A mysterious social media post by Xbox marketing executive Aaron Greenberg hints at a major acquisition for Microsoft. Namely, the hedgehog-themed post hints at Microsoft purchasing Sega, owners of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise (among many others).
Even though it is a much smaller company now, Sega and its Genesis console were once the first real competitors to Nintendo in the home console market. The Genesis thrived due to its software, a mix of superior versions of multi-platform games and distinctive first-party games. Many of Sega's franchises had a decidedly quirky atmosphere, including titles like Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5, and Ecco the Dolphin. In the modern day, Sega is best known for Sonic the Hedgehog and games created by its subsidiary Atlus, such as the Persona series.
The latest rumors come from an unusual social media post from the aforementioned General Manager of Xbox Games Marketing. Greenberg recently made an Instagram post depicting a hedgehog using an Xbox controller. Of course, this brings to mind Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, suggesting an acquisition. Microsoft's recent expensive acquisition of ZeniMax, which owns Bethesda, showed Microsoft's willingness to pay for iconic franchises, and a Sega acquisition could continue the trend. After all, Microsoft has since expressed its desire for more acquisitions.
Microsoft acquiring Sega could help the latter company regain some of its former prominence. Sega has experienced financial troubles in recent years, made worse by the global pandemic. After selling off its arcade business holdings, Sega recently announced a wave of mass layoffs and salary cuts. Microsoft's financial backing could give Sega the chance to revive some of the older franchises that it would consider too much of a risk to revive on its own. Plus, Microsoft could help to improve quality control for Sega's future flagship titles, following lukewarm critical reception for games like Sonic Forces.
For its part, Microsoft would stand to gain as well. Making future Sonic games Xbox console exclusives could help Xbox have a child-friendly mascot to call its own. Plus, Microsoft would own Atlus, which would open the possibility of releasing blockbuster titles like future Persona games, typically PlayStation exclusives, on Xbox consoles. This is admittedly an unlikely possibility, given the Xbox's small Japanese audience, but it would send a huge jolt through the industry if it did come to pass.
Funnily enough, this wouldn't be the first time that Microsoft has hosted exclusive Sega games. After discontinuing the Dreamcast console, Sega made several sequels to its Dreamcast games as exclusive titles for the original Xbox. These included sequels to games like Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi. If the acquisition rumors are true, Xbox owners may soon see new installments in these franchises.