Xbox's Masterplan: Acquiring Nintendo & Valve?

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In a surprising turn of events, a treasure trove of confidential Microsoft documents has unintentionally surfaced. This leak is connected to Microsoft’s ongoing battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), attempting to block their acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. These documents, mistakenly uploaded by a Microsoft employee onto a federal court’s website, contain valuable insights.

Xbox Abandons the “Box”: Microsoft has long adhered to the “box” design for its Xbox consoles. However, the forthcoming Series X refresh, codenamed Brooklin, is breaking away from this tradition with a cylindrical design. This shift has raised concerns about stability and versatility.

Death of Physical Retail: Brooklin’s absence of a disk drive signals a significant step towards a digital-only gaming future. Microsoft has been gradually steering gamers away from physical media since the Xbox One days, a move driven by profit motives and a desire to control the gaming experience.

Innovative Controller: Alongside Brooklin, a mid-generation controller refresh is expected. This controller boasts a striking two-tone design and introduces accelerometers for instant activation. It’s also more repairable, with modular thumbsticks and a swappable battery. An intriguing feature is its direct cloud connectivity.

Xbox’s Pyramid Scheme: A surprising revelation is a handheld gaming device design. While it hints at a first-party Xbox handheld, a deeper look at Microsoft’s pyramid scheme indicates that it might be part of broader plans to expand Xbox Game Pass to handheld PCs, with third-party involvement.

Phil Spencer’s Perspective: Leaked internal emails reveal that Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, may lack a deep understanding of the gaming market. His overly confident assessment of Xbox’s superiority compared to Sony’s PS5 has not aged well, considering PS5’s success. Furthermore, his disregard for first-party titles raises concerns about Xbox’s strategy.

Microsoft’s Expansion Ambitions: Perhaps the most alarming revelation is Microsoft’s desire for monopoly in the gaming industry. This leak hints at Microsoft’s intention to force Nintendo into a buyout, with inklings of MS investors acquiring Nintendo shares. Additionally, Microsoft aspires to acquire Valve, though Valve’s private corporate and high profitability status makes this unlikely.

Intriguingly, this leak raises questions about the future of Xbox, digital gaming, and Microsoft’s overarching ambitions within the gaming industry.

Xbox/FTC battle: https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/12/23791274/ftc-microsoft-activision-blizzard-appeal
Windows for Handheld: https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/13/23681492/microsoft-windows-handheld-mode-gaming-xbox-steam-deck
PS5 announcement email: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/19/23880635/microsoft-ps5-reveal-email-xbox-nadella-spencer
Phil’s reaction to the leak: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/19/23881174/microsoft-xbox-leak-gaming-phil-spencer-memo
More resources: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/19/23880165/xbox-leak-ftc-documents-new-xbox-series-x-controller-next-gen

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00:00 – Introduction
01:07 – Thank you to Micro Center for sponsoring this video
02:26 – #1 Xbox is ditching the “”box
03:59 – #2 Phasing out of optical media
06:28 – #3 The Sebile controller refresh
08:43 – #4 Conflicting info on a first-party Xbox handheld
10:38 – #5 Phil Spencer’s drunk his own Kool-aide
12:30 – #6 Microsoft seeks complete monopoly

Leaks reveal Xbox has a plan to buy Valve, Nintendo…

#xbox #xboxleak #microsoft #ftc #activisionblizzard #acquistions #leaks