Microsoft Considers Buying Square Enix: Plans to Increase Market Share and Game Pass Subscribers

Microsoft considered buying Japanese game publisher Square Enix in 2019. With this, the company wanted to increase its market share in Asia, but also earn money from Square games in the western world.

Microsoft would have naturally wanted to add the Square games to its Game Pass subscription. In addition, the company was interested in Square’s various mobile games; which could “help with future Game Pass games that are mobile exclusives,” quotes The Verge, among others.

Microsoft was particularly impressed with the Square franchises Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. These conversations took place in 2019, when Square also owned many Western franchises, but Microsoft seems to have been less interested in that. Those game series, such as Deus Ex, Thief and Tomb Raider, have been owned by Embracer Group since last year.

The information comes out in the lawsuit between the American market regulator FTC and Microsoft, which wants to take over Activision-Blizzard-King for about $ 68 billion. Other companies Microsoft was considering acquiring included Bungie, IO Interactive, Niantic, and Sega.

2023-06-29 14:30:12
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