Empowering Creativity by Bringing New Stories to Life

The event opened with an update on Sony's initiatives with the NFL professional American football league, building on the partnership established in August 2024, as well as the latest on Sony Honda Mobility's "AFEELA 1."

Next, Totoki touched on the background behind formulating the Creative Entertainment Vision. He explained, "We explored an essential question: what will Kando look like in ten years?"

He went on to declare, "To realize this vision, we will continue to establish strong connections with creators," and revealed some of the tools to enhance creativity.

The first was "PXO AKIRA." PXO AKIRA has been developed to address the challenges filmmakers face when shooting vehicle sequences. It combines an advanced robotic camera crane with a custom-built motion platform, LED volume technology and an integrated digital twin tool to deliver an all-in-one solution for filming vehicles using Virtual Production in any setting.

The second was a new 3DCG production solution called "XYN™." XYN is an integrated software and hardware solution that enables creators to capture and reproduce the real world in their creative artwork with stunning fidelity whether from film, games or the metaverse.

Connecting and Amplifying the Worlds of Beloved Narratives

Next, Totoki elaborated on anime initiatives, stating "Sony is committed to enriching the fan experience, by transforming fan-favorite stories into anime and bringing them to a worldwide audience."

Atsuhiro Iwakami of Aniplex who then took the stage and said, "At Aniplex, we develop and produce anime adaptations of original IP and of 3rd party manga and novels. In our 21-year history, we have created and produced over 350 works." He then stated that the first installment of the new theatrical trilogy, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle," following the historic success of the film adaptation of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" which was released in 2019 and became a historical blockbuster, will be released in theaters worldwide in 2025.

Then, Rahul Purini of Crunchyroll introduced the company's initiatives by saying, "Our strength is our 360-Experience approach. While centered on streaming, it powers our other fan touchpoints including films, events, games, Ecommerce, music, Collectibles, and so much. Our streaming service with 15 million subscribers is world-class with the largest anime library, sub and dubs in over dozen languages, and distribution on 20+ platforms, including all game consoles, smart TVs, mobile and entertainment platforms."

He went on to highlight that the second season of "Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-" was released on January 4 in partnership with Aniplex. In addition, he revealed that Crunchyroll and Aniplex will jointly produce an anime television series based on the hugely popular PlayStation game "Ghost of Tsushima: Legends," Furthermore, he announced that later in 2025, Crunchyroll will be working with many publishers in Japan to offer subscribers the ability to add a digital manga service onto their Crunchyroll membership.

Next, Ravi Ahuja, who officially stepped into his role as CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) took the stage. "We make and distribute over 15 films a year and over 200 television shows across all genres and all platforms around the world," he stated, adding that:

"Being part of the larger Sony Group family also enables us to do what no other studio can, and seamlessly bridge worlds to create new entertainment experiences for our audiences. PlayStation Productions is a perfect example! We're not simply adapting games into movies and TV shows; we're thoughtfully expanding these beloved universes in ways that honor and thrill fans of the games and captivate new audiences. And with Sony's renowned technology, we're able to bring these stories to life with unparalleled quality."

Asad Qizilbash from PlayStation Productions and Ashley Brooks from Screen Gems then took the stage. Asad said, "At PlayStation Productions, we take the emotive storytelling and immersive gameplay experiences from PlayStation Studios, and partner with Sony Pictures to spin that shared DNA into movies, TV shows and animations that come to life on the big and small screens." He then introduced their latest endeavors, they have begun on adapting of the popular PlayStation game "Helldivers 2," into a visual production and will release a film adaptation of PlayStation's horror game, "Until Dawn," on April 25, 2025.

Expanding IP into Unique and Engaging Experiences

Additionally, Qizilbash noted, "Our vast content creation in the gaming space has the ability to expand our creative and cultural influence."

He then highlighted the game title "Horizon" as an IP with huge potential for expansion into new categories. In collaboration with mxmtoon,the music video which was produced using Unreal Engine and incorporated assets from the game as well as her message were presented.

Furthermore, he announced that Columbia Pictures and PlayStation Productions are at the earlier stages of developing a film adaptionmoving forward with initial discussions to adapt of "Horizon Zero Dawn" into a film.

Next, Neil Druckmann, Studio Head of Naughty Dog, took the stage. He referred to the phenomenal popularity of "The Last of Us" in just over a decade since its debut.

And at CES 2025, Sony Group Corporation, SPE, Naughty Dog and PlayStation are collaborating on a proof-of-concept (PoC) for location-based entertainment: a hands-on exhibit allowing visitors to step into the world of "The Last of Us."

He also announced that the second season of "The Last of Us" will begin streaming on MAX in April 2025.

Finally, Totoki revisited the Creative Entertainment Vision, concluding his speech by saying, "We believe the future will be exciting - a world envisioned through the lens of creativity and technology brings an even more multi-layered experience, where physical and virtual realities overlap without boundaries. We want to create infinite realities for everyone that will spark imaginations and generate a boundless sense of Kando."