In 2020, Microsoft’s gaming division was considering buying Nintendo. This was stated by the head of Xbox Phil Spencer (Phil Spencer) in a letter to top managers of the corporation, disclosed as part of the court on the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.
According to Spencer, buying Nintendo would be beneficial to both Microsoft and Nintendo itself. But there is a problem — the Japanese company is “sitting on a lot of money.”
Spencer wrote that he had repeatedly talked with the head of Nintendo about close cooperation, so he believes that Microsoft has a better chance of strengthening relations with Nintendo than other American corporations. Spencer indicated that, in his opinion, an attempt at a hostile takeover would not be the best option. Instead, the Xbox is going to play for a long time.
Spencer’s letter also mentions that Microsoft was thinking about buying Valve and was negotiating a takeover of WB Interactive and ZeniMax. The deal with WB Interactive did not take place in the end, but ZeniMax became part of Microsoft.