This week we brought you the news that Microsoft is reportedly looking to purchase Mojang, the Swedish developer behind the wildly successful game Minecraft. Now, Reuters says Microsoft will announce the $US2.5 billion deal on Monday.
This post was originally published on Gizmodo Australia.
Analysts speculate that the deal has to do with Microsoft’s need to boost Windows Phone: Minecraft has a loyal mobile following on Android and iOS devices, but no presence on Microsoft’s smartphones. And Mojang co-founder and Minecraft creator Markus Persson hasn’t been shy about criticising Microsoft, though it’s reported that Persson approached Microsoft proposing the sale.
Whatever it was that started the discussion, we’ll see if it pans out on Monday. [Reuters via The Verge]
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22 responses to “Report: Microsoft Will Purchase The Makers Of Minecraft On Monday”
To be honest, I wouldn’t sell out my game that became famous worldwide. Markus Persson is a multi-millionaire(not sure on the correct figure but some say 600 Million), why would he need another 2.5billion! 600Million is a freaking lot! He made just over 100 million last year. If he were to say, sell it for new inspiration to the game, why not leave it to someone at Majong?
But i guess what’s better than 600 million? Another 2.5Billion.
Unfortunately, that’s what happens in the gaming community. Everyone needs money. And they feel that betraying their own ideals is usually a good way to get it.
He reinvested a large amount of the earnings from minecraft back into the company, which hasn’t seen another near as successful game as minecraft. He also invests lots of money back into the indie game dev community.
It’s called greed.
Depends on what he does with the money and the terms of the agreement.
If he turns around and gives most of that money to the Red Cross or something similar, is that still greed?
If the company is sold with the condition that development for other platforms be ongoing, that negates much of the potential evil that we all suspect Microsoft would get up to.
M$ wouldn’t pay $5.2Big ones for a deal like that.
$2.5B, but I sort of agree it’s unlikely.
However, I’m not sure that turning down US$2.5B under these circumstances can be regarded as greedy. Distrust of Microsoft is common and generally quite justified, but I have trouble regarding the nonavailability of a *game* for some platforms as the sort of core value that would justify turning down that sort of money.
Even if he took the money and kept it I would sympathise, but historically Notch has been far more generous than that.
In a world where the courts typically value a human life at around $1M, he could do a lot of good. It remains to be seen what he does actually wind up doing – which was sort of my point.
Yeah sorry meant $2.5 lol Of course they would make any future games exclusive to MS platforms, I wouldn’t call this a distrust. Sony would make it exclusive as well if they had the chance, Mojang would know what would happen if they sold out to any of the big guys.
This will be interesting. I’m wondering if Microsoft is willing to lose millions on the PlayStation and pc/mac platforms just to make this an exclusive.
How the hell are they going to monetize this to get back their 2.5bil investment? I can’t help but think they’re gonna lock the game down hard – possibly make it a xbox exclusive with paywalls for tilesets\features. If it’s not a Xbox exclusive maybe they’ll remove dedicated server support\mod support and switch to a walled garden approach to nickel and dime customers.
I just can’t see how it’s worth that much money to them considering the market is reaching it’s upper limit for new customers. MS also have a great track record of destroying PC developers that they’ve purchased.
No more new “versions” everything is paid DLC now.
The multiplayer is now subscription based
the pc version doubles in price
and all the “clones” are going to be sued
Merchandise merchandise merchandise!
I bought my kids Creeper scarves from Pax for $50. I bought my eldest the Minecraft handbooks for his birthday, I buy them minecraft clothes, they beg me for the lego, it never ends.
Like Star Wars, the money isn’t in the movies, it’s in the merchandise.
Yer tbh i didnt even think of merchandising as i don’t have any kids\wife that like that sorta stuff. Completely valid tho!
This is exactly where theyre putting the income
There is always the possibility for new iterations of the ip too
I would think making it an exclusive would cost make them less money
All the income from merchandise, also micro-transactions out the wazoo, and as @zar mentioned more than likely subscription based multi-player.
If Notch is so against Facebook buying Oculus, surely this is in the same sort of anti-corporate vein? Microsoft aren’t Facebook, admittedly, and the privacy issue isn’t as prevalent, but given his statements after the Facebook acquisition this sounds a bit like a double standard.
But hey, whatever, it’s his game and his company. I’d be hard-pressed to say “no” to that mountain of coin too.
i’m pretty sure notch went back on his oculus tweet
Oh yeah? I must have missed that one. He can go back on a tweet but until Minecraft VR is back on I’m going to assume it’s a PR move rather than a change of heart.
It’s amazing what 2.5 billion dollars will make you do.
So when did the deal go up by half a billion.
Deal was rumoured to be $2bn. Rumours aren’t exactly the most accurate sources of information.
Maybe it’s $2 billion in cash plus a half a billion dollar Microsoft gift card