Nintendo President Comments On The Risks Of A Potential Hostile Takeover

In a Q+A session during Nintendo's financial results briefing for the year ending March 2019, shared today on Nintendo's website, company president Shuntaro Furukawa addressed a question which explored the possibility of a hostile takeover.

[Gemmol]

Nintendo too smart to let it happen

[Platformgamer]

are you sure? it already started

[TopherMan]

It has? How? Post link

[StormSnooper]

By whom? MS?

[Knushwood Butt]

With that hair style?

[Question_Mark]

I hope so.

[phoenixwing]

Who would buy up nintendo? Microsoft would run it into the ground if it tried.

[Zeref]

Microsoft is smart enough to know that you can't buy Nintendo without getting a ton of backlash.

Tencent, Apple, Amazon or Facebook might try

[WilliamSheridan]

I would love if Microsoft did this, then we could have a console and portable Xbox system that plays Nintendo titles. Talk about a perfect match! They would lock up both US and oversees and become the number one gaming company overnight...

[Dragonscale]

@william, not really considering more people own PS4's than xbone and switch combined.

[TopherMan]

@Zeref

"Tencent, Apple, Amazon or Facebook might try"

Doubtful. Why do you think MS is so much smarter than these companies when it comes to this sort of thing? None of them are known for engaging in hostile takeovers anyway.

@WilliamSheridan
"Talk about a perfect match!"

I think Nintendo would suddenly go the route of Blizzard and be a shadow of its former self. That's what happens when you sell your soul.

[The_Hooligan]

I don't think Nintendo would get bought out by a western company. Japanese people are very proud people so if it does happen, it probably would be a company thats from Japan. I am not saying it would be Sony. I think Nintendo is too big for Sony to buy. Of course in saying that I have no idea who much Nintendo is worth and if Sony has the pockets to buy them.

[bmf7364]

Why are you being downvoted? It's true. Granted, Microsoft has been playing smart with their practices in th game industry lately. Odds are, they'll treat Nintendo like Mojang and let them do their own thing without regards to their own branding because it's what's best for business (and possibly use any technology for themselves as well, as we saw with Hololens and Minecraft)

Tencent, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are the 4 biggest possibilities for buying Nintendo, and each one is the absolute worst option for the company.

[Segata]

MS already tried almost 20 years ago.

[Seraphim]

not likely. My guess would be some unknown player. Possibly a big investor who already holds a ton of shares in Nintendo or a group [hedge fund] who make the push. A major player is highly unlikely to go hostile. 2 cents

[DarXyde]

But not smart enough put real thought into an all digital Xbox or avoid paywalling F2P games. Right...

Of the companies you mentioned, people have entertained the idea of Apple acquiring Nintendo which also makes the most sense considering the overlap in their principles and global presence, however that is unlikely with the partnership they currently have with Microsoft. Facebook is banned in some countries which would limit Nintendo's presence, Amazon would probably rather build a cloud service, and Tencent acquiring a respected Japanese company via hostile takeover probably wouldn't fly in Japan.

[indysurfn]

I don't think those downvotes are for your second sentence. I think it is for the first one!

Micorosft will go against backlash. example owners said we need more AAA games than just Halo, gears and forza. (now they only have two of those halo stunk twice in a row ).Microsoft keeps not supporting consoles with AAA games.

Micorosft despite warning of backlash since xbox original tried to sale TV,TV,TV! TV in,,,,,TV out!

Micorsoft heard people say they wanted used game sales and physical discs got back lashed after the reveal. (and PS xb1 all digital says they still are trying).

Microsoft heard they would get backlash if they cancelled scalebound (yep they cancelled it).
Micorosft knows what people dont want and try to push it anyway. I could go on all night long, on why they are not as smart with actions as they are with knowledge.

[indysurfn]

@williamSheridan. Yeah technically if Microsoft bought Nintendo they would become the largest overnight.
But I would become RICH you know why? Because I would short the HECK out of Nintendo stock while I could because EVERYONE nows Microsoft will drive them STRAIGHT into the ground! I'm looking at you RARE!

[IMissJimRyan]

Disney.

[Apex13]

They tried when they were getting into the market and it didn't go well for them

[Zeref]

They were close

[opc]

Tencent and maybe Disney

[meep316]

Someone who wants to get into gaming and has a lot of cash. Or maybe even a company like google or Apple could theoretically take them over.

[Nu]

Nintendo is a beautiful woman, Microsoft is a nerd. He Microsoft wouldn't know what to do with such a woman lol

[roadkillers]

Wouldn't the best option be to continue growing your capital and create a savings account for all the excess cash Nintendo is pulling in. Once the stock market takes a natural dump, purchase company stocks back at a discount?

[IMissJimRyan]

It's an option. But there's always a bigger fish. If market dumps, some other can buy you.

[prankster101]

MS should buy Nintendo. Then it will be called MSN.

[Ratchet75]

😂😂😂

[Chaosdreams]

I laughed loud at this one.

[meep316]

I wish more companies would just go private, shareholders cause all kinds of problems in the video game industry these days.

[Magic_Spatula]

Well, Epic Games is privately traded and look at what they're doing to the PC gaming space.

[ILostMyMind]

Expanding it?

[arkard]

Creating competition? Oh the horror!

[Magic_Spatula]

@arkard So, buying up exclusives instead of spending their millions to make ACTUAL games to entice people to use their store instead of forcing them to is now considered competition?

[meep316]

so let me get this straight, companies buying console exclusives is good even though they are locked to specific hardware... but exclusives to a single store on pc is bad? Can i not install any game from steam or epic store on the same pc?

[arkard]

@Magic oh no you have to install a FREE launcher? I'm not seeing the issue, it's a store, does it affect how the game plays?

[roadkillers]

Well, Valve is privately owned company and look what they are doing to the PC gaming space. Haha.

[meep316]

lol, I dont think everyone will get the sarcasm here.

[TopherMan]

The question was asked during a Q&A session at the financial briefing. This doesn't mean Nintendo is at risk for hostile takeover.

[IMissJimRyan]

These questions dont come from nowhere.

[TopherMan]

Correct. This comes at the annual meeting and in the last year Ubisoft fought off a takeover bid from Vivendi. It is natural to ask questions as to how Nintendo would deal with such a situation. That is exactly what happened here. Nothing more. Nothing less.

[meep316]

these days it could have come from a photo on 4chan, because pictures with words written on them must be true!

[gtxgamer2]

Sony.

[Traecy]

LOL!! Microsoft.

[MWH]

smoke and mirrors.

[Soybetaboy]

Good , bring on a true power house console

[sprinterboy]

Personally I think it would be great if nintendo were just a 3rd party software company, they'd make more money off Mario, zelda, Mk etc

[PhoenixUp]

I still don’t get how people still think the likes of Microsoft could just easily buy up Nintendo when it’s already been known that Nintendo turned down their offer of a buyout offer of $25 billion in 1999.

[strayanalog]

Seems like every 5 to 7 years someone forgets Nintendo has measures for this kind of thing and it makes news.

[jwillj2k4]

If Microsoft bought Nintendo the sales of Mario and Zelda would dramatically decrease for the sheer fact that they would be tied to Microsoft. Same goes for apple, Samsung Amazon and Google. Nintendo fans are certain types of people. Their ecosystem and culture aren’t compatible with the likes above.