Microsoft was considering buying Square Enix
By ForGeeks Another acquisition target for Microsoft has become known as Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix. Documents released as part of the Xbox owner’s lawsuit against the FTC show that in 2019 the company was considering acquiring Square Enix and its Western studios (which were later sold to the Embracer Group).
In 2019, the company was also considering acquiring Square Enix and its Western studios (which were later sold to the Embracer Group).
The «Phoenix» project, as Microsoft called the proposal, was driven by a desire to increase Xbox’s influence in Asian markets and acquire major franchises Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts.
The company was also spurred on by what it described as «reliable» the Japanese company’s mobile game portfolio, which could help spread Game Pass on smart devices. On several occasions, Microsoft game industry boss Phil Spencer has publicly expressed a desire to acquire an Asian game developer, «in particular, the Japanese studio».
In the end, interest in acquiring Square Enix did not materialize. According to documents, the filtering process included removing studios that did not meet criteria, including no experience creating original IPs, «following without innovation», no «cultural fit» or «business maturity».
