rebranded as Daybreak, is a great addition to our existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. We see tremendous opportunities for growth with the expansion of the company's game portfolio through multi-platform offerings as well as an exciting portfolio of new quality games coming up, including the recently launched H1Z1 and the highly anticipated EverQuest Next to be released in the near future.
The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. However, given Sony's current status and how infectiously popular (no pun intended) H1Z1 has been even before launch, it's not surprising to see the studio picked up by a group that has a lot of cash to throw around.
Columbus Nova has been around since 2000 and has had a hand in numerous ventures. The investment management firm brought back Rhapsody from the brink of disaster in 2013 via a huge cash injection, and the company has also invested in companies like Fiverr and Rabbit. Additionally, Epstein purchased Guitar Hero from Viacom in 2010, so take that how you wish.
Perhaps with a bit of cash and the freedom to produce a great game, H1Z1 might get the support that PlanetSide 2 lacked. Daybreak Games might end up being a formidable opponent in the videogame space.
