Update 11/11/20: Xbox head Phil Spencer has weighed in on the rumor, telling GameSpot that he doesn’t think there’s any truth to the claim though he adds that “I’m not every meeting that every team has.”
Original Story: Microsoft is courting a number of Japanese game studios with a view to expanding its first-party offering, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The company is apparently looking to expand its footprint in Japan by acquiring local studios, and has been holding private talks with a number of big and small developers.
Several Japan-based studios told Bloomberg that Microsoft has approached them about a potential purchase, but asked to remain anonymous at this point in time.
When quizzed about those discussions, Microsoft director of game operations in Asia, Jeremy Hinton, simply explained the company is always open to discussions with creators it believes are a good fit.
Although Microsoft remains tight lipped, the company has been working hard (and spending big) to expand its first-party Xbox Game Studios roster in recent years. It’s been less than two months since Microsoft bought The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda for $7.5 billion, which itself followed the acquisition of other notable names like Double Fine, Obsidian, and Ninja Theory.