Lately the Xbox division of Microsoft has been doubling down on a long-term presence within the gaming space. They've bought a slew of new studios and have announced Scarlet, their next generation console (or series of consoles).
Rumors persist about the acquisition of EA and other groundwork that would cement them as a gaming force within the coming generation, and MS absolutely killed it at E3 relative to their competition.
Indulge me. Say Microsoft bought Nintendo (market cap $47.41B) -
Microsoft gains a foothold in Japan instantly, something it's been striving for since the original Xbox fruitlessly.
Microsoft gains the console with the greatest momentum, a portable hybrid to compliment a dedicated Xbox set-top box, which also means -
Nintendo games now benefit from the X (and Scarlet), a profound power boost that brings games like Zelda and Mario (previously 900p) into stunning technical modernity.
Microsoft gains a stable of the most beloved IP's to populate a series of mobile, home console, hybrid, and utility applications.
Nintendo platforms gain access to a series of streaming, music, video, application, and service options that Microsoft owns / has partnerships with. Those options all improve in quality with Nintendo IP.
Production for the Switch (and successor hardware) stays within factories (Foxconn) that Microsoft already has vested production in, so additional / continued production oversight is minimal.
Future Smash games which may lose licenses from third-party combatants gain new fighters like Master Chief, Ori, and Banjo-Kazooie to take their place.
Does a new platform-holder emerge in the form of Facebook, Amazon, Google, or Apple?
Would Sony's first-party output look meager by comparison? Would Sony have to acquire an Ubisoft or 2K just to stay relevant? Could they?
Does the acquisition pass anti-trust regulators on both the US side and the much more rigorous Japanese business side?
Does a sometimes fickle Japanese market stay faithful to a company that now has an American parent company?
Is there a mass-closure or consolidation of studios in that wake? On which side of the acquisition?
What would your thoughts be?
Rumors persist about the acquisition of EA and other groundwork that would cement them as a gaming force within the coming generation, and MS absolutely killed it at E3 relative to their competition.
Indulge me. Say Microsoft bought Nintendo (market cap $47.41B) -
Microsoft gains a foothold in Japan instantly, something it's been striving for since the original Xbox fruitlessly.
Microsoft gains the console with the greatest momentum, a portable hybrid to compliment a dedicated Xbox set-top box, which also means -
Nintendo games now benefit from the X (and Scarlet), a profound power boost that brings games like Zelda and Mario (previously 900p) into stunning technical modernity.
Microsoft gains a stable of the most beloved IP's to populate a series of mobile, home console, hybrid, and utility applications.
Nintendo platforms gain access to a series of streaming, music, video, application, and service options that Microsoft owns / has partnerships with. Those options all improve in quality with Nintendo IP.
Production for the Switch (and successor hardware) stays within factories (Foxconn) that Microsoft already has vested production in, so additional / continued production oversight is minimal.
Future Smash games which may lose licenses from third-party combatants gain new fighters like Master Chief, Ori, and Banjo-Kazooie to take their place.
Does a new platform-holder emerge in the form of Facebook, Amazon, Google, or Apple?
Would Sony's first-party output look meager by comparison? Would Sony have to acquire an Ubisoft or 2K just to stay relevant? Could they?
Does the acquisition pass anti-trust regulators on both the US side and the much more rigorous Japanese business side?
Does a sometimes fickle Japanese market stay faithful to a company that now has an American parent company?
Is there a mass-closure or consolidation of studios in that wake? On which side of the acquisition?
What would your thoughts be?
