It was announced today that Columbus Nova, and investment management firm, has acquired Sony Online Entertainment and has re-branded it as Daybreak Game Company. SOE is the company that makes my beloved Planetside, as well as H1Z1, and the EverQuest series. Now that it is operating as an independent studio, it can now make games multi-platform, namely Xbox One now that it’s not tied to Sony. You can read the press release below:
Columbus Nova Acquires Sony Online Entertainment
Leading Online Games Company Rebranded Daybreak Game Company
SAN DIEGO – February 2, 2014 – Columbus Nova, an investment management firm based in New York, announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) games and emergent gameplay.
Best known for its community-first approach, and blockbuster hits and franchises, including EverQuest®, PlanetSide®2, DC Universe™ Online, H1Z1™, Landmark™ and the highly-anticipated EverQuest Next™, SOE has developed compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms since 1999.
With the completion of the transaction, SOE will now operate as an independent game development studio and will continue to focus on creating quality online games, providing excellent service to its extensive player base, while centering on its untapped potential as a multi-platform online gaming company. Along with the transaction, SOE will be rebranded and operate under the new name of Daybreak Game Company LLC ( www.DaybreakGameCompany.com.)
“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,” said Jason Epstein, Senior Partner of Columbus Nova. “The recent Early Access launch success of H1Z1 is just one testament to the talent and dedication of the studio’s developers to create great online gaming experiences.”
“We are excited to join Columbus Nova’s impressive roster of companies. They have a proven track record in similar and related industries and we are eager to move forward to see how we can push the boundaries of online gaming,” said John Smedley, President, Daybreak Game Company. “We will continue to focus on delivering exceptional games to players around the world, as well as bringing our portfolio to new platforms, fully embracing the multi-platform world in which we all live.”
About Columbus Nova
Founded in 2000, Columbus Nova is a multi-strategy investment firm managing over $15 billion of assets through its own funds and affiliated portfolio companies. Columbus Nova has a broad investment mandate and operates four distinct but complementary investment groups that invest in corporate credit, private equity, venture/growth equity and real estate.
Damn, was not expecting that
Yeah, neither was I.