SEGA Share Price Rises On Microsoft Buyout Rumours

Chalk this one up to being one MASSIVE rumour at the moment, but reports are circulating that Xbox console manufacturer Microsoft could be eyeing up a takeover of SEGA. Shares in SEGA rose by 17 per cent as a result of the speculation.

A report from AlwaysGame (via TSSZ) outline that the company's share price "rose as much as 200 yen, or the exchange-imposed limit, to 1,385 yen in afternoon trading and ended 134 yen, or 11.3 percent higher, at the 3 p.m. market close." All based on the idea that SEGA could be bought out by Microsoft.

Before we start wondering what kind of future SEGA would look like as an Xbox company, it's worth pointing out that SEGA itself is unaware of anything happening. According to SEGA spokesperson Hiroyuki Soga and Microsoft Japan rep Kazushi Okabe, no such plans are in the works.

Likely that it's just investors getting worked up over nothing, although it would be interesting if this ever ended up happening - SEGA does have a close third-party relationship with Microsoft for its Xbox, and the Dreamcast did use Windows OS technology... although Sonic has, of course, made his home on Nintendo platforms since SEGA's drop out of the console market. Would Sonic be as comfortable on an Xbox? Who knows? If this rumour ends up being untrue, it might not even matter.