Rumor has it that when Microsoft first decided to enter into the console market, the company's executives approached Nintendo with an offer to buy the Japanese company. They were apparently laughed out of the room. Now, some two decades later, it seems as though the two companies may once again be in discussions about some kind of partnership between the two tech giants; and, if recent rumors are to be believed, it could come to fruition later on this year.
A somewhat reputable leaker has taken to Twitter to reveal that an announcement about a deal between Microsoft and Nintendo could be coming in the fall, although they provide very little information as to what the potential partnership might actually entail. Naturally, this has led to immense speculation, with many people replying to the tweet to give their thoughts on what, if anything, might be in store. There are many different ideas, although two seem to be cropping up a lot more than others.
The most popular suggestion is that Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass may be coming to Switch, and there's plenty to support such a hypothesis. It has long been rumored that a Switch Pro will also be announced in the autumn and a more powerful console would likely remove some of the hardware limitations that have so far prevented many of the titles on Game Pass from being ported to the Switch. This would seemingly suit both parties, enabling Nintendo to launch its rumored new console with a major line-up of titles and allowing Microsoft to bring its service to a console that sold almost twice as many units as its Xbox One.
Others, however, are hoping that Halo's Master Chief will instead be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Granted, this would be nowhere near as significant as Xbox Game Pass on Switch, although the character is one of the most requested DLC fighters for Smash and one of the most notable absentees from the game's roster. Of course, it could be something completely different or, as one or two are speculating, nothing at all. With the leaker having accurately predicted the Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox and Final Fantasy VII Remake appearing on PS Plus, though, most see them as a fairly credible source.
If true, this wouldn't be the first time that either of the companies involved had teamed up with a potential rival. Prior to the release of the original Xbox, Microsoft worked closely with Sega during the development of the Dreamcast, while Nintendo once teamed up with Sony to develop a disc based version of the SNES. Neither of these partnerships proved to be particularly fruitful. Only time will tell if this one will be; assuming, that is, that it even comes to pass in the first place.