Bill Gates pencils Nintendo onto his corporate shopping-list
Very rich man expresses interest in buying successful company shocker!
In one of the most astute pieces of investigative business-technology reportage ever seen, the German magazine WirtschaftsWoche has discovered that Bill Gates would put in an offer to buy Nintendo, if it was up for sale (which it isn’t). Displaying a profound operational understanding of entry-level telecommunications technology, Gates was quoted as saying "If Hiroshi Yamauchi phones me up, I will pick up at once...".
The implication is that Gates, who is recognised as one of the greatest business minds in the world, and who heads up a huge multi-national corporation with near-illegal monopolistic positioning, would willingly buy-out a successful competitor with a solid reputation, if the price was right. And also, the sun will rise tomorrow.
Sarcastic slighting aside, this ‘news’ does emphasise an important point. Bill Gates does recognise the potential worth of console videogaming and will be directing Microsoft’s wider business strategy accordingly. However, it's an academic point, because at this stage in time Nintendo is simply not for sale.
The implication is that Gates, who is recognised as one of the greatest business minds in the world, and who heads up a huge multi-national corporation with near-illegal monopolistic positioning, would willingly buy-out a successful competitor with a solid reputation, if the price was right. And also, the sun will rise tomorrow.
Sarcastic slighting aside, this ‘news’ does emphasise an important point. Bill Gates does recognise the potential worth of console videogaming and will be directing Microsoft’s wider business strategy accordingly. However, it's an academic point, because at this stage in time Nintendo is simply not for sale.
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Comments
config 5 Aug 2004 08:23
1/4
Does Gates really recognised the potential worth of gaming? Or... is he simply excited by the thought of the loyal followers of the Nintendo brand, and the notion that all those fanboys could be using a Windows-base operating system networked to MS controlled content..?
Ditto 5 Aug 2004 08:49
2/4
config wrote:
>Does Gates really recognised the potential worth
>of gaming? Or... is he simply excited by the
>thought of the loyal followers of the Nintendo
>brand, and the notion that all those fanboys
>could be using a Windows-base operating system
>networked to MS controlled content..?
I don't think Gates understands that if he buys Nintendo then he'll lose all Nintendo's fans who will probably move to Sony.
I can't see Nintendo selling to Gates anyway; it's not in the Japanese style to sell to a Western rival - they'd probably sell to Sony if anyone. On the other hand there are a lot of rich old men in Japan....
>Does Gates really recognised the potential worth
>of gaming? Or... is he simply excited by the
>thought of the loyal followers of the Nintendo
>brand, and the notion that all those fanboys
>could be using a Windows-base operating system
>networked to MS controlled content..?
I don't think Gates understands that if he buys Nintendo then he'll lose all Nintendo's fans who will probably move to Sony.
I can't see Nintendo selling to Gates anyway; it's not in the Japanese style to sell to a Western rival - they'd probably sell to Sony if anyone. On the other hand there are a lot of rich old men in Japan....
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Mecha Ghandi 5 Aug 2004 08:50
3/4
config wrote:
>Does Gates really recognised the potential worth
>of gaming? Or... is he simply excited by the
>thought of the loyal followers of the Nintendo
>brand, and the notion that all those fanboys
>could be using a Windows-base operating system
>networked to MS controlled content..?
I think that Gates' understanding of the potential worth of gaming IS the thought of snatching those loyal followers of the Nintendo brand... as well as anyone else who buys things that aren't controlled by Microsoft...
>Does Gates really recognised the potential worth
>of gaming? Or... is he simply excited by the
>thought of the loyal followers of the Nintendo
>brand, and the notion that all those fanboys
>could be using a Windows-base operating system
>networked to MS controlled content..?
I think that Gates' understanding of the potential worth of gaming IS the thought of snatching those loyal followers of the Nintendo brand... as well as anyone else who buys things that aren't controlled by Microsoft...
Brown Force 5 Aug 2004 16:40
4/4
Well you can't fault him for that can you? Nintendo would be an excellent buy. Imagine if Nintendo did go the way of Sega (which at the moment seems impossibly) if that happened why shouldn't Microsoft break the bank and snap them up. Imagine the huge franchises they would gain, the incredibly talented developers and of course the handhelds to boot. Xbox + Nintendo would be an unstappable force I'm afraid. I think even Sony would cower under that partner ship.
Though it will never ever happen and if it did, most of the Nintendo developers would leave because of their pride no doubt.
Though it will never ever happen and if it did, most of the Nintendo developers would leave because of their pride no doubt.