Jump to content

Home

World Domination: Narrowly Averted!


Boba Rhett

Recommended Posts

Gates' attempts to buy Nintendo

 

 

Not content with trying to purchase Sega, Microsoft pulled out all the stops to attempt to buy Nintendo. Bill Gates was prepared to stump up $25 billion for the Japanese gaming giant.

 

A new book called Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution has revealed that Bill Gates' powerhouse tried to purchase Nintendo. When interviewing Nintendo's U.S president Minoru Arakawa, he let slip that Nintendo 'weren't sure what to think when Microsoft made the offer.'' He continued with the commments "I was surprised, we didn't need the money. I thought it was a joke."

 

Nintendo realised that such a proposition should not be ignored. "Some Nintendo executives seemed interested and the meetings went on through the winter," the book reveals. "The parties met six or seven times. Microsoft wanted Nintendo to drop its GameCube console and get behind the Xbox. But Hiroshi Yamauchi, the aging CEO and Nintendo, didn't like the idea. By January 2000, the talks were over."

 

The two companies went their separate ways and ended discussions amicably. "Our ability to remain independent was unquestioned due to our financial status," Minoru Arakawa described. "And it became clear that our objectives and their objectives were not the same."

 

Just imagine what would have happened if Microsoft's plan to buy Nintendo had succeeded - no GameCube and no Cube Europe. Isn't it great that Nintendo resisted from the clutches of Bill's Gates' empire.

 

 

 

 

Sweet Menkies! :eek: Now I know that Gates is pure evil! He's the richest man in the world but noooooooo. That's not enough for him. Leave Nintendo alone, Bill! If you want good games, stop stealing them away from others and start making them yourself, dangit! *shudders*

 

http://www.cube-europe.com/news/10198973416591.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Standard capitalism strategy...but when Microsoft is in question, it becomes a plan for world domination ::rolleyes:

 

Still, Yamauchi made a good decision not to give in to Microsoft's offer. The Gamecube is doing pretty well in Japan, better than the Xbox anyway. It's the handheld market that's keeping Nintendo afloat. If it wasn't for the Gameboy, Nintendo would have probably accepted the offer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the thing is...the Xbox didn't really try to mess with Japan at all. They are showing the true American dream..."Screw 'em all and lets do this for ourselves!"

 

but seriously though, Gates would have been insane to do it, IF the gamecube had already been released then thousands of gamers would have been disinfranchised, but if it was before then...well we might be seeing an entirely different twist on the current market domination. (PS2 is dominating the U.S. while the Xbox is running a distant 2nd and last the GameCube not far behind [based on U.S. sales only])

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...