SEGA silences rumors: it is not going to sell itself to Microsoft or anyone else

This week during the hearings between Microsoft and the FTC to buy Activision Blizzard, it was learned that those from Redmond had also analyzed their hands on other giants in the video game industry. Among the many possibilities considered was the purchase of SEGA., although it was never implemented. And now the Japanese firm has come out to clarify that the possibility of a sale is completely out of the question, no matter who the potential buyer is.

Here’s how he stated Shuji Utsumichief operating officer of SEGA, bloomberg. When asked if his company was open to the opportunity to put itself up for sale, the executive replied categorically: “No, not now.” However, he declined to provide details about Microsoft’s hypothetical approach and whether the Americans had ever made a formal offer to acquire the company.

Even though SEGA is destroying any acquisition opportunity today, does not abandon the already existing strategic connection with Microsoft. “We are very close to Microsoft and have a great relationship with their management team. Microsoft has a special respect for us. Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond of Xbox take the values ​​that video game fans emphasize very seriously,” Utsumi said.

SEGA wants to stay in Japan

Apart from what happened this week, This is not the first time there have been rumors about a possible sale of SEGA.. Ever since the Japanese company stopped making its own consoles in the early 2000s to focus on developing and releasing video games, there have been rumors that it could be taken over by a new owner.

In fact, in 2004, SEGA merged with Sammy Corporation, a company specializing in pachinko gaming systems. So was born SEGA Sammy Holdings. At the time, both companies were experiencing commercial difficulties and decided to team up to support each other.

The Japanese corporation is currently listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. and its shares rose this week to their highest since 2007.. Which, of course, happened after it became known that Microsoft was interested in buying SEGA.

How Microsoft became interested

In recent days, an email was unearthed during the presentation of evidence led by Microsoft and the FTC, in which Phil Spencer, an Xbox leader, sent in November 2020 to several key company executives. Into the same requested strategic approval to consider a potential acquisition offer from video game studio SEGA..

“We believe SEGA has created a well-balanced portfolio of games across all segments with global geographic appeal and will help us accelerate Xbox Game Pass both on and off console,” he explained. However, Spencer mentioned that the hypothetical deal was not without “complications”, especially given that SEGA is controlled by a public company.

The highest benchmark for Xbox also showed that SEGA’s video game areas accounted for roughly half of SEGA Sammy Holdings’ revenue and profits. A trend that has continued over the previous three financial years. “SEGA is the most compelling target for the next acquisition due to its global PC catalog, mobile footprint in Asia, and global affinity to the brand on consoles through its classic intellectual property,” said Phil Spencer.

Another document presented at the hearing showed that SEGA remained under Microsoft’s guns until at least April 2021.. However, it is not known to what extent the Redmonds have progressed with this opportunity. Or if Spencer even got strategic approval to start talks about a possible acquisition.

Beyond Rumors

Despite rumors of a sale, SEGA went its own way. In 2021, it teamed up with Nintendo, its once-great rival, to bring the Genesis/Mega Drive classic to Switch. Although this year she acquired Rovio, the studio behind angry Birds.

Anyway, his connection to Microsoft remains very strong. Up to the fact that they teamed up to develop games in the cloud. In addition, several games released by SEGA were announced at the recent Xbox Showcase. Such cases Persona 5 Tactics, Persona 3 Reboot And Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthname a few.