Topic: If Microsoft had bought Nintendo

I remember in the early to mid 2000s, Microsoft was interested in buying Nintendo. Bill Gates said if Hiroshi Yamauchi calls, he would pick up the phone at once. At the time I was against it because I didn’t want Microsoft to ruin Nintendo and thought the move was Gates being greedy. Of course the offer was shot down. Now, I kind of wished Microsoft did buy Nintendo. Seeing how well MS allowed previously console downloads to move to successor consoles for free, how it was better at games preservation than Nintendo and Sony, the classic Nintendo games would probably not only still be available to buy but also be carried to future consoles for free vs locked behind a paywall via subscription like Nintendo is doing. There is a risk of MS possibility ruin Mario and Zelda franchise like they ruined Rareware. What do you guys think? Do you think we would have much better access to classic Nintendo games under a Microsoft acquisition? Do you think we would have received lesser quality Nintendo franchise games under Microsoft like the disappointing Banjo and Perfect Dark sequels?

Don't they (Microsoft) EVER buy Nintendo !!! 😡
I hate their shooter games.
Microsoft hates kids games.
They discontinued their Kinect games.
They will turn every Nintendo IP into disgusting rated M games.
Back off, Microsoft !

@Don I think it's best to be grateful for what we have and don't tempt fate. If they ae going to start remastering games like Metroid Prime Remastered, then sod game preservation lol.

A combination of Nintendo and Microsoft is what I'd like to see, based on what they all are currently. I'd like to have the current Nintendo, with all it's IPs under its own creative control and willingness to try out new things (Wii, DS, Switch, etc), but having Microsoft run the other side of it, the tech, the actual implantation of the system, the eShop and other features, especially online.

Microsoft Buys Nintendo

$5 to read pls

i think we need a repeat of 6th gen when the big 3 were really the big 3. there was a reason to own all consoles and they were all unique for their hardware and games; with all our different personal tastes, you just couldnt go wrong 6th gen. it was something for everyone rather than just settling with one because its the least worst, friends, or because of loyalty (7th gen as well to an extent) .

so no, i dont think it wouldve been good if M$ bought out nintendo. i think they were all at their best at a time where they were all independent and they all still should be. nintendo should be the last to merge with anyone , they have too much to lose & even though they arent my favorite theres nothing like nintendo.

I think it could have been interesting. I expect we would have still had Nintendo existing in the portable space but they probably would have disappeared from the home console space. Maybe we eventually land on something like the Switch. But also the cross pollination of IP would have been interesting. Halo would have been on portable consoles, Zelda and Mario would have been on PC

Honestly I think it could have been a good thing except for, obviously, the significant drop in competition. Nintendo has some great IP, Microsoft has quality infrastructure. Best of both worlds

@Anti-Matter

It would be a sad world tbh, and I honestly can never see it, nintendo, of all people, being bought out lol. It’s too hard for me to think of even if it could have happened.

Jim Ryan would probably be pissing and moaning how it's not fair.

Don’t like that idea. Seeing the likes of Halo Infinite are in pretty dire straits, it sucks to know a lot more premier Nintendo franchises would probably be in the dirt if Microsoft and Nintendo were still merged in 2023. In an alternate timeline of course.

@TheBigBlue a future timeline.

@Owl1 please don’t put that into the world

@TheBigBlue one day Microsoft will rule them all

They still don’t have a full grasp on Activision you know

@TheBigBlue soon they will

The fate of most of the studios Microsoft acquired during the 2000s was to be sold on and shut down. The only exception to that is Rare, and they've had a bit of a journey, to put it mildly.

Things appear to have gone better with their more recent acquisitions, although only time will tell how that'll all pan out.

Japanese and American companies aren’t run the same. If Nintendo had been bought out by MS it would have mostly been an IP take over because most of the top talent would have jumped ship with the sale. And MS doesn’t really use the IP and Studios it has purchased well in the past. Essentially the Nintendo IP would have been taken off the market. Except maybe Mario and it would have ended up like Banjo Kazooie. So take all the complaints about Nintendo not using dead IP and apply it across the board.

I don’t have much faith in the studios MS owns now. Once Bethesda clears its pipeline (which will take likely a decade due to the new TES) I am not confident they will keep going. Their other studios are either putting out financial failures (Halo) or are in dev heck right now (how is the new Fable coming along). And I say this as a fan and share holder of MS.