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Microsoft Pays $2.5bn For Minecraft Maker Mojang

Microsoft pays $2.5bn for Minecraft maker Mojang By Joe Miller Technology reporter, BBC News



Microsoft has acquired Mojang, the Swedish firm behind the popular video game Minecraft, for $2.5bn (PS1.5bn).



The game that has sold more than 54 million copies, lets players to build structures using retro Lego-style blocks and explore a large map and fight against other players.



Phil Spencer, chief Xbox executive announced the deal.



Mojang its founders, assured fans that everything was going to be perfectly.
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Analysts speculate that the deal is designed to increase the number of Microsoft's Windows Phone users.



The acquisition comes one year after Microsoft bought the handset and devices division of Finnish mobile phone firm Nokia.



Minecraft is one of the top-selling apps on both Apple's iOS store and and Android's Google Play, and has recently been released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and has boosted sales even more.



This month it was the third most-loved console game according to market research firm NPD Group, despite being on sale for a while.



Mojang is the game's developer was founded in 2009. It made over $100m in the last fiscal year and has about 40 employees.



Microsoft announced that the Mojang team will join its game studio that is responsible for titles like Halo, Forza and Fable.



The tech giant's chief executive, Satya Nadella, said: "Minecraft is more than a great game franchise - it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about and brimming with exciting opportunities for that community and for Microsoft."



Opposition to the sale



Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson has previously criticized Microsoft and told Reuters that the market for Windows phones was "tiny" and not worth developing apps for.



Minecraft has a large and enthusiastic cult fan base who have reacted angrily to what they see as a corporate takeover of a communally-spirited independent company.



"Makes me sick, and sad," wrote one user on a popular Minecraft forum. EvilBatsu wrote, "It would kill off the gaming community."



Others expressed concern over the possibility of their talents being showcased by fans.



"It will not just cost more to play the game, but it will also cost people their jobs." Many players play Minecraft and upload it to YouTube as a profession, but when Microsoft becomes the sole owner, there will definitely be copyright issues."



Some gamers suggested that Microsoft could use more resources on expansions to the game and upgrades.



In an announcement, Microsoft said it would maintain Minecraft across all its existing platforms, and with a "commitment to nurture and develop it long into the future".



It added that the acquisition was expected to be completed by the end of 2014.



In a statement confirming the deal on its website, Mojang reassured gamers, declaring: "Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you - the community - are crucial to everyone involved. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be that."



In regards to Microsoft, Mojang said: "There are only a handful of potential buyers with the resources to grow Minecraft to the scale it is deserved."



The company stated that "Notch" was deciding that he did not want to take on the responsibility of managing a company of such global significance.



Developer Notch on selling Minecraft:



"I've become an object of. I do not want to be a significator, accountable for something that I don't understand, that I don't want to work on and that is always coming back to me. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a chief executive officer.



Read the entire statement



Why Minecraft?



James McQuivey of analytics firm Forrester has stated that "Minecraft is one of the most significant gaming properties in the world".



"Not only is it profitable however, it continues to increase in profits years after its launch, largely due to the passionate fan base that invests in the creation of their own Minecraft worlds.



"That helps explain why Microsoft would want Minecraft and would like to ensure that it's always accessible on Microsoft's gaming platforms.



Professor Mark Skilton from Warwick Business School said that the acquisition was about building a strong customer base for Microsoft.



"The online gaming industry is quickly shifting from a niche group of enthusiasts to mass market , and Minecraft is a sensible choice as big business follows the growth of traffic in the digital world."



In the last month, Amazon bought Twitch, an online platform that allows users to watch other people play video games for $970m (PS597m).



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