Current Events > Microsoft Publishes 1999 Letter From Failed Attempt To Buy Nintendo

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https://kotaku.com/microsoft-publishes-1999-letter-from-failed-attempt-to-1848113468

ver 20 years ago, as Microsoft was gearing up to release the original Xbox, some at the company were concerned that they wouldnt have enough games to accompany the console at launch. So someone had the bright idea to try to buy Nintendo. Problem solved.
Only catch was that Nintendo, as we learned earlier this year, laughed their asses off. Kevin Bachus, Microsofts former director of third-party relations for Xbox, summed up the meeting:

Steve [Ballmer, Microsofts former CEO] made us go meet with Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired. They just laughed their asses off. Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went.

Its ruined slightly by the enormous text splashed across the middle, but we can read enough around the edges to get the tone. I understand Mr. Takedas concerns, is certainly an understatement given Nintendos ultimate reaction, and Microsoft offering to help make Dolphin the best video game [console] is an interesting one, and not as absurd as it first sounds. The original Xbox and GameCube (Dolphin was its codename) would go on to be very different experiences.
We can also see down the bottom the two people Microsoft would be meeting with; long-time Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi and hardware legend Genyo Takeda. Im not sure if those two were present when asses were laughed off, but I want to believe Yamauchi was, stifling a chuckle in the corner like a true statesman.

They discussed this along with a potential hardware partnership. I'll see if I can post the quotes from that book I read a few years ago about this.

They also nearly bought Square
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/microsoft-almost-bought-square-final-fantasy-1999

In 1999, Microsoft met with SquareSoft while courting various companies for acquisition. Microsoft apparently wanted to get its hands on the Final Fantasy IP. Xbox's director of business development Bob McBreen revealed that discussions with SquareSoft reached all the way to the final stages where the two companies were about to sign the deal.
According to the book, "It was November 1999. There was a deal on the table and Steve Ballmer, who was in Japan on a sales tour, attended a celebratory dinner the night befor the final meeting."
However, it was at the final meeting that the CEO of Square, who at the time would've been Hisashi Suzuki, stood up and said there was an error. Suzuki reportedly said that, "before we sign, our banker would like to say something," which at point the banker declared, "we want more money." Apparently right there on the spot Square doubled their price.
According to Square, the valuation of the company had some errors, declaring that it was actually worth more money than the deal proposed. Head of Xbox hardware Rick Thompson revealed that "[Square] wanted something like one and a half billion dollars for half of the company," which caused Microsoft to balk. The dea was called off.
The Xbox launched in North America in 2001, without Square. Meanwhile Square merged with Enix in 2003 to become Square Enix.

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So much for keeping that discussion confidential tho tbh

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Nintendo wont be laughing when Microsoft and Sony drives them out of business.

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Microsoft: "We want to buy you"
Nintendo:


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SomeLikeItHoth posted...

Nintendo wont be laughing when Microsoft and Sony drives them out of business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n5E7feJHw0

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SomeLikeItHoth posted...

Nintendo wont be laughing when Microsoft and Sony drives them out of business.

I know youre a joke account, but cmon dude hahaha.

The Nintendrones will never the company go out of business. They eat anything up, just look at Pokemon.

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Punished_Blinx posted...

However, it was at the final meeting that the CEO of Square, who at the time would've been Hisashi Suzuki, stood up and said there was an error. Suzuki reportedly said that, "before we sign, our banker would like to say something," which at point the banker declared, "we want more money." Apparently right there on the spot Square doubled their price.
According to Square, the valuation of the company had some errors, declaring that it was actually worth more money than the deal proposed. Head of Xbox hardware Rick Thompson revealed that "[Square] wanted something like one and a half billion dollars for half of the company," which caused Microsoft to balk. The dea was called off.
The Xbox launched in North America in 2001, without Square. Meanwhile Square merged with Enix in 2003 to become Square Enix.

This reads like fanfiction.

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DeadBankerDream posted...

This reads like fanfiction.

It isn't. I've read the book. It's all stories from Xbox and Microsoft execs and key people during the OG Xbox.

They also tried to get RE4 as an exclusive and the translator fucked up.

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Irony posted...

Microsoft: "We want to buy you"
Nintendo:

lmao
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moto would never leave Nintendo. So I visited Nintendo seven times. Back then the Nintendo of America offices were about 300 yards from my offices




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interesting

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