Sony Aims for 9000 Original IPs Annually with Kadokawa Investment

Now backed by the Sony Group, Kadokawa is setting ambitious goals to publish 9000 original IP titles annually. Dive into the details of how they plan to achieve this impressive target!

Kadokawa Aims High With 9000 IP Publications Annually

Sony Group Is Its Biggest Shareholder

With Sony's significant investment and acquisition of a 10% stake, Kadokawa is now poised to ramp up its publishing efforts to an impressive 9000 original IP titles per year. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Nikkei (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun), Kadokawa President Takeshi Natsuno announced that the company aims to reach this target by fiscal year 2027. This ambitious goal represents a 1.5 times increase over their output in fiscal year 2023.

As Sony Group becomes Kadokawa's largest shareholder, the company plans to leverage Sony's global distribution infrastructure to expand its reach overseas. Kadokawa is confident in achieving this goal, with their medium-term management plan outlining a target of 7,000 titles by fiscal year 2025. To support this growth, Kadokawa intends to increase its editorial staff to around 1,000, a 1.4 times increase, to enhance efficiency and meet their ambitious targets without overburdening their team.

More Titles, More Adaptations, Natsuno Says

In alignment with these changes, Kadokawa is set to enhance its offerings through a "media mix strategy," which will see their IPs adapted into anime and games. President Natsuno emphasized the importance of diversity and variety in their works, stating, "We want to create a system where pursuing variety and diversity in our works leads to major hits."

This partnership also benefits Sony, particularly through its ownership of the anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, which boasts over 15 million paid subscribers. The collaboration will enable more Kadokawa IPs to be featured on Crunchyroll, enriching its anime collection.

Kadokawa's extensive IP library includes popular titles such as Bungo Stray Dogs, Oshi no Ko, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Delicious in Dungeon, and My Happy Marriage, among others. Their portfolio also encompasses renowned video game IPs like Elden Ring, Dragon Quest (FromSoftware), the Danganronpa series (Spike Chunsoft), and Mario & Luigi Brotherhood (Acquire), as these developers are part of the Kadokawa group.

Sony has expressed interest in expanding into the multimedia market, aiming to produce more live-action film and TV show adaptations, co-produce anime adaptations, and handle their overseas distribution. This strategic alliance with Kadokawa is a significant step towards achieving these goals.