Fact-check: No, Microsoft did not acquire Sony for $130 billion | Truth here

The news of Microsoft acquiring its arch-rival in the gaming space, Sony took many by surprise, when in reality it's nothing more than a prank. See how the rumour began.

Microsoft's acquisition of makers of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, the US-based ZeniMax, which is the parent of Bethesda, might have angered a few PlayStation owners, but the news of Microsoft acquiring Sony has left many puzzled. The entire world woke up to the surprising headlines that read "Microsoft acquires Sony with all its divisions, including PlayStation."

Clearly, this piece of news, without any prior intimation, left many wondering. While some questioned the authenticity of the information, many couldn't believe what had just happened. The acquisition of a conglomerate such as Sony by another giant, and a rival at that, naturally sparked a debate online.

The claim

The news of Microsoft acquiring Sony went viral after a Spanish website reported the development. In a detailed article, the website said the deal was reportedly valued at $130 billion, but there were many details added to make it sound legit.

From Phil Spencer's notion to reinforce Xbox catalog by acquiring the biggest rival there is to taking advantage of some of Sony's biggest strengths like cameras for Microsoft's existing Surface Duo lineup, the article was well rounded with points that one couldn't suspect of being wrong.

Several users also reacted to the news.

Fact-check

The article was shared by a website called "Microsofters" and soon got wind as users shared its Engligh-translated version by EN24 news on social media. IBTimes fact check desk investigated the claim and found it to be false. Here's why.

The original article by Spanish website was shared on December 28, which is widely observed as the "Day of the Holy Innocents" in many Hispanic cultures. For the unversed, it is an equivalent of April Fools' Day, an annual tradition of practical jokes and hoaxes.

In addition to that, except for a few blogs, no other publication picked up what could've been the biggest news story of the decade. Even some websites that fell for it quickly deleted the article after being enlightened about its origin.

Based on these facts, IBTimes has arrived at the conclusion that Microsoft has not acquired Sony and that the rumour was just a Spanish April fool prank.