Irina "Zemlia" Sukhanova A sensational internal email from Phil Spencer to some colleagues was found among court documents. From this, it's evident that Microsoft was considering acquiring Warner Bros., Valve, and even Nintendo, at least as of 2020.
In a 2020 email, Phil Spencer spoke about the company's desire to merge with or acquire Nintendo to solidify its position in the gaming industry. According to Spencer, Nintendo was viewed as a "key asset" for Microsoft to achieve its goal.
He further discussed how a potential deal might be executed but acknowledged there were challenges. Spencer noted that "hostile actions" towards Nintendo would be a good move, and the company would continue to play the long game, discussing the matter, collaborating with Nintendo, and exploring opportunities.
Image credit: newxboxone.ru
In the 2020 letter addressed to Microsoft's marketing director, Chris Capossela, and EVP and commercial marketing director, Takeshi Numoto, Spencer mainly focused on his idea of potentially acquiring Nintendo. Still, he also mentioned Warner Bros and Valve, which may be more realistic targets for the company in some respects.
Image credit: newxboxone.ru
As for Valve, the idea is probably less feasible: Gabe Newell's company is thriving and likely has no intention of being acquired.
There were several rumors suggesting Warner Bros. might be up for sale, especially its video game division. This email seems to confirm that this matter is also under consideration. A challenge with Warner Bros, as identified by Spencer, is the management of intellectual property. Acquiring it doesn't necessarily guarantee ownership of the intellectual property, a problem for Microsoft, which would want full control over its products.
Main image: Reddit
0 comments