Sony has collaborated with Epic Games by investing $250 million in the company. This investment has granted Sony a minority share in the company, and opens a door for stronger collaboration between the two companies. Sony's collaboration was confirmed by Epic, but no future plans were revealed. Epic stated that the investment will focus "Sony’s leading portfolio of entertainment assets and technology, and Epic’s social entertainment platform and digital ecosystem to create unique experiences for consumers and creators."
Additionally, this move was seen as a way for Sony to collaborate with Epic outside of the gaming sphere. "Epic's powerful technology in areas such as graphics places them at the forefront of game engine development with Unreal Engine and other innovations. There's no better example of this than the revolutionary entertainment experience, Fortnite," Sony's Corporate chairman, president, and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said in a press statement. "Through our investment, we will explore opportunities for further collaboration with Epic to delight and bring value to consumers and the industry at large, not only in games, but also across the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape."
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic also said that this partnership will not just be limited to video games. "We share a vision of real-time 3D social experiences leading to a convergence of gaming, film, and music," he said. "Together we strive to build an even more open and accessible digital ecosystem for all consumers and content creators alike."
It is surprising to see Sony making a partnership with companies catering to the PC platform. Recently, Sony has also expressed a deep interest in PC gaming, the result of which has allowed the previous PS4 exclusive title Horizon Zero Dawn to come to PC in August.
Additionally, Epic's current technology expands to the world of movie-making. The Unreal Engine is now said to be capable of "episodic animation, live-action blockbusters, or short-form content." Sony, as you might know, is also involved in making some movies here and there.
