It seems that no matter where you turn in the videogames industry right now, there’s an acquisition going on, and this time it’s between NetEase and Quantic Dream as the Chinese games behemoth buys the Star Wars Eclipse developer.
Yes, you read that right. The NetEase Quantic Dream acquisition may come as a shock to some, but one thing is certain, this can only benefit the Chinese company as it now owns an impressive development studio. You might recognise Quantic Dream as the team behind narrative-driven titles such as Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, the latter of which is PlayStation exclusive.
“NetEase will continue to fulfil our promise to support Quantic Dream to realise its full potential,” NetEase CEO William Ding says. “By combining the wild creativity and exceptional narrative focus of Quantic Dream with NetEase’s powerful facilities, resources and execution capabilities, we believe there are infinite possibilities that could re-define the interactive entertainment experience we provide for players worldwide.”
When does the NetEase Quantic Dream deal close?
We don’t know when the deal closes, but given NetEase already has a stake in Quantic Dream, it should be a relatively smooth process. Furthermore, the relationship between the two companies is already strong, and that can only be beneficial as they surge towards the future.
“NetEase Games first invested in Quantic Dream three years ago,” Quantic Dream head of publishing Guillaume de Fondaumière says. “Over this period, we had the opportunity to work closely together and saw first-hand how like-minded and complementary we are.”
Fondaumière continues,”NetEase Games’ acquisition comes as a natural evolution in this process and creates a unique opportunity to boost Quantic Dream’s growth by giving our production and publishing teams all the necessary means to excel.”
If this news has you in the mood to play some exciting titles, our picks for the best mobile RPGs can help you out.