Editing Microsoft

|title         = Microsoft Corporation

|logo         = [[File:Microsoft logo.svg|250px]]

|type         = Public

|headquarters = {{flag|USA}} Redmond, Washington

|founded       = April 4th, 1975

|key_people   = John W. Thompson <br> Brad Smith <br> Satya Nadella <br> Bill Gates <br> Paul Allen <br> Phil Spencer

|industry     = Technology

|products     = Computers, Software, Video Games

|num_employees = 221,000 <small>(2023)</small>

|website       = [https://www.microsoft.com/ Microsoft Corporation]

'''Microsoft''' is an American technology company founded on April 4th, 1975 by {{s|wikipedia|Bill Gates}} and {{s|wikipedia|Paul Allen}}. The origins of Microsoft can be traced back to 1972 when Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Traf-O-Data, which primarily developed computers meant to calculate and interpret raw data collected by traffic counters and cameras. In 1975, the two developed and pitched a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) agreed to sell the interpreter, now called Altair BASIC. Gates and Allen would shut down Traf-O-Data and establish Microsoft around this time. The company would become a leader in the technology industry, with operating systems like Xenix and MS-DOS, and later {{s|wikipedia|Microsoft Windows}}, as well as the Microsoft Office Suite, the Internet Explorer web browser, the MSX line of personal computers, and the Bing search engine. The company is also known for manufacturing hardware products, including the {{s|wikipedia|Xbox}} video game consoles. Its video game division, {{s|wikipedia|Xbox Game Studios}}, publishes well-known series such as ''Halo'', ''Gears of War'', ''Forza'' and ''Fable'' in addition to indie-developed titles such as ''Super Lucky's Tale'', ''Ori and the Blind Forest'', and its sequel ''Ori and the Will of the Wisps''.<!--Note: Contrary to popular belief, Microsoft did not publish Cuphead nor do they own the IP. The game was self-published and owned by its developer, Studio MDHR, so do not add it here as Microsoft has no involvement in the property other than finance it-->  

On September 24th, 2002, Microsoft purchased [[Rare]], alongside the license for their original intellectual properties, such as {{uv|Banjo-Kazooie}}, {{uv|Perfect Dark}}, and ''Conker''. Rare's contributions to the {{uv|Donkey Kong}} and {{uv|Star Fox}} franchises remain under Nintendo's ownership, excluding certain characters from ''Diddy Kong Racing''. <!--Note: Tiptup reappeared in Banjo-Kazooie's remaster on Xbox Live. (while a very small DK cameo was changed entirely) T.T. and Tiptup both appeared in a pitch for a cancelled Xbox game called the Fast and the Furriest which had no Nintendo involvement. Taking these two facts into consideration it seems safe to assume Microsoft owns the DKR characters--> On November 6th, 2014, Microsoft purchased [[Mojang Studios]], alongside the {{uv|Minecraft}} franchise, from its original founder, {{s|wikipedia|Markus Persson}}. On September 21st, 2020, Microsoft announced that it agreed to acquire {{iw|wikipedia|ZeniMax Media}}, which was finalized on March 9th, 2021. On December 2nd, 2020, Microsoft acquired popular tournament organizing website smash.gg, later rebranded to [[start.gg]]. On January 18th, 2022, Microsoft announced intentions to purchase {{iw|wikipedia|Activision Blizzard}} and all its subsidiaries. After several delays and interventions from international trade commissions, the deal was finalized on October 13th, 2023.

Microsoft owns [[Rare Ltd.]], the company that created the {{uv|Banjo-Kazooie}} franchise and owns its titular characters, [[Banjo]] and [[Kazooie]]. The ''Banjo-Kazooie'' universe debuted in ''Ultimate'' as DLC on September 4th, 2019, with {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}} as a playable fighter, alongside the stage [[Spiral Mountain]], a location from the original ''Banjo-Kazooie'' games, multiple spirits, and 10 music tracks from both ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Banjo-Tooie'', including a remix composed by Grant Kirkhope, the original composer of the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' games.

 

 

Three characters from properties published by the Microsoft-owned [[List of companies with minor representation#Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda Softworks]]: [[Vault Boy]] from the {{uvm3|Fallout}} series, the [[Dragonborn]] from ''The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'', and [[Doom Slayer]] from the {{uvm3|Doom}} series, also appear as DLC Mii Fighter costumes. It should be noted that Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft after the Vault Boy costume's release.

 

Xbox Game Studios logo.png|The logo for Microsoft's video game division, Xbox Game Studios.

*As Microsoft produces the Xbox line of game consoles, it is the first, and so far only, company with content featured in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series which currently competes with [[Nintendo]]. It is the second company with content featured in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series to compete with Nintendo at any point in its history, following [[Sega]] and preceding [[SNK]], although both other companies stopped making consoles prior to providing content for ''Super Smash Bros''.

***Additionally, ''Fallout'' was originally owned by Interplay Entertainment before selling the IP to Bethesda Studios, while ''Doom'' was originally solely owned by id Software prior to Bethesda's acquisition of the company in 2009.

*Microsoft is the third third-party company to be introduced to the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series as DLC in the form of playable fighters, the first two being [[Square Enix]] and [[Atlus]].

*Microsoft is the first major non-Japanese third-party company to be represented to the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, followed by [[Disney]].

*During {{h1|Mr. Sakurai Presents|Mr. Sakurai Presents "Banjo & Kazooie}}, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] recommended that players play the original {{uv|Banjo-Kazooie}} titles on the Xbox One, the mention of which caused the word "Xbox" to be [http://web.archive.org/web/20190909020028/https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/2019/09/05/trend-xbox-twitter-japan/ the number one trending topic on Twitter in Japan], due to the console's infamously poor performance in the country.

[[Category:Minecraft universe]]