With the acquisitions of Activision Blizzard and Bethesda, Microsoft will have a plethora of studios working on content for Xbox Game Pass. However, they have set their sights on more companies. New documents reveal that Microsoft considered acquiring companies like SEGA, Bungie, Niantic, and many others.
According to information from The Verge, as part of the hearing between Microsoft/Activision Blizzard and the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a document was revealed discussing potential acquisitions by Microsoft. It indicates that the company attempted to buy companies such as SEGA and Bungie with the aim of expanding the Xbox Game Pass catalog.
"We believe SEGA has built a well-balanced portfolio of games across appealing segments worldwide and will help accelerate Xbox Game Pass both inside and outside of the console," stated Phil Spencer in a November 2020 email. "The global appeal of SEGA's beloved franchises will help expand the reach of Xbox Game Pass to new audiences worldwide, particularly in Asia, where localized content is key to success."
The extent of Spencer's proposal is currently unknown. It is unclear whether it was disapproved by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, or if the negotiations did not reach a successful conclusion. What we do know is that Microsoft attempted to acquire other companies.
Bungie, Niantic, and more companies have been on Xbox's radar
In an internal document dated April 2021, Microsoft lists some companies that could be acquisition targets. Among them are SEGA and Bungie, the latter currently belonging to Sony Interactive Entertainment.
"The acquisition of Bungie will include securing the valuable Destiny franchise (and its community) as well as the integration of development and live operations as a service within Xbox Game Studios," the document states.
That's not all, as the document also mentions that Microsoft has considered the possibility of acquiring studios like IO Interactive (HITMAN), Thunderful Games (Steamworld Dig), and Supergiant Games (Hades). They were also eyeing mobile game developers such as Niantic (Pokémon GO), Scopely (Stumble Guys), Zynga (Farmville), and Playrix (Gardenscapes).
Similar to SEGA, it is unknown how far these negotiations went, if they even occurred. However, it is interesting to see that Microsoft could have acquired one of these companies (or may do so in the future).
What about you? Would you like any of these companies to be acquired by Microsoft? Let us know in the comments.
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