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Microsoft Lusts Nintendo, To Little Avail
Richard Finney writes "The online version of Forbes Magazine says that Bill Gates has expressed an interest in buying Nintendo from Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Yamauchi." Though this news seems to have been part of a theoretical 'what if' question, the story reports: "'If Hiroshi Yamauchi phones me up, i will pick up at once,' Gates told WirtschaftsWoche magazine on the sidelines of an analyst conference."
This could be interesting, the way train wrecks are interesting.
M$ and the big N together could give Sony fits.
MarioX, anyone?
...these stories based on idle speculation that company A might buy company B are utterly worthless. There really must be enough News For Nerds that we don't need three of these every day.
The Wintendo and the Super Microsoft Office Brothers.
The article makes it sound like idle talk, but statements from that level may actually have something behind them, but not what you may think at first. I mean Gates knows that he isn't likely to get the opportunity to buy Nintendo. But his statement lets people know that he's in the market. So maybe it won't be Nintendo, but some other prominent Japanese (or other) games company. Who knows? Would Namco, Konami, or Capcom turn him down? Any one of these, handled correctly, could get MS the traction they need in Japan to make the Xbox successor a success there and bolster the chances elsewhere in the world.
I think the next 18 months will be very interesting.
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
Here's some news. I am interested in buying Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, and the company that makes generic marshmellows for Wal-Mart. Do I get a slashdot post now?
From the article, this sounds like Gates is interested in buying Nintendo, not Microsoft. But I guess if he owned them both and said "now let's merge" they'd jump to it.
Gates wanted to buy out Nintendo years ago; his failure to do so led directly to the decision to produce the XBox.
If Gates is interested again in buying Nintendo, this would seem to be to be a strong indication that the XBox is underperforming, and Microsoft is looking for a new way to compete with Sony in the console market.
www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
wasn't it about 2 years ago or so that there was speculation that MS wanted to buy Sega? I guess that didn't pan out, so they are going down the line.
Microsoft already bought RARE (Killer Instinct, Donkey Kong Country, Goleneye, etc), and Nintendo owned quite a bit of them at one time.
Maybe Clippy and Mario can team up!
"It appears you like to [eat strange mushrooms and then break bricks with your head]. Would you like me to help you create a macro to [eat strange mushrooms and then break bricks with your head]?"
This would probably explain why Microsoft isn't setting their sights on beating Nintendo in the actual market.
They just plan on flatout buying them.
Insert Sig Here
Gates only watched himself turning on the WhatIf machine with his finglonger when he asked the question, "What if I invented the finglonger?"
The only thing I hate more than hypocrites are people who hate hypocrites.
If Gates gets anywhere near Nintendo, I will personally throttle the damn dirty bastard.
Nintendo is a name that brings me joy.
Microsoft is a name that makes me want to break stuff.
Somebody - anybody - would buy Infinium labs and make them STFU. Should be a drop in the bucket to any profitable corporation, and it'll be an invaluable service to humanity.
Dean Takahashi's book Opening the XBox has been around since April 2002. It's the first I'd heard about Microsoft's intentions and attempt to buy Nintendo back in the day.
Here's an editor's roundtable from May 2002 that talks about it as well.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
Why would the ex-president of Nintendo of Japan call him? Maybe Gates needs to realize that Iwata is the president there now ;)
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but can MS afford it? Nintendo has a higher market value than Apple.. meaning it would be cheaper for MS to buy Apple than Nintendo.
You negelected to mention Square-Enix. Square-Enix would be invaluable to Microsoft. Not only would Sony lose one its most prominent exclusive developers, but Microsoft would gain exclusive rights to two of the most popular Japanese RPG series (Final Fantasy & Dragon Quest). The Dragon Quest games are so popular in Japan, that they have to be released on weekdends so kids don't skip school. If that doesn't help Microsoft gain traction in Japan, nothing will.
When you can buy the milk supply for a lot less?
I'd just hire away Shigeru Miyamoto.
Suppose you're willing to pay X dollars for the company. What do you get? You get name recognition, distribution channels, production facilities, engineering teams, all of which Microsoft already has or can readily buy. You also get the creative talent, which is the one thing you can't just walk out and buy anywhere.
So, insted of buying the company for X, I'd offer some hefty fraction of X to Miyamoto to jump ship, set aside a few milion to keep his noncompete in the courts for a decade or so and to indemnify him when he eventually loses.
But that's just me with my evil overlord thinking cap on.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
With all due respect, the games Nintendo makes run on nintendo spec'd hardware. Don't underestimate the hardwares role in defining what the developer can and cannot do. Would zelda TOOT have been the same game on the PS1? Hells no. Would F-zero GC be the same game if it were for Xbox? I strongly submit it would not, despite the Xbox's superior hardware.
Nintendo is one thing, if nothing else. A profitable company. More money in then money out.
If I were nintendo, I would invite Mr Gates to tea, a tour of the nintendo facilities, tell him a joke, ask how his stay in Japan was, and then thank him, but decline his no doubt flattering cash offer.
"Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean