>It makes totally sense for microsoft

It's not about making sense for Microsoft. It's more about that it goes against Gabe Newell. Valve can't be sold to Microsoft unless Gabe wants to sell. And Microsoft is about the last company Gabe would ever sell to. 

> Its a forum, about speculation!

People also like to debate speculation.  

I figured I would post what I believe to be the top 5 most likely future larger acquisitions (AAA independent or publisher) for Xbox, as well as my personal top 5 most wanted larger acquisitions by MS:

Most Likely

1. Avalanche Studios- Microsoft is currently working with them on 2nd party exclusive Contraband. If Contraband sells well, I could definitely see MS looking to acquire them, as they would give MS 3 new 1st party studios for a relatively low price. 
2. IO Interactive- It is heavily rumored that their new IP by new studio IOI Barcelona is a 2nd party AAA multiplayer RPG for Xbox called Project Dragon. If development of this exclusive goes well, I could definitely see MS moving to lock down IOI permanently, maybe even before platforms are announced for their James Bond game, so that they can make it exclusive too. 
3. GSC Gameworld- Microsoft is currently working with GSC Gameworld with STALKER 2 as a timed Xbox console exclusive. Depending on how well it sells and how many Gamepass downloads it receives, I could definitely see MS pushing for an acquisition here. 
4. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (full or partial)- It was heavily rumored awhile back that Microsoft was one of several parties putting in bids to acquire WBIE from AT&T, as AT&T was looking to sell it off to try and pay off some of their massive debt. However, AT&T changed their minds about selling off pieces of WB and decided they would be better off selling it as a package deal, with Discovery ultimately deciding to buy it. However, Discovery's main purpose in buying WB is to get content to push their Discovery+ streaming service so that they can compete with the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, etc.; they likely have no interest in video games and may decide to sell off WBIE studios and license out WB IP's to interested developers and publishers after they have finished acquiring WB. WB has several things that MS needs to fill in the gaps in their exclusive line-up: DC games to compete against Sony's recent huge Marvel push, a popular fighting game developer with NetherRealm, and a family game developer with TT Games. 
5. Sega- If MS wants to make a splash in Japan without spending too much money, a Sega acquisition would probably be the best way to do it. They are worth substantially less than the other big Japanese publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Koei Tecmo, and Bandai Namco, yet have several series big enough to move decent amounts of Xbox hardware in Japan if those series were made Xbox/PC exclusive or even just timed exclusive, particularly Yakuza/Judgment from RGG, and Persona/SMT from Atlus. They also have a strong PC division that releases games that could push PC Gamepass subs like Total War, Football Manager, and Two Point University. This seems like a match made in heaven for Xbox. 

My Personal Wishlist

1. Sega
2. Take-Two: Note that I didn't put this in the above list because I don't find it very likely, but this would be huge for Xbox if they actually did it. GTA exclusivity alone would move many millions extra Xbox consoles, plus they have several other AAA developers who could make Xbox exclusives (like Cloud Chamber, Hangar 13, and 31st Union). MS could also possibly let some of their other 1st party studios revive long abandoned and neglected Rockstar IP's like Bully, LA Noire, and Midnight Club.
3. WBIE
4. Koei Tecmo- I didn't put this on the list above because I think Sega is by far the most likely large Japanese acquisition for MS due to pricing and the better fit of Sega's PC developers with PC Gamepass, but Koei Tecmo would also be a good choice for MS to make an impact in Japan, seeing as they have a history with Xbox on IP's like Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. They also have several key franchises like Atelier and Nioh currently skipping Xbox that an acquisition would lock down Xbox releases for, so that is a huge plus.
5. Square Enix- By far the least likely JP acquisition for Xbox, due to how buddy-buddy they have become with Sony in recent years (exclusivity on FF7R, FF16, Forspoken, marketing and timed DLC on Avenegers, etc.), but it is specifically because of that Sony-Square relationship that I hate, that I would like to see Square owned by Xbox instead. Also, I love many of their western IP's like Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, and Just Cause, and feel like Deus Ex and Tomb Raider would be more likely to be revived under MS than they are under Square currently, as Square cares more about their Marvel deal than their own IP's.

Yeah, im a New user, because I wanted to take part in this conversation. Everyone was a New user at some point. So? And why is so strange if Microsoft buys Valve? Its stranger than speculation about activision? Take two? Microsoft has money and gamepass, valve has VR and steam. It makes totally sense for microsoft. Im not saying will happen. Its a forum, about speculation! Im mean, if you actually read the article this conversation is based, it says:

I predict a lot of internet lawyers debating monopoly laws at some point in the near future.

The only company I can think of monopoly, lawyers, is Valve. Its Speculation, for me I couldnt care less. Well, maybe I care, imagine: we bought valve! introduces Half Life3! Ha.. buuuut, so you can calm down, im changing my opinion.. i think its WB. There!

Yeah, im a New user, because I wanted to take part in this conversation. Everyone was a New user at some point. So? And why is so strange if Microsoft buys Valve? Its stranger than speculation about activision? Take two? Microsoft has money and gamepass, valve has VR and steam. It makes totally sense for microsoft. Im not saying will happen. Its a forum, about speculation! Im mean, if you actually read the article this conversation is based, it says:

I predict a lot of internet lawyers debating monopoly laws at some point in the near future.

The only company I can think of monopoly, lawyers, is Valve. Its Speculation, for me I couldnt care less. Well, maybe I care, imagine: we bought valve! introduces Half Life3! Ha.. buuuut, so you can calm down, im changing my opinion.. i think its WB. There!

What a joke of a post. After pages of conversation revolving around how most of the publishers follow the platform they get most money/sales on, you come up with a post that somehow includes the CDi, like that's going to convince anyone to not follow Nintendo.

