We’re only two days into the trial trial between the FTC and Microsoft, but the amount of juicy data being revealed is staggering. After learning that one of the reasons Microsoft bought Bethesda was to prevent Starfield from being exclusive, now it comes to us that the company valued more purchases.
As revealed from The Vergea company email in 2020 points to Phil Spencer requesting both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft CFO Amy Hood to the possibility of buying the SEGA Sammy video game studios was considered
“The global appeal of Sega’s beloved IPs will help expand the reach of Xbox Game Pass to new audiences around the world, especially in Asia where localized content is critical to success,” Spencer said in the email. It is unknown what decision was ultimately made, but there are details just as revealing.
In April 2021, an internal Microsoft document revealed which video game companies were potential buyout targets. In a small presentation, it is shown that Bungie, Zynga, IO Interactive, Thunderful, Supergiant Games, Niantic and Playrix were the juiciest assets for which to launch. In this table, a brushstroke of information on the strengths of each company was attached.
For example, the creators of Pokémon GO stand out for their great aptitudes for developing experiences for mobile devices, while the parents of Hades are classified as bastions of the indie market. Bungie, which has finally fallen into the hands of Sony, was another of the brands to take into account and it was highlighted that, if bought, it would ensure “valuable IP, Destiny (and its community) and the integration of its infrastructure development and operations live at Xbox Game Studios.” It is not a minor observation, since the document also points out that the looter shooter is one of the games that generates the most hours on Xbox Game Pass.
On the other hand, Zynga has ended as the property of Take-Two, although Phil Spencer already revealed a few days ago that his purchase was considered to boost Microsoft’s mobile section. That’s one of the Main motivations for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, because the presence of King in the cake is very encouraging for Microsoft. We’ll see how this all ends.
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