Rumor: Microsoft has been in talks with “major Japanese publishers” about acquisitions

Gaming journalist Imran Khan claims Microsoft is in talks with “major Japanese publishers” about acquisitions to expand the Xbox Game Pass library.

former FanByte and game informant Author Imran Khan has stated that Microsoft has been in acquisition talks with “major Japanese publishers” to expand the Xbox Game Pass library. As Microsoft continues to expand its Xbox Game Pass service, its acquisition of a well-known Japanese publisher could dramatically increase the number and variety of titles available on the service.

Microsoft has spent the past few years acquiring several game developers and publishers under its Xbox Game Studios brand, and this latest rumor suggests that trend is likely to continue. In addition to acquiring development studios like Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions, the studio behind 2021 is critically acclaimed psychonauts 2Microsoft also bought demise and Skyrim Publisher Bethesda Game Studios. In a move that drew both praise and scorn from some players, Microsoft also announced its acquisition desire in early 2022 call of Duty Publisher Activision Blizzard.

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Speaking of Huge bomb throw, Khan explained that Microsoft is interested in acquiring at least one major Japanese publisher and has been in talks to that end. Khan argues that much like Netflix has started producing more original content in recent years to avoid paying royalties to broadcast existing programming, Microsoft is trying to bring more development in-house rather than paying royalties to games from other developers and publishers to add Xbox GamePass. Referring to rumors earlier this year about a possible Amazon acquisition of video game publisher EA, host Jeff Grubb noted that Microsoft could also be in a rush to acquire new developers and publishers due to increased competition following high-profile acquisitions like Tencent and Sony on elden ring Developer FromSoftware.

One complaint Microsoft has faced since the launch of the original Xbox is the lack of quality Japanese titles available on its hardware, especially when compared to competitor Sony’s PlayStation. Acquiring a Japanese studio could go a long way towards solving this problem, a possibility that will likely excite many western gamers and potentially attract even more gamers from Japan, a market where Microsoft has constantly struggled to gain a foothold. Though Microsoft has yet to make an official announcement about acquiring a Japanese publisher, Grubb said he believes Microsoft will make such a move if and after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved by regulators.

With companies like Sony and Embracer Group having recently acquired several studios and IPs from Japanese powerhouse publisher Square Enix and expanding their roster of talented developers, it’s only logical that Microsoft would try to do the same. Acquiring a Japanese publisher could help Microsoft stay competitive in the increasingly consolidated video game publishing world, but it could also raise concerns from gamers that Western ownership could erode some of what makes those publishers unique. Regardless of how Microsoft proceeds, it’s likely that the trend toward high-profile acquisitions in the video game industry will continue for the foreseeable future.

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Source: Giant Bomb/YouTube