The trial between Microsoft and the FTC over the purchase of Activision Blizzard doesn’t seem to be over, even though the judge ruled in favor of Xbox. The emails and documentation that were demanded from Microsoft have started to leak… very intense days are coming.
The latest information we’ve learned from these emails is that Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, would really like to buy Nintendo someday. What a bombshell.
In an email from August 2020 to two high-level marketing executives at Microsoft, Phil Spencer wrote, “Nintendo is THE crown jewel for us in the gaming industry” and that “acquiring Nintendo would be a career-defining moment and honestly, I believe a good move for both companies.”
State secrets leaked due to the FTC
The emails were revealed as part of a series of leaked documents from the lawsuit between the FTC and Microsoft.
An executive, Takeshi Numoto, asked Spencer and Chris Capossela in an email titled “random reflection” why Microsoft didn’t find acquisition targets like Nintendo a “more attractive” way to “increase our exposure and relevance among consumers.”
At that time, Microsoft was in talks to acquire TikTok, and Numoto didn’t believe it was the best decision for the American software giant.
“I have had numerous conversations with the Nintendo LT about a closer collaboration, and I believe if any American company has a shot with Nintendo, it’s probably us,” Spencer wrote, where “LT” is presumably an abbreviation for leadership team.
He added that Microsoft’s board of directors “has seen the full report on Nintendo (and Valve) and is fully supportive of either if the opportunity arises, as am I.”
Spencer also shared that the company was in “fairly active discussions around M&A” regarding ZeniMax Media (which resulted in a deal announced a month later) and Warner Bros. Interactive (which ultimately didn’t happen).
Previous documents from the case revealed that Microsoft had considered acquiring many other studios, including Bungie (now owned by Sony), Sega, and Square Enix. This latest batch of documents also leaked a new design for the Xbox Series X and some unannounced Bethesda games.
Certainly, Microsoft is serious about the gaming industry.
