© Reuters. Microsoft (MSFT.US) Considered Buying Square Enix, Sega and Bungie
Zhitong Finance APP learned that according to the antitrust litigation documents of the US Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft (MSFT.US) had considered acquiring Japanese game publisher Square Enix Holdings Co in 2019. The documents are evidence submitted in the U.S. government’s lawsuit against Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of “Call of Duty” publisher Activision Blizzard (ATVI.US). The documents also show that Microsoft considered acquiring Sega and Bungie.
Many games released by Square Enix, including the latest “Final Fantasy XVI” and other works, are exclusive games for Sony’s (SONY.US) PlayStation game console, and it is also Microsoft’s main competitor for Xbox. While rumors of a potential buyer continue to swirl in 2021, Square Enix stated: “We are not considering selling the company or any part of any of its businesses, nor have we received any offers from third parties to acquire the company.” However, according to Microsoft The company, which has a market capitalization of about $59 billion, did pique Microsoft’s interest, according to internal company documents.
“The acquisition of Square Enix will provide valuable content assets that will help accelerate the growth of Xbox Game Pass, a game subscription service,” the 2019 memo read.
Microsoft gaming executive Phil Spencer said in court that the company bought ZeniMax for $7.5 billion in 2020 in part because of the potential for a PlayStation-exclusive launch of its upcoming game Star Navigator. In the past, Sony has been relatively successful in using exclusive titles to drive sales of its consoles.
Previous case documents also revealed that Bungie and Sega were also potential targets Microsoft considered for acquisition. Microsoft evaluated the potential effectiveness of the companies’ games in driving customers to its Game Pass subscription service, PC and console ecosystems. But in February 2022 Sony agreed to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion.
Microsoft has also previously considered an acquisition of Square Enix. While developing and releasing the first Xbox in 2001, Microsoft executives flew to Japan to meet with Square Enix representatives. However, a deal fell through as a banker reportedly believed the purchase price was too low.