Microsoft leak confirms Phil Spencer wanted to buy Nintendo and Valve
The Microsoft FTC leaks suggest that Xbox boss Phil Spencer was reportedly interested in acquiring Nintendo and Valve.
That comes from a fresh round of leaks from non-redacted court documents about the US Federal Trade Commission's case against Microsoft over its deal to buy Activision Blizzard.
In one of those documents, we see an email exchange between Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, chief marketing officer Chris Capossela, and commercial chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto from 2020. Loosely titled "random thought," the trio talks up the odds of pulling an ambitious acquisition of Nintendo off, which Spencer says would be "a career moment" if it came to pass.
Less is said of Valve, though Spencer does mention the Steam storefront operator and games developer alongside Nintendo as, at that point, Microsoft had seen a full write-up on the pair and would fully support an acquisition if the chance arises.
We also see firmer talk of ZeniMax and Warner Bros Interactive, with the former deal eventually going through.
"Takeshi, I totally agree that Nintendo is the prime asset for us in Gaming and today Gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance," Spencer says. "I've had numerous conversations with the LT of Nintendo about tighter collaboration and feel like if any US company would have a chance with Nintendo we are probably in the best position. The unfortunate (or fortunate for Nintendo) situation is that Nintendo is sitting on a big pile of cash, they have a BoD that until recently has not pushed for further increases in market growth or stock appreciation.
"I say 'until recently' as our former MS BoD member ValueAct has been heavily acquiring shares of Nintendo and I've kept in touch with Mason Morfit
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