Highlights
- Leaked documents from the FTC v. Microsoft lawsuit reveal that Microsoft considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros Games while pursuing the ZeniMax Media deal.
- Microsoft has been aggressively expanding its gaming presence through acquisitions, with the $7.5 billion ZeniMax acquisition being one of the largest.
- The leaked documents also revealed details about a possible disc-less version of the Xbox Series X and sensitive information regarding Call of Duty revenue and Microsoft's ongoing Activision acquisition.
A new leaked document has revealed that Microsoft actively looked to acquire Nintendo and Warner Bros Games at one point. The details were part of the filing on the FTC v. Microsoft lawsuit that has been leaked publicly. Incidentally, the document also revealed that the potential acquisitions were pursued at the time Microsoft was looking to bring ZeniMax Media under the company's umbrella.
The past few years have seen Microsoft aggressively push to grow its gaming presence, particularly when it comes to acquisitions. To date, one of the company's biggest deals is the $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media in 2021. The buyout meant that a number of high-profile IPs like Fallout, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, and more recently, Starfield fell under Microsoft's ownership. Now, as the Xbox maker attempts to close its ambitious $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, the regulatory pushback has put Microsoft in a tricky situation.
As part of its ongoing efforts at making the case for the Activision buyout, the tech giant submitted a trove of documents in the recently conducted FTC v. Microsoft trial. However, a few of these documents have now leaked and have revealed some of Microsoft's gaming notable ambitions. A 2020 email from Xbox chief Phil Spencer has shown that Microsoft actively explored acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Games alongside the ZeniMax buyout. In the email, Spencer stated that Nintendo "is THE prime asset" in terms of gaming for Microsoft and that getting "Nintendo would be a career move." The email also showed that at the time, Microsoft's biggest issue with potentially acquiring Warner Bros Games was that it wouldn't have owned any of the media conglomerate's IPs.
Of course, Microsoft would eventually purchase ZeniMax in 2021 before moving to the ongoing Activision Blizzard deal. Interestingly, Microsoft's Nintendo and WB Games ambitions weren't the only detail to have leaked in the documents. The file also divulged information about a possible disc-less version of the Xbox Series X with a new design. However, it's worth noting that this isn't the first time sensitive information got out amid Microsoft's legal battles with regulators on the pending Activision acquisition. Previously, a poorly redacted document revealed that Call of Duty generated over $800 million for PlayStation in the US, with global revenue racking up as much as $1.5 billion in 2021.
As of now, Microsoft continues to aggressively push for the Activision acquisition. The company even managed to sign a Call of Duty deal with Sony following months of vocal opposition against the potential buyout. More recently, Microsoft filed a merger application in the UK that would see the Xbox maker divest its cloud streaming rights of ABK games. Instead, Ubisoft would have the streaming rights to "all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years." Although, it remains to be seen if the UK's CMA will finally give the green light as a result of this new arrangement. All in all, it would be interesting to see how things pan out for the company, especially amid all the leaked details around Microsft's gaming ambitions.