Earlier this week, Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media in what is the largest acquisition in gaming history. This meant that the makers of Doom, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls, now work for Microsoft.
But don’t worry: Phil promised to be as hands-off as possible while everybody focuses on making great games. Considering how the Obsidian purchase went and all the wild success they’ve been having, we’re inclined to believe him.
Microsoft has also said that they’re not done buying up other game makers. Rumors have been swirling for years that Microsoft and Sega have been shacking up, starting with Microsoft hosting Sega executives back in 2018. Then, Microsoft secured the rights to release Phantasy Star Online 2–an Asia-only game up until recently–in the West at E3 2019. This brought the famed MMO to PC and Xbox just last month.
There was even a leaked ad for some huge announcement that was supposed to take place at E3 2020 if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t shut everything down. Nothing ever came of it, but clearly, Microsoft and Sega are in the midst of a budding relationship.
So it seems natural to think that Microsoft might want to just outright purchase Sega. Sadly, Microsoft has announced that their relationship isn’t going to the next level.
A tweet from earlier this month detailed what Microsoft plans to do at this weekend’s Tokyo Games Show, which like everything else is being broadcast online. On the docket is celebrating Japanese games and creators, updates to MS Flight Simulator for PC, and a Japanese Minecraft community showcase. But a subsequent follow-up tweet gave notice that “there won’t be any new acquisition news at the show.”
Sucks, but what’re you gonna do? Microsoft is trying to be good these days, and a hostile takeover of Sega isn’t going to win them any fans in either North America or Japan. We can perhaps expect future collabs between these two gaming giants, but a merger seems off the table, at least for now.
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