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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In a December 2019 internal email, Matt Booty, then head of Xbox Game Studios, told Xbox CFO Tim Stuart that Microsoft could “go spend Sony out of business.” The remark surfaced during the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 2023 challenge to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition. It was a striking argument for aggressive investment in games—not proof of an approved plan to bankrupt Sony.
What Booty was arguing
Booty’s email considered whether Microsoft should accept substantial near-term losses to secure valuable game content before rivals did. He suggested that losing $2 billion to $3 billion in 2020 could be worthwhile if it kept Tencent, Google, Amazon or Sony from becoming the “Disney of games” by controlling much of the industry’s most valuable content. Thurrott’s account of the email describes the figure as a hypothetical strategic argument, not verified spending or an approved budget.
In that context, “spend Sony out of business” is best read as provocative shorthand for using Microsoft’s financial resources to compete aggressively for game content. The email does not document a plan to make Sony insolvent or force PlayStation out of the market.
Why Game Pass was part of the discussion
The exchange also touched on Microsoft’s policy of putting its first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on release day. Booty argued that reversing that policy could damage confidence in the service’s value and in Microsoft’s wider gaming bets, including Mixer and xCloud. The logic was that costly content could attract and retain subscribers, while removing day-one access could weaken the proposition Microsoft was building around Game Pass.
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This was a discussion about policy at the time, not a declaration that day-one access would remain permanent. Mixer closed in June 2020, a reminder that the email’s references to Microsoft’s broader bets were not guarantees that every initiative would endure.
What the acquisition discussions do—and do not—show
Internal acquisition material discussed possible targets, but a name on a list is not evidence that Microsoft made an offer. The separate Sega email is a stronger indication of a possible approach: in November 2020, Phil Spencer reportedly sought approval from Satya Nadella and Amy Hood to contact Sega about acquiring its gaming studios. The stated rationale included Sega’s varied portfolio, international appeal and potential to help Game Pass grow on and off console. That does not establish a binding offer or advanced negotiations.
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| Company or group | What the record described | Outcome established here |
|---|---|---|
| Sega | Spencer sought approval to explore an approach in a separate November 2020 email. | No acquisition resulted. |
| Bungie | Listed among potential targets in acquisition material. | No acquisition by Microsoft is established by that listing. |
| IO Interactive | Listed among potential targets in acquisition material. | No acquisition by Microsoft is established by that listing. |
| Supergiant Games | Listed among potential targets in acquisition material. | No acquisition by Microsoft is established by that listing. |
| ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent | Microsoft acquired the company in 2021 for approximately $7.5 billion, as reported in the hearing coverage. | Acquired in 2021. |
| Activision Blizzard | Microsoft announced its proposed acquisition in 2022. | Microsoft announced completion on October 13, 2023. Microsoft’s completion announcement. |
The reported target lists also included other companies, but those names should not be treated as offers or negotiations without evidence of those steps. The broader reporting on the email and related documents is collected in Thurrott’s report.
How Bethesda fits—and how it differs from the email
At the FTC hearing, Spencer said Microsoft pursued ZeniMax in part because Sony had secured arrangements that kept some Bethesda games, including Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, from shipping on Xbox. He also described concern that Starfield might similarly bypass Xbox. That testimony illustrates why Microsoft saw content ownership as important to its platform’s prospects. It does not show that Booty’s 2019 email caused the ZeniMax acquisition.
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Where Activision Blizzard enters the timeline
The 2019 email was not about the Activision Blizzard deal, which Microsoft announced in January 2022—more than two years later—and completed in October 2023. The email became public in June 2023 during the FTC’s challenge to that proposed acquisition, when control of game content and the risk of limiting rivals’ access to it were central issues. The FTC’s case record provides the official litigation context; the email is one piece of evidence, not a legal finding by itself.
What Microsoft said about the email
Microsoft said the email was more than three years old, referred to industry trends the company did not pursue, and was unrelated to its eventual Activision Blizzard acquisition. That is the company’s characterization of the document. The email supports the narrower conclusion that a senior Xbox executive advocated considering very large content investments; it does not, on its own, establish that the proposal was approved or carried out.
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What the quote proves—and what it does not
- It shows: Booty argued internally for aggressive spending on content and saw ownership of valuable games as a strategic advantage for Xbox.
- It does not establish: an approved plan to bankrupt Sony, a forecast that Sony would leave gaming, or a direct link between the email and the Activision Blizzard purchase.
- It does not convert consideration into execution: a potential-target list, an effort to seek permission to approach a company, a completed acquisition and a legal conclusion are distinct things.
The email is revealing because it casts the console rivalry as a contest over content, subscriptions and distribution, not just hardware. Its memorable phrase captures the ambition of the argument; it should not be mistaken for proof that Microsoft set out to eliminate Sony.
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