Maplestory publisher Nexon has invested $874 million in Hasbro, Bandai Namco, Konami, and Sega Sammy.
The Tokyo-based company described the move as a series of “long-term friendly investments with no intention of acquisition to activism,” and indicated it picked those four companies because of their “well-managed global IP.”
The news comes after Nexon raised $1.5 billion in 2020 to sink into entertainment companies with the ability to develop and sustain globally recognized franchises. Nexon’s recent $874 million spend represents 58 percent of that $1.5 billion.
“We believe companies with strong, well-managed global IP are often overlooked and undervalued in a market that is narrowly focused on introductions of new IP,” commented Nexon president and CEO, Owen Mahoney.
“These investments reflect our respect for management teams that create and grow global properties over a period of years and decades. We believe that each has potential to capitalize on the secular shift from linear formats to interactive entertainment.”