When you want to make a takeover, you don't offer the market value, you have to offer a higher amount to make it attractive to the shareholders, sometimes much higher than the market value to make it worthy to the shareholders to sell. And we can't forget the japanese pride, and what would mean to them having one of their industry "airship carriers" bought by an american company. I'm not sure if the japanese government wouldn't interfere with this operation.

If anyone they should acquire to enter the gaming scene, it should be SEGA. Perfect for a revival of a SEGA console. Let's call it iSEGA :)

If anyone they should acquire to enter the gaming scene, it should be SEGA. Perfect for a revival of a SEGA console. Let's call it iSEGA :)

It was true I can't link to the interview because it was in a gaming magazine back in like 2001. But in it Iwata stated Microsoft offered him a blank cheque for Nintendo. Iwata stated he had one condition that Nintendo remain a seperate entity and that the company retained full control over all of its hardware and intellectual properties. The talks fell apart as Nintendo was not willing to compromise, thank God.

After Microsoft failed in aquiring Nintendo they saw they could not carry out a hostile take over Nintendo was too big. So they did the next best thing and took over Rare. I remember the take over started as just a rumour just like this one many people wrote it off. But it ended up being true, so I wouldn't be so quick to completely write off a rumour that is more then plausable.

Keep in mind the rumour lists three companies Apple is thinking of aquiring not just one. Sony is listed alongside EA and Disney. I wouldn't put it past Apple to want to expand into another industry and video games or cartoons are major industries that could make Apple alot of dough.

I may not believe this rumour to be true but it definatly is plausable. Keep in mind Apple leaks info all the time intentionally or unintentionally and many of these rumours I've heard have turned out to be true. So I'm skeptical that this might actually hold alittle weight.

No crap shirlock. If they control the casual and hardcore markets thats everyone, duh. Right now their isn't a console on the market that is the favorite of both casuals and hardcore. Some will argue Wii but I think the strong performances by Microsoft and now even Sony prove that Nintendo does not appeal to enough of the hardcore market.

Also Serious you talk about how Apple appeals to smaller software like social network and phone games. That is because Apple lacks the internal teams to create more hardcore experiances. You sound like your just re-saying what Michael Pachter said about Apple joining the industry.

Keep in mind rumours were flying that Apple had thought of purchasing Bungie before Microsoft decided to do so. That doesn't sound like just social network games to me. Steve Jobs is not a moron and he knows there is alot of money to be made by created AAA titles. An aquisition of Sony would give Apple dozens of intellectual properties to mine and dozens of in house developers to create games for both PS4 and the next I-Mac.

If Apple aquired Sony they would likely focus on Microsoft over Nintendo unlike what you seem to think. Why? Because Microsoft is a dual competitor if Apple entered the console industry they would be fighting Microsoft on two fronts the home computer front as well as console front. It would be in Apples best interest to crush Microsoft. Just like Microsoft's best interest is to crush Sony over Nintendo.

I think if Apple aquired Sony we would be looking at a power house in the console industry one that could even crush Microsoft and/or Nintendo. I think its only a matter of time before Apple enters the console industry and when they do I doubt they will stick to social network and independant games. A purchase of EAGames would also be a major asset and perhaps lead to an entrance into the console industry.

Either way you look at it this rumour points to Apple entering the console industry, God help us!

Microsoft could have easily taken over Nintendo at the time, It had nothing to do with the size of Nintendo, but rather the amount of stock available to the public.  Nintendo is a publicly traded company but from my understanding there isn't enough of the stock available to the public for MS to gain control.  Meaning the best MS could do is 49% or less, or whatever percentage of stock that was available.  Which is why Nintendo hasn't been gobbled up by some conglomerate years and years ago (SNES era etc..).   Thats why MS offered this blank check to Iwata, instead of just taking the company over via hostile takeover.