Slade6alpha said: Should buy Sony instead for the overall reactions OT: No they shouldn't, complete waste.

It would be a complete waste they would gain more by buying Microsoft but that will never happen.

I'm not sure this is the case. Its not likely they would be able to sell MKiOS for full console or handheld price and its just as likely they'll not sell as many units as they would need to make up the difference.

The only way they manage this is with some sort of agressive free to play gimmick, the likes of which Iwata's Nintendo claimed they were against.

Nintendo and sega are not for sale and Apple is making a huge killing so I doubt it.

Not gonna happen bro

Apple's policies with game development on Apple TV prove that they have know nothing about game development. They know that they know nothing about game development which is one reason why they haven't gone further with it. It would be a nightmare for Nintendo and Sega to be under the control of a company that doesn't know anything about video games. That's what destroyed Rare. Microsoft didn't know anything about game development so they bought other companies that did. They knew that Rare made great games but they never understood the working relationship they had with Nintendo that made those good games sell as well as they did. In fact, the only reason the Xbox brand survived is because Microsoft let Xbox remain somewhat autonomous. With Apple, that would never happen. They would never let their company become fragmented like that.

Nintendo could create a free Mario Kart title for the iOS in the same manner we see with Asphalt 8. You can purchase upgraded karts, characters if you wanted or go through playing the same and earning all those credits extremely slow. Not to mention games like Tetris Attack screams a mobile title. You don’t need to charge console prices because you’d charge for the opportunity to advance and quickly earn what otherwise would take forever. Give the player the option but allow everyone to play the full game. It’s the most gamer friendly say to do it and make buckets of cash.

Their back libary of n64 titles with just a little work on textures could light the mobile gaming world on fire. 

I can see that happening, but it sounds exactly like the sort of thing Iwata always spoke against. Game devaulation and paying to advance.

Good point you explained simply and concisely.

OTOH they could invest at the right moment in a minority share of MS, IMVHO, not just for the money but also to help keeping good relationships with it. It happened the inverse purchase in the past, it could happen this one sometime.

They look like they (We? I can't exclude doing the same every now and then.    ) almost do it on purpose to make you jump on the chair!   

Apple has the largest cash reserve of any company on the planet I believe. They have larger cash reserves than Microsoft and Google combined and pretty much most countries actually. They also continue to record the highest profits in business history every year, so that cash pile grows every year.

They might not be able to buy MS just quite yet ... but they're getting there. They are not just doing "good" or even "great" anymore. They are at a level now that is unheard for any corporate entity, they could really start their own country.

http://bgr.com/2015/02/11/apple-vs-google-microsoft-market-cap/

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31012410

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/26/10828134/apple-earnings-report-first-quarter-q1-2016-record-profit

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/21/just-how-much-cash-does-apple-have.html

Apple is doing things no corporation has ever done in terms of the type of money that make, they have larger cash reserves than MS and Google combined and they continue to post profits that dwarf even oil corporations like Exxon Mobil at their peak. They have double the cash reserve of the US government, lol. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/04/13/fun-number-apple-has-twice-as-much-cash-as-the-us-government/#4cc687e0386d

Apple has more cash than every S&P 500's (the top companies in the world) market cap outside of just 14 of them. That's unbelievable. 

Apple has over $200 billion in cash reserves, Microsoft's market cap is $396 billion, but Apple's cash reserves have been growing at a rapid pace, so yes they could theoretically make a pitch for MS some day (especially if Microsoft's stock drops). 

Disney would be a better target for for Apple though and they do have the cash reserves to do it, but it would take pretty much their entire cash hoarde.