Court documents have revealed that in 2020, Xbox leadership wanted Microsoft to make an acquisition bid for Sega, while a “watchlist” also marked the likes of Bungie, IO Interactive, and Niantic as studios to consider buying.
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Currently, Microsoft is in court to defend its proposed £50billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is fighting to block.
As part of the case, a number of internal emails from Microsoft have been unearthed. This includes an email sent from Xbox head Phil Spencer in 2020, which requests approval to “approach Sega Sammy regarding a potential acquisition of their Sega Gaming studios” (via The Verge).
Sent to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood, Spencer claimed he was “supportive” of the purchase due to the benefits it would offer Xbox’s Game Pass service.
