The FTC and Microsoft have recently appeared in court due to the FTC’s preference to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and, as happens every time a major gaming company goes to court, there is an accidental leak of confidential documents.
One of the documents is a 2020 email from Xbox leader Phil Spencer (via The Verge) in which he said Nintfinisho, the most sought-after gaming company Microsoft could acquire. At the end of that email is the comment that Microsoft’s board of directors has noted “the full article on Nintfinisho (and Valve)” and “fully supports any of them if the opportunity arises. “
Spencer doesn’t mention Valve otherwise in the email and we don’t have the “full text” in question, however, it’s evident that a Valve acquisition has been the subject of widespread behind-the-scenes attention at Microsoft, if not perhaps as much as a Nintendo acquisition.
According to a leaked document, extracted through industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, Microsoft estimated Valve’s price at $6. 5 billion in 2021. That puts Nintendo at $15. 1 billion and Tencent at $32. 8 billion.
What would Microsoft’s acquisition of Valve mean for PC gaming, if that happened?I shudder just thinking about it! While it’s imperfect to rely on the festival between giants for security, Valve’s independent strength seems to be control over Microsoft’s control over PC gaming. Valve built SteamOS on Linux partly as a life raft for PC gaming, if Microsoft went too far in blocking down Windows, Apple-style.
There’s less tension between Valve and Microsoft these days: It’s been a while since Valve boss Gabe Newell called Windows 8 a “disaster,” and Microsoft has resumed releasing its games for free on Steam. Still, on an instinctive level, it’s hard to believe. It’s possible that this deal will actually go ahead given all the regulatory difficulties Microsoft faced during its attempt to buy Activision Blizzard, which is why it’s ultimately in court before the FTC.
However, if I had to choose, I’d prefer Microsoft buy Nintendo, as that would be the fastest way to see Nintendo’s games officially released for PC, even taking into account years of regulatory challenges.
I asked Valve what idea it had of Microsoft’s ambitions and will update this article if I have an answer. Last year, Newell didn’t seem too worried about Microsoft and Sony’s consolidation frenzy.
Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley in the days of the rise of private computers, gambling like Zork and Arkanoid on the first PCs his parents brought home. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command.
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