Sony, a world that handles Xperia and PlayStation, invests US$250 million in Epic Games

Sony Corporation ("Sony"), the developer of the Xperia smartphone and the PlayStation consumer game console, has announced that it will release a new game engine, the "Unreal Engine," which is used to develop the popular Fortnite game. ("Epic Games"), the developer of the Unreal Engine game engine "Unreal Engine" and the well-known developer and distributor of the popular game "Fortnite". (hereinafter referred to as "Epic Games"), a well-known developer and distributor of "Fortnite", and to acquire a minority interest in Epic Games.

Strengthening the Common Mission of Both Companies

Sony and Epic Games have collaborated on a variety of projects in the past, and this investment will further strengthen the relationship and reinforce the shared mission of both companies to develop cutting-edge technology, entertainment, and online services.
Through this investment, Epic Games aims to expand collaboration across Sony's portfolio of entertainment assets and technology and Epic's social entertainment platform and digital ecosystem to provide unique experiences for users and creators. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epic.
Completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation, and Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, commented on the investment.

Comments from Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation

"Epic is a leader in the evolution of game engines with its superior graphics and other innovations such as the 'Unreal Engine' and there is no better example of an innovative entertainment experience than 'Fortnite.
Epic is a leader in the evolution of game engines with innovations such as the Unreal Engine, and there is no better example of an innovative entertainment experience than "Fortnite".
Through this investment, we look forward to further deepening our collaboration with Epic and providing value that will delight users and the industry, not only in the field of games, but also in the rapidly evolving field of digital entertainment.

Epic Games, Inc. ファウンダーCEO ティム・スウィーニー氏のコメント

ソニーとEpicは両社ともクリエイティビティとテクノロジーが交わる分野でビジネスをしており、ゲーム、映画、音楽を融合させるリアルタイム3Dソーシャルエクスペリエンスに関するビジョンを共有しています。私たちは協力して、すべてのユーザーとコンテンツクリエイターに向けて、よりオープンでアクセスしやすいデジタルエコシステムの構築をめざします。