Epic almost sues Sony over Fortnite... and gets bought out by Google
, by Thibaut
The antitrust trial between Google and Epic Games continues. Thanks to former Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, we're even treated to some intriguing revelations.
During his appearance on the witness stand, the man himself declared that he was ready to "fight (Sony) in court if necessary". Sweeney is referring to the Japanese firm's refusal to open the cross-play floodgates for Fortnite. Keep in mind that the Japanese giant finally relented in September 2018.
Since then, Epic Games has maintained excellent relations with Sony, which has even become a shareholder in the American company.
Finally, we also learn from e-mails that Google was considering investing in, or even buying out, Epic Games in 2018. Fortnite could even have become "leading driving business driver for Google" according to Phil Harrison, who headed up the gaming branch of the American multinational. At the time, the plan was to acquire Tencent's shares or join forces with the Chinese company with the aim of buying out 100% of Epic's shares.
Source: gamesindustry.biz