Microsoft Said It Would Have Kept Sega Games Multiplatform After Proposed Buyout

[John Elden Ring]

As part of a strategy document released during the ongoing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) vs Microsoft trial to determine the fate of Xbox’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft outlined its operating plan for Sega, had its plan to buy the company behind Sonic came to be.

The document, reviewed by IGN, reveals Microsoft’s plan for Sega to report into Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty with the following operating principles:

• We will continue to develop and sell all acquired games and franchises on all relevant platforms (e.g., Android, iOS, PlayStation, Steam, Switch, Windows, Xbox, etc).
• We will bring previously exclusive to PlayStation and Nintendo titles to Xbox and launch future titles on Xbox in addition to other relevant platforms as rights permit.
• We will launch all acquired games and franchises with subscription exclusivity into Xbox Game Pass on console, PC, and cloud; future releases will ship into Xbox Game Pass on a day-and date basis.

The important point here is that Microsoft, in November 2020 when this strategy was outlined, did not plan to make Sega games such as Sonic Xbox exclusive. Rather, it planned to continue to make Sega games multiplatform, and bring exclusives to Xbox.

The original document:
https://files.cand.uscourts.gov/files/23-cv-02880_FTC_v_Microsoft/PX1065 REDACTED.pdf

 

[Johnic]

lol

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Old releases and DLC, new games would be exclusive like Bethesda

 

[Old Gamer]

 

[AshHunter216]

Yeah, sure.

 

[Yurinka]

Old releases and DLC, new games would be exclusive like Bethesda

Yeah, sure.

This is the original document where this appears, and also the other info about MS mentioning they analyzed potential interesting acquisitions and saw Sega as a good candidate they wanted to chase:
https://files.cand.uscourts.gov/files/23-cv-02880_FTC_v_Microsoft/PX1065 REDACTED.pdf

It's true that they planned to continue selling previous and future Sega games in all platforms including rival consoles, to block (even timed) exclusives for rival consoles, to bring to Xbox former rival consoles exclusivities (when possible) and give gamesub exclusivity to GP for their future games, and also include all their future games day one on GP.

In the same document they also mention this:

 

[Zzero]

They'd sort of have to. Sure, Sonic might do okay on Xbox, but Yakuza and SMT/Persona would die a death. Western stuff would do fine but thats all PC-centric anyway. They'd probably sell or spin-off the arcade and crane game section or leave it with Sammy. What are they supposed to do with it otherwise, lol.

edit: Reading the document, they sort of unintentionally admit to this, too, by leaving out the Amusement Machines studios when talking about Sega's "ten teams"- they list CS1 and 2 along with Online products (PSO2, which they wanted for some reason) as "SEGA JAPAN Asia Studios" 1-3 but leave out the three arcade studios plus the arcade products (crane games, etc) team. They also don't bother to include two of the mobile studios, Go Game and Ignited Artists. Not sure if Sega acquired those in the past three years or not, sorry.

 

[Nhomnhom]

I actually would've liked to see MS buy Sega. Sega kind of deserves it to be honest, they always find a way to fuck themselves.

MS would've completely destroyed them in record time.

 

[Cool hand luke]

This says the opposite. They will launch future titles on Xbox and "other platforms" which could include PC.

We will bring previously exclusive to PlayStation and Nintendo titles to Xbox and launch future titles on Xbox in addition to other relevant platforms as rights permit.

They'll also lock the franchises to GP, perpetuating the devaluation of gaming. The more IP they capture and send into that death spiral, the more they destabilise the healthy VG ecosystem because an increasing share of gaming content becomes available for nothing. It's predatory pricing at work.