Sony has made a $250 million investment in Epic Games, taking a minority stake in the company and opening the door to a deeper collaboration between the two companies. While no specific plans for the future were disclosed, Epic said in a statement that the investment will "combine Sony's leading portfolio of entertainment assets and technology with Epic's social entertainment platform and digital ecosystem to , create unique experiences for consumers and creators alike."

"Epic's strong technology in areas such as graphics puts it at the forefront of game engine development with the Unreal Engine and other innovative technologies. There is no better example of this than the innovative entertainment experience that is 'Fortnite.'

"Through this investment, we will explore further opportunities to collaborate with Epic to bring joy and value not only to games, but to consumers and the industry as a whole in the rapidly evolving world of digital entertainment.

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, also indicated that the partnership will go beyond video games. We share a vision of a real-time, 3D social experience that will lead to the convergence of games, movies, and music," Sweeney said. Together, we are building a more open and accessible digital ecosystem for all consumers and content creators."

Sony has recently increased its interest in PC gaming: one example is the upcoming release of "Horizon: Zero Dawn" exclusively for PS4 this summer, but what may be even more relevant to this partnership is Epic's focus on bringing its technology to the world of film production The Unreal Engine website touts its capabilities for "episodic animation, live-action blockbusters, and short-form content.

Also, as Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed out on Twitter, while Sony's investment is not much smaller than Tencent's investment in Epic in 2012, the pie to be gained is much smaller Interesting. Timing is everything.

Epic said the investment must meet "customary closing conditions," including regulatory approval.