Microsoft have reportedly “talked with major Japanese publishers about acquisitions”

While the legalities surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues to be figured out, the console manufacturer has not been keeping its eggs in one singular basket, with Microsoft reportedly looking to the East for potential studio acquisitions.

As part of the latest episode of the Giant Bombcast podcast, industry insider Imran Khan discussed Microsoft’s future plans when it comes to acquiring more studios, saying:

“They [Microsoft] have talked with major Japanese publishers about acquisitions. I can't speak to how far those conversations have got. That's not a thing that most people know about. And I certainly don't. But they have talked. They are very clearly interested in some major Japanese publishers. They're interested in smaller studios.”

Microsoft has historically had a small presence in Japan, with the console manufacturer being unable to compete with the likes of PlayStation and Nintendo on their home turf. That being said, with this latest generation, the Xbox brand has seen great growth in Japan, and so to see them eyeing up potential acquisitions is not surprising.

Many Japanese publishers have historically aligned themselves with the likes of Sony and Nintendo, and so it will be interesting to see what studios Microsoft has been talking to.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Microsoft’s current strategy? Do you agree with it? What studio do you think they want to acquire? Let us know down below.

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