Sony Interactive Entertainment to Acquire Audiokinetic, A Leading Global Provider of Interactive Audio Solutions to the Gaming Industry

~PlayStation to Leverage Audiokinetic’s Audio Technology and Engineering Expertise, while Audiokinetic Remains Independent to Provide Best-in-Class Audio Tools to Developers Across Technology Platforms~

SAN MATEO, Calif. and MONTREAL – January 08, 2019 – Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Audiokinetic, Inc., a leading global provider of cross-platform audio solutions for the gaming and interactive media industries, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for SIE to acquire Audiokinetic. With this acquisition, SIE will tap into Audiokinetic’s vast audio engineering expertise, adding significant value to the PlayStation® ecosystem. Audiokinetic will continue to operate independently, licensing its multi-platform audio tools and middleware to developers in established and growth markets. The acquisition is expected to close by January 31, 2019.

Based in Montreal, Audiokinetic was founded in 2000 by Martin H. Klein, president and CEO, and a team of veterans from the music, film, and gaming industries. The company’s award-winning flagship product, Wwise, is a comprehensive audio middleware solution, featuring an optimized run-time sound engine and an audio authoring application for creating and managing interactive audio content. With more than 500 titles shipped every year on console, mobile, desktop, and AR/VR platforms, as well as Location-Based Entertainment projects, Wwise is the interactive audio solution of choice for thousands of developers, from indies to AAA studios.

“A rich and all-encompassing audio experience is increasingly critical to the overall gameplay experience, further enhancing immersion and emotion for the player,” said John Kodera, president and CEO of SIE. “Audiokinetic is a preeminent provider of audio solutions for the gaming industry, and we are confident that this acquisition will allow us to further grow the PlayStation platform and contribute to the broader gaming industry. It’s our goal to support Audiokinetic’s efforts to advance its audio technology while maintaining independence and platform neutrality.”

“Joining the SIE family is a win for both Audiokinetic and our partners who use our audio tools and middleware,” Klein said. “We will remain independent and continue to deliver our suite of audio solutions to developers and platform holders, with even greater resources to continue innovating, expanding our market and enhancing our technology. We are also excited about the opportunity to contribute to SIE at a platform level.”

Following the close of the acquisition, Audiokinetic will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SIE. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Sony Interactive Entertainment

Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Vita, PlayStation®3, PlayStation™Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Video, PlayStation™Music, PlayStation™Now, PlayStation™Vue and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from SIE Worldwide Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation and has global functions in California, London and Tokyo.

About Audiokinetic

Audiokinetic sets new standards in audio production for interactive media and games. The company’s middleware solutions, including the award-winning Wwise® and SoundSeed®, empower sound designers and audio programmers with a cost effective, comprehensive authoring tool and audio engine for creating innovative interactive experiences. Audiokinetic is headquartered in Montréal, QC, Canada, has a subsidiary in Tokyo, Japan, an office in China, and Product Experts in Europe. www.audiokinetic.com

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s acquisition of Audiokinetic, Inc. closed as planned on January 31, 2019. Both companies look forward to working together to drive innovation within interactive audio.