The vast majority of software sales/money happens on Nintendo. SEGA was not going to convince the industry to go CD only, third parties are welcome to try a both approach massively inflating costs and dev time, but the fact of the matter is, it was Sony that gave third parties, especially in Japan, the confidence to go CD.

LMAO at Nintendo not having a monopoly while having a 80-90% marketshare. Marketshare is defined by revenue by the way, for those that failed business 101.

1. You don't see it hitting big purely on the basis that it's an MMO despite not knowing anything else about it? Lol. I don't know if Microsoft will eventually acquire IO Interactive or if IO want to sell but they are investing heavily into them right now, IO Interactive has built an entirely new studio specifically for this project in Barcelona.

2. He said WBIE, not WB. WBIE has already been on the chopping block as recently as last year, AT&T is still selling pieces of WBIE as recently as this year, they sold Playdemic (a successful developer) to EA for $1.4bn. What Shika is saying makes 100% sense.

AT&T is spinning WB off into its own company in a joint venture with Discovery, the purpose of this new company is to compete with Disney Plus, Netflix, etc, in the Movie/TV streaming space. There have been rumours they're still considering selling parts of WB off cause to be honest, gaming will be more of a distraction to this new company whose full focus will need to be on creating and funding content for their new streaming service if they want to compete with Disney, Netflix, etc.

If they sold anymore studios from WBIE, they would not be selling IPs with the exception of Mortal Kombat, for the most part they would only be selling studios, for example, they could sell Rocksteady but of course they wouldn't sell the Batman IP and nobody said that, Microsoft would receive Rocksteady in this scenario and likely a license for Batman from WB and that way, WB Discovery still receive payment (as Microsoft has to pay for the license) but they no longer have to fund a studio.

Essentially they could set up their operations to work in the exact same way as LucasArts or Marvel operates in Gaming.

There is also TT Games, Monolith and Avalanche who work on IPs that WB doesn't even own (Lego, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter). However, them dumping these studios does not at all mean that WB can't still use these IPs for Movie/Show content for their joint streaming service venture and they will, them having the studios is irrelevant.

Discovery has also shown zero interest in Gaming in the past too and finally, AT&T is massively in debt and has been trying to remedy that situation for years now, they have sold off a lot of stuff lately, even stuff that wasn't losing them money.

3. Not that I think Microsoft will acquire any of those public companies but the restrictions don't automatically make it impossible to acquire a Japanese company, it makes it harder but not impossible.

"New legislation requires advance government approval for a foreign investor to take a stake of 1% or more in any Japanese enterprise in 12 "core" strategic sectors, from defense to utilities. The ministry's list covers 14% of the nation's publicly traded companies.

The new requirement aims to deter foreign players from acquiring Japanese companies dealing in sensitive technologies. Previously, foreign investors did not require prescreening unless taking stakes of 10% or more in strategic companies.

They can still be exempt if they meet certain requirements, such as staying out of management."

4. There is no 'sides', Lol, it is business, if some rich folk want to sell then they will almost certainly sell to the highest payer. Sony had also moneyhatted a lot of Bethesda stuff (Deathloop, Ghostwire) and were strongly rumoured to be close to moneyhatting Starfield and then Microsoft went and acquired Zenimax...Again, I don't think Take-Two is selling but the fact that they have more timed exclusives with Sony is irrelevant.

Sony won't have any GTA 6 timed exclusivity, another ridiculous rumour.

Sorry but by your own logic if PlayStation was a new console with zero market share having even less than Sega (who already had CD based consoles on the market) then why would anyone follow them into the CD format? By your logic they would not.

Well if we put your faulty logic aside (or perhaps you misspoke) and consider as other posters have pointed out to you that if a platform holder offered money and better licensing deals than Nintendo (with whom many were disenchanted at the time) then it follows that they would be willing to take a chance even with a company with zero track record in the space.  They weren't given "confidence" unless you equate better licensing and money to "confidence" in which case you might attempt to be a little less condescending / combative. It was the licensing and money that attracted games to the system in addition to the format of the media.

Although speculation, the major thing keeping Nintendo from going CD was fear of piracy. One of the reasons that it took them yet another generation before finally using a standard optical format (looking at you Game Cube disks) in the Wii generation. This is of course ignoring that if Nintendo had not enlisted Sony's help in the first place with the CD drive for the SNES then likely PlayStation never would have been born at all. For that I am glad Nintendo screwed over Sony. 

If another big publisher acquisition happens (and I'm not saying it will, as the main insider backing it doesn't have the best track record and some other insiders have already said they haven't heard anything about it), I'd say Sony really only has themselves to blame. They have been continually instigating this with numerous timed hat deals, most recently the KOTOR remake, a series which was Xbox console exclusive in gen 6, and before that it was timed hat deals on Forspoken, FF16, FF7R (including a 6 month extension to the original 1 year deal), Deathloop, and Ghostwire Tokyo. We also have rumors that Sony is working on or has signed timed hat deals on Bioshock 4 and Street Fighter 6 behind the scenes (that one might be a lifetime hat deal like SF5).

You can't really expect MS not to retaliate against Sony blocking numerous games that would have otherwise been day one on Xbox, from appearing on Xbox day one. You might argue that Phil should only respond with buying timed hats of their own, but Phil is not a big fan of timed hat deals after he spent $100m hatting Rise of the Tomb Raider, only for peoole to attack him online and the close release proximity to Fallout 4 to kill it's sales and limit the benefit of the money he spent. He would rather invest permanently in making Xbox a stronger platform by acquiring studios and publishers. Afterall, an acquisition builds up your own platform, a timed hat deals is mainly designed to hurt those on other platforms.