Microsoft once tried to get Nintendo and laughed. In the late 1990s, Microsoft wanted to enter the world of gaming. However, the chips have been stacked against each other from the start, thanks to the success of Sony’s PlayStation and the legend of Nintendo. Before he started playing, the company was best known for Windows and its Office software, which were everywhere. They had the funds to do what they wanted, but they still struggled to get people to believe in their idea for a console.
In a new interview, Kevin Bachus, Microsoft’s director of third-party relations, remembers how Steve Ballmer, president and soon-to-be CEO of Microsoft, had an idea to meet Nintendo back in 2000. Ballmer is and was a huge Nintendo fan. Bachus said: ‘[Ballmer] let us meet Nintendo to see if they would consider getting it. They just laughed their asses. Imagine for a second you were transposed into the karmic driven world of Earl. That was kind of how the meeting went. ‘
While Nintendo had the video games, their consoles were not always considered a giant leap forward. Sony knew this, and Microsoft wanted to capitalize on the science that they had the money to do so. Bob McBreen, head of business development, says: “We had Nintendo in our building in January 2000 to work through the details of a joint venture, where we gave them all the technical specifications of the Xbox. The pitch was theirs. hardware stunk, and compared to Sony PlayStation, he did it. The idea was, “Listen, you’re much better in its gameplay with Mario and all that stuff. Why don ‘t we take care of the hardware? But it did not work out. “Nintendo did not intend to give up what they did to start a partnership with Microsoft. It is believed that Nintendo is currently worth more than $ 85 billion, so it looks like they were wise to keep up.
Nintendo of America chairman Howard Lincoln will not discuss the meeting he had with Microsoft 20 years ago. Lincoln says, “Nintendo is not talking about confidential discussions with other companies. In any case, none of these discussions have come.” Nintendo developed the Wii, while Microsoft selected a large portion of the market with the original Xbox and the following consoles.
The Xbox Series X and S are officially on sale, but it’s hard to reach because of the huge demand. Meanwhile, Nintendo is still picking out their own hits, thanks to the Switch, which has a massive open world Zelda delivery, along with their mascot Mario in several games. In the end, one can not help but wonder what would have happened if Nintendo had agreed to the Microsoft agreement in 2000. You can view the in-depth history of the original Xbox on Bloomberg.
Topics: Nintendo