NetEase has added another developer under its realm of game creators. This time, the company has acquired French game developer Quantic Dream, which is known to be the maker of the 2018 action RPG Detroit: Become Human.
In a press release, NetEase revealed the news without stating the price of the deal. The Chinese publisher already invested in Quantic Dream in 2019, though it was only a minor investment.
“We are thrilled to embark on an exciting new stage of growth with Quantic Dream, bound by our shared vision, mutual trust and respect,” William Ding, the CEO and director of NetEase said. “NetEase will continue to fulfill our promise to support Quantic Dream to realize its full potential.”
Ding also pointed out that NetEase believes in the “infinite possibilities that could redefine the interactive entertainment experience” the acquisition can provide. He noted that this can be achieved with the “wild creativity and exceptional narrative focus of Quantic Dream” combined with “NetEase’s powerful facilities, resources and execution capabilities.”
Quantic Dream founder, Co-CEO, and writer-director David Cage, on the other hand, shared his thoughts about his studio’s decision to be acquired by NetEase, calling the Chinese publisher something that “values creative freedom.”
“NetEase Games values our creative freedom and the drive and passion of our uniquely diverse team,” Cage said in a statement. “We will now be able to accelerate the vision we share as a group, of creating landmark titles that touch people on an emotional level. We have highly differentiated games in the making and I truly believe that the best is yet to come from Quantic Dream.”
Quantic Dream Co-Ceo and head of publishing Guillaume de Fondaumière also added that NetEase’s first investment in the studio paved the way for the “opportunity to work closely together.” He described the acquisition as “a natural evolution in this process and creates a unique opportunity to boost Quantic Dream’s growth by giving our production and publishing teams all the necessary means to excel.”
NetEase has been on a roll acquiring independent studios, as well as creating new ones this year (by bringing in some veterans in the gaming industry).
In January, Toshihiro Nagoshi and his fellow Yakuza developers formed Nagoshi Studio under NetEase. Also, Xbox veteran Jerry Hook joined the company to create the Jar of Sparks studio in July. And most recently, former Resident Evil producer Hiroshi Kobayashi announced his departure from Capcom earlier this month, while also mentioning that he is about to join NetEase as a producer.
