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Microsoft Set to Buy Minecraft's Developer Mojang, Say Reports

Microsoft set to buy Minecraft's developer Mojang, say reports By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



The video games studio behind Minecraft is in talks to be taken by Microsoft according to reports.



It has been suggested that Mojang might sell for more than $2bn (PS1.2bn).



The Swedish studio said it had sold 54 million copies of its world-building title in June. SRVLST.COM Since then it has also been released for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and has boosted sales even more.



Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson has previously criticized Microsoft.



He said that Microsoft was trying to "destroy the Windows 8 operating platform as an open platform" by certifying third-party titles prior to the release of Windows 8.



He was also a strong advocate of independent studios. In 2012, he declared that: "The more studios can get away from the publisher system the more games will be created out love rather than making a profit."



But, according to Bloomberg news agency, it was actually Mr Persson who "reached out" to Microsoft a few months ago.



The report said that a source suggested should the deal go through, Mr Persson could help in the transition, but it was likely to leave the company afterward.



The New York Times also stated that a source briefed on the talks had revealed that Mr. Persson was likely to leave within six months, but added that Mojang wanted to hold its younger developers.



A spokesperson for Microsoft said: "We don't comment on speculation and rumours."



Mojang also declined to comment. BBC's questions weren't answered by Mr. Persson.



Virtual world



Minecraft was released for the first time in 2011. It has since evolved into a cultural phenomenon and is the third most played game.



The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted a night that explored its design culture, Lego has made spin-off toys, Ordnance Survey has created a model of mainland Great Britain within the game, and Denmark's government has constructed an accurate model of their country.



The title is set in a virtual realm made up of cubes made of various materials, including dirt and rock. The majority of them are able to be used as building blocks or refined into usable raw materials.



The player uses the blocks to build shelters and build weapons to protect their character from the game's zombies and other monsters.



They can also take part in huge construction projects in order to flex their creative skills.



One of the most recent examples was the creation of a working virtual hard drive.



Mojang has also worked on other games but they either did not meet the standards of Minecraft's success – for instance, the role-playing games (RPG) Scrolls or were shelved before completion – like 0x10c that Mr. Persson was working on until last year.



'Worried gamers'



The Wall Street Journal was first to report negotiations between Mojang and Microsoft and Microsoft, stating that the deal could be completed this week.



It noted that this would be the first multibillion-dollar acquisition by Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, since he took charge of the company.



Harry Bradshaw, who has interviewed Mr Persson on the Twitch video site He said that a lot of gamers are worried about the news.



He said that there were instances in the past when large corporations have taken someone else's game and turned it into a huge profit-making scheme to determine how much they could make,"



"Gamers are naturally worried about this.



"And it is a bit confusing to me why Mojang would sell up, bearing in mind it is the bestselling PC game of all time and is still selling thousands of copies per day."



One market analyst said it was unlikely that Microsoft would take away existing Minecraft games from sale on the PlayStation, Mac and Android, Linux, or other competing platforms.



However, he said that Microsoft's different systems could be preferred when it comes to future products.



"Minecraft is among the top IPs [intellectual properties] within the games space that is potentially acquirable," said Piers Harding-Rolls, lead games analyst at the consultancy IHS.



"The brand is positioned to continue its growth over the next 10 years,"



"So, as an investment, even at a expensive price, it offers value to larger corporations looking to acquire exclusivity around an active franchise."



Minecraft maker shelves game



19 August 2013



Minecraft creator attacks Windows



28 September 2012



Twitch



IHS



New York Times



Bloomberg



WSJ


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