Forbes: Microsoft Should Give XBox One To Nintendo

[famousringo]

Soundwave said:

With MS' backing and a premiere "dudebros" killer app in Halo, Nintendo would get the support of all third parties too. 

Don't forget Microsoft's key differentiator: Gaming services.

Soundwave said:

If the game business went back to just a 2 horse race between Nintendo and Sony, Nintendo wins huge in that. They'd be guaranteed a 50 million userbase at least IMO even if Sony "wins" ... and wouldn't have to rely on risky/fickle audiences like casuals that turn abandon them on a whim. 

The real problem here as I see it is how much control would Microsoft have? And what exactly would stop Microsoft from buying out Nintendo at a later date if Nintendo did a little too well?

That's what I think Nintendo would be afraid of. 

Also, publishers would be forced to provide at least nominal support to Nintendo as a hedge against Sony. It's easier to play favourites with three choices than with two.

You're right that a Nintendo/Xbox deal would come at a price (Xbox might be amoney loser, but it's not worthless), and that price would probably involve online services. Microsoft would try to use the deal to turn Nintendo into an OEM for Microsoft services, to steal the customer relationship from Nintendo.

I don't think Nintendo needs to worry about being re-acquired down the line, if an Xbox merger turns the company around, all that new market value will be on Nintendo's balance sheet, not Microsoft's.