FWIW the only reason I give pause to the idea that a MS/Square-Enix deal could have been settled on is because if Jez is reporting, well we know Jez DOES have an inside track into Xbox stuff. You don't land multiple interviews with Phil Spencer without knowing something is in the works. Same with Parris.
And again, if that's the case...it's 100% Sony's fault. It'd show a gradual complacency and "taking for granted" of defacto exclusives from Japanese pubs under the Jim Ryan era, and not fortifying those partnerships due to underestimating Microsoft's resolve to net in that support.
It's one of the reasons I feel Sony's involvement in objecting to the ABK deal may've ultimately been a mistake. Not because the deal (as originally structured) wasn't worth opposing; it 100% was. But because if doing so distracted them from solidifying their own larger gaming M&As in a timely fashion, or striking key partnerships, investments, share purchases etc. of valued 3P publishers sooner (especially Japanese ones), then yeah in that context putting so much attention on the ABK stuff was a mistake.
But again, we'll see what happens. I'd of wonder why Sony's involvement with Square-Enix would've stopped at Final Fantasy mainline entries and a single new IP (Forspoken); considering the release timing of the games those deals had to have been done under the Shawn Layden leadership at the latest. So did Jim Ryan arrange any specific partnerships or investments into/with Square-Enix during his time as CEO? I guess we're about to find out (or not)...
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