Ed Nightingale
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Sega is not open to acquisitions from Microsoft or other companies, and will remain part of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.
Earlier this week, as part of the FTC vs Microsoft court case, internal documents were released suggesting Microsoft had at one point considered buying the Japanese company to boost its Game Pass offering.
Sega’s co-chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi has now dismissed speculation the company is still open to acquisitions.
“No, not now,” he told Bloomberg. He declined to confirm if Microsoft had ever made a formal approach to acquire Sega.
Following the court case this week, Sega Sammy’s shares have risen to their highest since 2007.
Utsumi did stress that Sega has a strong relationship with Microsoft – stronger even than with Nintendo or Sony.
“We are very close with Microsoft and have a great relationship with its management team,” he said. “Microsoft particularly has a high regard for us. Xbox’s Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are really serious about values that video game fans emphasise.”
That seems clear from the recent Xbox Games Showcase, which included announcements for Sega published games including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 3 Reload, and Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Microsoft had also considered purchasing the likes of Bungie, IO Interactive, Niantic, Supergiant Games, and even Square Enix.
It’s clear the likes of Sega and Square Enix would have bolstered Microsoft’s standing in Japan, where Xbox has traditionally struggled.