The case the FTC maintains against the merger Microsoft and Activision Blizzard reveals some interesting data. One of the most surprising leaks was the Redmond giant’s intention to buy Nintendo. This was known thanks to some internal emails sent by Phil Spencer, head of Xbox’s video game division.

According to the story we learned, Spencer emailed Microsoft chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto and chief marketing officer and executive vice president of consumer business Chris Caposselo about option to buy Nintendo in 2020.

However, it seems the Xbox boss didn’t have everything with him acknowledged that Big N video games “have a lot of money”so its acquisition would be more difficult than Warner Bros. Interactive (currently Warner Bros. Games) and ZeniMax, two other companies I had my eye on, though ultimately, and at least for now, only the latter ended up under his umbrella.

Not only were there talks for Xbox to acquire Warnes Bros. Interactive, but the negotiation is also quite advanced. Meanwhile, the Redmond giant was simultaneously in talks with ZeniMax to acquire it, which eventually happened.

The Xbox boss even suggested that the move would be good for both Microsoft and Nintendo because Nintendo’s future “exists outside of its own hardware,” a statement that’s sure to spark debate since Nintendo is the only major console today. a manufacturer that only releases its games on its own platforms, while Xbox has looked to PC for a long time and Sony started porting some of its most notable titles a few years ago. Spencer points out that Nintendo is taking a long time to figure out that its future lies outside of its hardware.

Here is the full letter from Phil Spencer.

Phil also talks about wanting to acquire Nintendo and Valve, saying that acquiring Nintendo would be a “career moment” for him. pic.twitter.com/eQOYNBa9dP

— Okami Games (@Okami13_) September 19, 2023

Phil Spencer said in an email that he has had numerous conversations with Nintendo about working more closely together and believes (or at least believes) that Microsoft is an American company in a good position to make it happen, but as we’ve already reported, the large amount of cash that Japan’s the corporation has is a good obstacle.

Phil Spencer seems convinced that at some point in the future Nintendo will stop publishing their games on other platforms and less than Xbox will host powerful IPs like Zelda, Pokemon, Mario and Mario Kart. However, the Xbox boss may be forgetting the precedent.

cutting games nintendo on xbox a combination that doesn’t work (or at least didn’t work)

Yes, Xbox has multiple IP addresses nintendo to its credit, more specifically to Rare, the British developer it acquired at the turn of the century. Microsoft hasn’t given Rare much of a boost since taking it under its umbrella, and not only that, but it’s left what many consider the best video game developer of the 1990s to rot. The fact that the Xbox user profile does not have much in common with the Nintendo profile may have had an effect on this.

Currently, Rare has to see how some of its IPs, such as Killer instinct and Perfect darkness, are outsourced to be developed by other companies. It’s sad to see a legendary company like Rare devalued like this, at least as a developer, but that’s their current situation.

However, Nintendo games would work on PC, where the audience is more diverse and responds to more diverse profiles. In fact, this is where the indie scene started its push, with many games clearly influenced by titles like Super Metroid.

Despite the low probability of buying a Nintendo, Phil Spencer even acknowledged in an email that the operation would be “the moment of his career”and Microsoft is one of the few corporations that would do something similar.

Finally, and as a curious fact, some Microsoft executives believed they had acquired the rights to it Donkey Kong with the acquisition of Rare, which is obviously far from the truth.