Tomb Raider is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time.
Christian Petersen | beautiful pictures
Iconic Tomb Raider video game franchise on sale by Japanese publisher Square Enix as part of a $300 million challenge.
Square Enix said Monday it will sell three of its game development studios – Eidos Interactive, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montreal – to the Swedish company. Embracer group.
Embracer will also acquire the intellectual property for Tomb Raider and three other game series, including Deux Ex, Thief and Legacy of Kain.
Square Enix said it is selling assets to cut costs amid a challenging global business environment and to invest in new technologies like blockchain.
The deal “enables the launch of new businesses by continuing to invest in areas including blockchain, AI, and the cloud,” Square Enix said in a statement announcing the news.
The company’s commitment to increasing spending in blockchain — the technology behind many cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens — has led to some backlash on social media. One user said the move is “like selling your house for magic beans.”
Crowd of casual gamers Skepticism about NFTs – digital assets designed to represent ownership of one-of-a-kind collectibles.
While advocates of the technology say it can open up new types of gaming experiences, many gamers are unconvinced, seeing NFT as a method of collecting money that is bad for the environment.
Tomb Raider is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time. The game sees the player navigating British archaeologist Lara Croft through a series of ancient tombs and dangerous ruins. It has sold over 80 million copies to date.
Tomb Raider’s heroine quickly became a cultural icon, inspiring many films and merchandise, and also sparking a debate about whether female characters in the gaming industry are emulated. exceed.
Square Enix, best known for the popular Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts games, acquired the rights to the Tomb Raider series after purchasing Eidos Interactive in 2009.
It is now set to become the property of Sweden’s Embracer, with the company hoping the deal will be approved and finalized by the end of September.
Embracer is not a familiar name in the game. Originally founded as a retailer of comics and games, the company has become one of Europe’s largest gaming groups after attracting a host of major studios including Gearbox, the developer of the franchise. Borderlands and Koch Media shooters.
Gaming analysts say deal prices for Square Enix’s Western properties are surprisingly low, but the company has been looking for a buyer for a long time.
Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at Ampere Analysis, told CNBC: “Square Enix is looking to offload this business to restructure and focus on investment.
“It has struggled to get consistent commercial success from those studios, and it wants to build a leaner organization with a more compelling profit and growth story for its shareholders.”
Square Enix said it will continue to publish titles from other international franchises, including Just Cause, Outriders and Life is Strange.
