German mag's bizzare claim (M$ to buy Nintendo?!)

[Splashing Mew]

While I was over at another site (pojo) I went over to the news section and found a link to this bizzare article. Microsoft to buy nintendo?

A GERMAN financial organ, WirtschaftsWoche has created a stir by reporting that software maker and convicted monopolist Microsoft is planning to buy Nintendo.

The remark was made during an informal cocktail reception after Microsoft's yearly financial analysts' meeting July 29 in Redmond. When asked about the possibility of acquiring Nintendo, Gates, who was not drunk, said how much he liked the company and that Microsoft would bid, if it were for sale.

"If Hiroshi Yamauchi calls, he'll get me on the line right away," Gates was quoted as saying, in a reference to Nintendo's former president.

Now obviously irony was not in the German journo?s vocabulary, which was a point picked up on by the US media, who, to be fair, had to go and look it up themselves.

However, they did all run the story and it has been taken a bit too seriously.

Vole spinsters are trying to whistle and look the other way saying that they don?t comment on rumours while at the same time wishing their boss had not had his irony attack in front of the press. Nintendo denied it was involved in talks with Vole and in fact it even rattled its katana as it hissed that was ?not interested? in Gates-San?s dishonourable little joke at the German?s expense.

This is a joke.... They took a simple comment and blew it out of context. Furthermore, to believe that Nintendo would sell out to Microsoft is rediculous. Nintendo has stated that they won't be leaving the game scene any time soon and when they do all their characters and franchises (Mario, Pokemon, Legend of zelda etc.) Will go with them... Ok so I'm going to let you guys talk about what you think about this..?

 

[TRIFORCE89]

August 05, 2004 - On Wednesday the German financial magazine WirtschaftsWoche published that Microsoft head Bill Gates was interested in talking with Nintendo's former president and backer Hiroshi Yamauchi about buying Nintendo. Today Nintendo issued an official response that it is, simply, not for sale.

"Nintendo is not on sale, and there is no such talk at all," Nintendo public relations chief Yasuhiro Minagawa said.

That's from IGN. But I think, Gates was just joking.

 

[Geometric-sama]

I don't think *anyone* is going to buy Nintendo. Like they would let it go.