Sony Likens Its Fledgling Anime Business to the PS1 Era

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Sony is significantly increasing its investment in anime, given its global expansion and desire to profit from the growing popularity of this medium.

The company’s enterprise-wide project, designed to bring together its three entertainment sectors, has resulted in the acquisition of Crunchyroll and investments made in entities such as Kadokawa and Bandai Namco.

In an interview with the business magazine Toyo Keizai, Sony’s Toshimoto Mitomo compared the company’s advancements in anime production to the success of the PlayStation 1 era.

He said, as translated by Automaton:

“As a dedicated enthusiast, I find myself in an exciting time reminiscent of the era when Sony unveiled the PlayStation 1 and was on the cusp of introducing the PlayStation 2. Our anime business is experiencing a similar transition, brimming with anticipation for what’s next.”

In simple terms, we believe it’s currently quite established, but it could soon experience rapid growth or expansion.

The PlayStation 1, having sold more than 100 million units, undoubtedly proved to be a hugely successful product for Sony. However, it laid the groundwork for the global supremacy of the PS2, which remains the best-selling console of all time – despite the Switch’s recent advances in sales.

It’s only fair to acknowledge that the organization has already experienced significant triumphs within the anime industry. The latest Demon Slayer film, for instance, shattered box office records and currently ranks among the top ten highest-grossing movies ever in Japanese cinema history.

Sony aims to replicate these victories by teaming up with companies like Kadokawa and Bandai Namco, thereby expanding their list of popular titles.

According to PlayStation’s perspective, led by Hermen Hulst, head of PS Studios, there has been extensive discussion about leveraging anime as a strategy to engage with a younger demographic. Already, we’ve witnessed the announcement of an anime adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima on Crunchyroll.

In other words, there’s significant potential for even greater achievements in this field, which aligns with Sony’s shift from a technology-focused company to one that encompasses more entertainment sectors. As time goes on, movies, music, and games are expected to make up an increasingly larger proportion of Sony’s overall revenue.

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2025-08-09 17:07