Microsoft is now one of the biggest franchises in the eSports industry. However, there was a time when the company faced multiple setbacks, almost turning into a joke over acquisition deals. 

For any company to become successful in the industry, it has to sail through troubled waters to reach the horizon. They have to accept their flaws and keep working until they find a successful way out. But does that mean people forget their tough times? Well, no. Because these struggle stories later become a troll once the franchise is successful. Such had been the case for Microsoft back in the 2000s when companies laughed at them big time. 

Microsoft once got trolled by Nintendo

Back in 2001, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox to the eSports world. It was one of their biggest announcements, marking their entry to console gaming. While Microsoft had always focused on hardware, they instantly developed a knack as Xbox 360 broke the markets. And so, they approached various franchises asking them for control of the hardware.

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First, they got into a conversation with Nintendo, the Japanese video game giant responsible for titles like Mario. Microsoft wanted to extend the partnership by controlling their hardware, allowing their partners to focus on the development. However, their acquisition proposal majorly backfired as Nintendo trolled them hard. 

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Kevin Bachus, a director for third-party relations on the Xbox project, said that “They just laughed their asses off. Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went.”

Apparently, Microsoft had invited Nintendo to their headquarters back in 2000 to discuss strategy. They were ready to share the technicals of the Xbox console as a partnership contract. 

During those times, Nintendo heavily lagged behind PlayStation in terms of consoles as Sony had far better hardware. And so, to help out their competitor and expand the business, they pitched their ideas to Nintendo. However, the Japanese giant felt them to be a joke, trolling the franchise hard for their request. 

Looks like Nintendo wasn’t the only one

After Nintendo, Microsoft also approached Enix, now known as SquareEnix, for a software partnership. Sadly, just like Nintendo, they once again got turned down by their clients. Still, the American company felt they could do better, leading them to more and more companies. 

Later, Microsoft also got into talks with EA and Midway, only to get turned down again. And then, they finally took their pit stop and moved on to focus more on themselves and their franchise as a whole. Luckily, that turned into the best option for them, as now Microsoft is one of the industry leaders in the gaming market.