Sony acquires audio engineering company AudioKinetic

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Audiokinetic, Inc., a provider of cross-platform audio solutions for the gaming and interactive media industries, 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.