Well, we’d love to be a fly on the wall of the Microsoft and Xbox offices today. A major leak has occurred, with several emails between Microsoft employees revealing details of new consoles, unannounced games, and, crucially, discussions of Microsoft acquiring Nintendo. Imagine playing Game Pass games on your Nintendo Switch.
Now, these leaked emails date back to 2020, and you might notice that the year is 2023, and Microsoft doesn’t own Nintendo. As mentioned in the emails, Nintendo sits on a “big pile of cash” and isn’t in any rush to allow an acquisition. Nintendo is very careful with its IP and who it collaborates with. Plus, in the intervening years, Nintendo has expanded with the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Super Nintendo World parks in Japan and America.
Microsoft is on something of an acquisition warpath, recently buying Bethesda and, of course, Activision. However, alongside this leak, there are also hints towards future Xbox consoles, and they all seem focused on omitting disc trays and instead being all digital, as well as the sort of “always online DRM” that Xbox fans pushed back against in 2013. Phil Spencer might think that Nintendo’s future is “off of their own hardware,” but if Microsoft is set on attacking game preservation and hurting fans in the process, we truly hope Phil’s dream never comes true. Nintendo, keep being Nintendo.
Is Microsoft acquiring Nintendo?
No, it’s not. Recently emails leaked, dating back to 2020, that include discussions between Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and other Microsoft staff. Phil Spencer mentions that buying Nintendo would be “a career moment” and defends a potential acquisition or merger saying “I honestly believe [it’s] a good move for both companies. It’s just taking a long time for Nintendo to see that their future exists off of their own hardware.”
However, Nintendo sits on a very large reserve of cash and, as such, is not in any rush to allow an acquisition. Also, most Japanese companies have clauses meaning that if a company attempts to buy a controlling share of stocks, then the board of the company must approve the acquisition first. Essentially, even if you had unlimited money, you couldn’t buy enough Nintendo shares to run the company unless Nintendo itself approved.
Are there leaked emails mentioning Microsoft acquiring Nintendo?
Yes, you can read emails below that include Phil Spencer and other Microsoft staff discussing potential mergers and acquisitions of companies such as Nintendo, Warner Bros, and ZeniMax.
Well, that’s all we have on rumors of Microsoft acquiring Nintendo folks, but don’t worry, Ninty is not likely to sell up any time soon. If you want to play some of its best games, be sure to check out our guide to the best Switch games of 2023.