PlayStation, like Xbox, is hiring an acquisitions manager

PlayStation is hiring a director of corporate development to identify acquisition opportunities and expand its collection of first-party studios.

The move reflects a hiring Xbox advertised last week for a game strategy and development manager as both publishers look to buy an increasing number of developers.

As reported by the Video Games Chronicle, business analyst Robert Serrano spotted the job posting. The new director will lead Sony’s corporate development team, responsible for Sony "Identification of inorganic growth opportunities through acquisitions, investments or joint ventures".

Sony Interactive Entertainment (@playstation) is seeking a Director, Corporate Development responsible for identifying inorganic growth opportunities through acquisitions, investments or joint ventures, attractive M&A and investment opportunities

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— Roberto Serrano’ 🇺🇦☮️🙏🏻 | 📊🎮🍿 (@geronimo_73_) May 2, 2022

Sony is looking for someone with video game experience and the candidate will not only help find and develop the initial opportunities, but also align them with the overall Sony culture and work process "create significant long-term value for the company".

Working closely with the entire management team, the new director will appear to be at the helm of PlayStation and its first-party studios, with the post showing promise "a chance to influence the development of this fast moving sector."

The candidate Xbox is looking for is worded less peppy, but it will be "Development and evaluation of the business case for content and technology acquisitions," and Microsoft’s post referenced its 2020 acquisition of Bethesda and intended purchase of Activision Blizzard announced earlier this year.

PlayStation and Xbox have been locked in something of an acquisition race in recent years, as both publishers have pushed to expand their offerings of first-party studios.

Sony bought Bungie for $3.6 billion in February and also acquired several other studios over the past year, including Bluepoint and Housemarque. It has no intention of slowing down, as Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan said earlier this month that more acquisitions are already on the cards.

Xbox’s $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, on the other hand, will be one of the largest in entertainment history when the deal closes, on par with Disney’s $71.3 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox and just ahead of AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner for $85.4 billion.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally thinks about tweeting @thelastdinsdale. He’ll be talking about The Witcher all day.