Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
[Update] Sega Sammy To Acquire Atlus Parent Index Corporation
Update: Sega has issued a press release confirming the acquisition of Index Corporation. The document cites three reasons that the acquisition is a good fit for Sega, who has suffered financial hardships and layoffs as recently as April. Things started turning around after the House of Sonic purchased Relic from THQ at auction, with Company of Heroes 2 selling 380,000 copies in under a week.
The press release cites Atlus' IPs as a primary driver of interest in Index, with those franchises as good fits for continued distribution for home consoles, adaptation for mobile devices, and even application in Sega's pachinko operation. For the full press release, click here.
Original Story:
Weeks ago we reported that Atlus was on the auction block after the financial and legal troubles plaguing its parent, Index Corporation. Reports are coming in now that Sega Sammy will be acquiring the entirety of Index Corporation, though details on how that will impact the business aren't yet available.
The news comes by way of Gematsu, who translated the news from Japanese site Nikkei. Sega Sammy has issued a brief press release stating that the acquisition is not something they have announced. Index Corporation voluntarily put itself into a form of bankruptcy known as "rehabilitation." At the time this was reported in June, Index was in approximately ¥24.5 billion debt ($249 million).
According to Gematsu's translation, the deal is apparently worth ¥14 billion ($141.1 million) and will close in November. We reached out to Atlus USA who declined to comment at this time.
[Source: Nikkei, Sega (both in Japanese), via Gematsu]
Our Take
This news isn't a surprise given the results of preliminary bidding we reported on weeks ago. The question is what this means for the future of Atlus and it's incredibly important arm here in the United States.
Atlus USA is responsible for developing, localizing and/or publishing some of the most unique and interesting Japanese titles like the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Etrian Odyssey series, and standalone titles like Dragons Crown and Catherine. The best possible scenario is that the new owner allows that to happen just as it always has.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
