Who Should Buy the Mortal Kombat Franchise?

Midway filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy early this year. As part of their plan to save the company, Midway may have to sell the Mortal Kombat franchise. The popular mature fighting series composes of over ten mainline games and numerous spin-offs. It is by far the most valuable asset for Midway. Their loss is someone's gain, however. So who should purchase the Mortal Kombat intellectual property from Midway? Let's take a look a several potential buyers.

Capcom

No other companies are associated with fighting games as much as Capcom. After all, they started the craze with Street Fighter II. In fact, Mortal Kombat wouldn't have existed without the aforementioned title. For Capcom, buying Mortal Kombat from Midway will give them two of the most popular fighting franchises. Not to mention that it will also open up the possibility of a crossover game between Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. That will be a fanboy's dream come true.

Namco

Right behind Capcom in the fighting games department is Namco. They may actually be a better fit since their specialty is 3D fighters, which Mortal Kombat is currently evolving into. Already with Tekken and Soulcalibur under their belt, Namco's purchase of the Mortal Kombat intellectual property will give them a triple threat that might put them over Capcom as the best fighting company around.

Nintendo

Although it may seems like an odd match at first, Mortal Kombat may be what Nintendo currently needs. Nintendo has a perception problem with hardcore gamers due to the lack of mature-rated games on their gaming systems. The purchase of Mortal Kombat should alleviate some of Nintendo's problem. Furthermore, Nintendo could also use the famous Mortal Kombat fighters for their popular Super Smash Bros. titles.

Microsoft

Microsoft is still relatively new to the gaming industry. They are still a little behind Sony and Nintendo in terms of popular franchises. For a company known for their mature-rated titles (Gears of War, Halo, Fable), Mortal Kombat is a perfect fit. Moreover, the purchase will also expand the diversity in Microsoft's first party lineup for the Xbox 360 and future gaming systems.

Sony

Sony has an abundant amount of video game franchises. With the lone exceptions of God of War and Gran Turismo, however, none of them has reached the mainstream appeal status. If Sony would to buy the Mortal Kombat franchise, it would instantly become one of their most popular intellectual properties. Like Microsoft, the fighting series will also help Sony expand on their already diverse lineup.

In the best of scenarios, Midway should keep the Mortal Kombat franchise. However, you won't find a better match than the five aforementioned companies if they can't hold on to their popular intellectual property.