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Phil Spencer made me laugh this morning harder than I’ve laughed in a long time.

A very pompous and ludicrous statement to make especially in light of theNintendo Switch’s success.

Master Chief leading the way for Activision Blizzard characters to Xbox

The Activision Blizzard acquisition brings several notable IPs under Xbox’s wing.

And that’s a good thing for all of us gamers as well as the gaming companies themselves.

This was a historical acquisition announcement, the likes of which had never been seen in the gaming space.

Obviously, this all led to theFTC’s now infamously failed attemptto block the merger from happening.

Xbox Cloud Gaming

So, after making such a big acquisition, why is it hilarious to think about Xbox acquiring Nintendo?

Meanwhile, Nintendo isn’t the same.

What’s more, it isn’t facing anywhere near the same dire public situation.

Mario and Xbox Series X

Xbox has wanted to acquire Nintendo for years.

It’s actually doing very well for itself, which only makes Spencer’s claim that much more ridiculous.

Microsoft’s hope of acquiring Nintendo: Audacity?

So, what exactly did Spencer say?

Mortal Kombat 1 trailer screenshot

The Nintendo Switch has been an incredibly successful gear.

So it’s not likely that Xbox could influence Nintendo that way.

Now, this isn’t even the first time that Microsoft has wanted to purchase Mario’s company.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1…

Steve made us go meet with Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired.

They just laughed their asses off.

Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – 1…

That was kind of how that meeting went.

Obviously, no deal was struck as Nintendo and Microsoft continue to be very separate entities today.

The pitch was their hardware stunk, and compared to Sony PlayStation, it did.

Xbox 1 Month Ultimate Game…

Why dont you let us take care of the hardware?

But it didnt work out.

The thing is, Xbox has been very confusing when it comes to its competitive relationship with Nintendo.

Microsoft - Xbox Game Pass…

VP of Xbox marketing says Switch is NOT a gaming console.

However, when Nintendo succeeds itreallysucceeds, as was the case with the hybrid Switch or the wand-waving Wii.

And that’s also why it’s safe to say that Xbox cannot acquire Nintendo.

Xbox Game Pass Membership…

The argument was that only Sony and Xbox were true competitors.

Phil Spencer on Gamertag Radio in Jan 2025

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