Microsoft had its eyes on not one, but two major video game studios in the past, with Sega and Bungie both under the tech giant’s consideration, according to court documents from the FTC v. Microsoft hearing.

One document was an email addressed to Amy Hood, Microsoft’s CFO, from Xbox head Phil Spencer. In the email, Spencer claimed the following:

I’m writing to request Strategy Approval to approach Sega Sammy regarding a potential acquisition of their Sega gaming studios. For context, Bill and I have reviewed the business case for acquiring Sega and are both supportive. We believe that Sega has built a well-balanced portfolio of games across segments with global geographic appeal, and will help us accelerate Xbox Game Pass both on and off-console.

The email dates back to November 10, 2020, and with no information on the potential acquisition since then, it’s unclear as to what happened following the letter.

Another document also revealed a watchlist of companies that Microsoft would acquire, with Bungie among them. Other studios included Zynga, Niantic, Supergiant Games, and IO Interactive. Bungie was acquired by Sony last year for a whopping $3.6 billion.

Microsoft’s acquisitions have landed it many exclusive titles, such as the upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield by Bethesda, which launches this September 6 on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Source: The Verge