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Sony Online Entertainment / Photograph: Doug Kline)

Sony Online Entertainment, the game development studio best known for titles such as EverQuest, DC Universe, and PlanetSide 2, has been acquired today by Columbus Nova, a New York based investment firm.


Following the completion of the transaction, SOE will be rebranded to Daybreak Game Company and will operate as an independent studio while focusing on developing quality online games, providing excellent service to its playerbase, and centering on its untapped potential as a multi-platform gaming company.


The name Daybreak Game Studios is meant to be a nod to the passion and dedication of the company's employees and its playerbase as well as being representative of their vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.


John Smedley, the President of Daybreak Game Company had this to say regarding the acquisition:

We are excited to join Columbus Nova’s impressive roster of companies. They have a proven track record in similar and related industries and we are eager to move forward to see how we can push the boundaries of online gaming."


The company also reassured players that this shift will not negatively impact them and that all will be "business as usual". The company views the acquisition as an opportunity for new exciting developments for its IPs and games as it embraces the multi-platform landscape of the industry.


Source: Sony Online Entertainment / SOE Forums