Sony Aims for 9000 Original IPs Annually with Kadokawa Investment

Now backed by the Sony Group, Kadokawa has set an ambitious goal of achieving 9000 original IP publications annually. Dive deeper to learn about their strategic plans to reach this milestone!

Kadokawa Aims High With 9000 IP Publications Annually

Sony Group Is Its Biggest Shareholder

With Sony's substantial investment and acquisition of a 10% stake, Kadokawa has set its sights on publishing 9000 original IP titles each year. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Nikkei (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun), Kadokawa President Takeshi Natsuno announced the company's plan to ramp up its publishing output to 9,000 titles annually by fiscal year 2027, a significant increase of 1.5 times from their output in fiscal year 2023.

Leveraging Sony Group's status as its largest shareholder, Kadokawa intends to expand its reach globally, utilizing Sony's "global distribution infrastructure" to distribute its IPs worldwide. Kadokawa is optimistic about reaching this target, with a medium-term management plan that projects achieving 7,000 titles by fiscal year 2025.

Furthermore, to support this growth, Kadokawa plans to increase its editorial team to around 1,000 members, marking a 1.4 times increase. This move aims to enhance efficiency and ensure growth targets are met without overburdening the staff.

More Titles, More Adaptations, Natsuno Says

Aligned with these ambitious changes, Kadokawa is set to enhance its offerings through a "media mix strategy," which involves bringing more of its IPs to life through anime and game adaptations. President Natsuno expressed, "We want to create a system where pursuing variety and diversity in our works leads to major hits."

Sony stands to benefit significantly from Kadokawa's market expansion, particularly since Sony owns the anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, which boasts over 15 million paid subscribers. This partnership will enable more Kadokawa-owned IPs to be featured in Crunchyroll's anime catalog.

Kadokawa's rich 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. Its portfolio also encompasses renowned video game IPs like Elden Ring, Dragon Quest (FromSoftware), the Danganronpa series (Spike Chunsoft), and Mario & Luigi Brotherhood (Acquire), as their developers are part of the Kadokawa group.

Sony has expressed interest in expanding its presence in the multimedia market, aiming to produce more live-action film and TV show adaptations, co-produce anime adaptations, and handle their overseas distribution.