UPDATE: Bill Gates Is All For Selling Off Xbox

Update: While it still doesn’t invalidate the previous news, it should be noted that apparently Bill Gates also told Fox news that he did not really see the Xbox division being sold off as it is a part of Microsoft’s long-term strategy along with services like Bing.

Original story: There have been various rumors throughout the last year about Microsoft wanting to possibly sell off the Xbox division of their company, and this latest tweet is certainly going to add more fuel to the fire:

While Bill Gates has stepped down from his position as CEO and Chairman at Microsoft, he still remains with the company as a technology advisor to newly appointed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. He certainly retains no small amount of influence within the company.

While this is not necessarily a sign that Microsoft is in fact going to sell off the Xbox division, it’s certainly a sign that there would be little resistance. Bill Gates was one of the Xbox division’s staunchest supporters at the beginning, and now while he’s not calling for a sale himself, he’d apparently be all for it if that’s what Nadella wants to do.

The real question is if a sale does happen, how would it affect Xbox? Would another company give them or even have the same resources available for the Xbox to remain competitive in the marketplace? Or would they merely want the brand and the marketing potential that comes with it? Regardless, we probably won’t see any sale or an effect of any sale happen for quite some time (possibly the next round of consoles if there is one) so it’s nothing for Xbox fans to worry about in the immediate future.

What do you think, GameSided readers? Would Xbox survive if it was sold off? Would it be better in the hands of someone else? Who would that be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!