Documents provided in the Microsoft vs. FTC trial revealed plans for the future of Xbox, including the company’s desire to acquire Nintendo. Image: Dinosaur 918, via Wikimedia Commons
Documents provided in the Microsoft versus Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial were published on September 19, revealing some long-term plans for Xbox, including company head Phil Spencer’s desire to acquire Nintendo.
Jacqueline Scott Corley, the judge presiding over the FTC vs. Microsoft, confirmed that Microsoft seemingly accidentally provided a version of the documents containing “non-public information” to a link which held the trial’s public documents.
While the documents have now been removed, the information was quickly picked up by those following the case.
Email exchanges between Phil Spencer and other Xbox employees reveal information about the company’s future plans, extending as far as 2028.
In the documents, Spencer predicts that 2028 will be the year heralding the next generation of consoles, with plans for Xbox to develop a “cloud hybrid” console for release that year.
Prior to that, however, the leaks reveal plans for an updated version of the Xbox Series X and S in the latter half of 2024.
Further planned products include a number of gaming accessories, including a gaming mouse and keyboard, a one-handed controller, and a mobile controller that would attach to a smartphone for mobile gaming.
Regarding the games themselves, the emails imply that remasters of popular Bethesda titles such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3 are likely in the works, as well as the possibility of a next-gen update to Rockstar’s unwaveringly popular Red Dead Redemption 2.
Perhaps the biggest revelation, however, is the exchange in which Spencer expresses his desire to acquire Nintendo, one of Xbox’s largest competitors.
The trial had previously revealed Spencer’s interest in game developers Sega and Square Enix, however, the plan to acquire Nintendo has been viewed as ambitious, even for Microsoft.
“At some point, getting Nintendo would be a career moment and I honestly believe a good move for both companies. It’s just taking a long time for Nintendo to see that their future exists off of their own hardware. A long time…” said Spencer in the email exchange.
“I don’t think a hostile action would be a good move… so we are playing the long game.”
The emails, which span over much of 2022, clearly reveal more Microsoft intended about the future of the console.
However, Phil Spencer took to X (formerly Twitter) in response to the leak, assuring the public that much had changed in the past year.
“We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future,” wrote Spencer.
“We will share the real plans when we are ready.”
