Notes

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

Microsoft plans to buy Minecraft's developer Mojang According to reports by Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



According to reports, Microsoft is in negotiations to purchase Minecraft's video games studio.



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



The Swedish studio said it had sold 54 million copies of its game in June. It's been available on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 since then, thereby increasing sales.



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



In the lead-up to the launch of the Windows 8 operating system, He had claimed that the company was "trying to ruin the PC as an open platform" because it wanted to validate third-party games prior to their release.



He was also a fervent advocate of independent studios. ARKADNE-IGRE.NET In 2012, he said: "The more studios can get away from the publisher system the more games will be developed with love, not for profits."



Bloomberg news agency claims it was Mr. Persson, who "reach out" to Microsoft a few month ago.



It was reported that a source suggested that if the deal went through the deal would be approved, Mr Persson would be able to assist with the transition, but was likely to leave afterward.



The New York Times reported that Persson would be leaving within six months. However an individual who was briefed on talks told me that Persson was likely to leave within six month. However, Mojang wanted to keep its young developers.



Microsoft spokespersons said they do not comment on speculations and rumours.



Mojang also declined to make a statement. BBC's questions were not answered by Mr. Persson.



Virtual world



Minecraft was first released in the year 2011 and has since become the third-most popular game ever and has become a cultural phenomenon.



The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has hosted an evening that looked at the design culture of the city, Lego has made spin-off toys, Ordnance Survey has created an island version of mainland Great Britain within the game and Denmark's government has constructed an exact model of the country.



The game is set in a virtual realm composed of cubes of various materials, such as dirt and rocks. These cubes can be used to create blocks or transformed into usable raw materials.



Player use the blocks to construct shelters and weapons to defend their character against the game's zombies and other creatures.



They can also take part in large-scale construction projects to show off their creativity.



A recent and extreme example was the creation of a functional virtual hard drive.



Mojang has also worked on other games however they either didn't meet the requirements of the success of Minecraft, such as the role-playing games (RPG) Scrolls or were shelved before completion – such as 0x10c which Mr Persson had been working towards up until the end of last year.



'Worried gamers'



The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on negotiations between Mojang and Microsoft in which they claimed that the deal could be finalised this week.



It noted that this would be the first multibillion acquisition by Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, since Nadella took over the company in 2003.



Harry Bradshaw, who has interviewed Mr. Persson on the Twitch video website, said that many gamers would be worried by the news.



"There have been cases in the past of large corporations taking another's game and transform it into a huge money-flip, just to see what profits they can make out of it," he said.



"Gamers are naturally concerned about this.



"And I am still unsure the reason Mojang would sell up when it is the bestselling PC game of all time and continues to sell thousands of copies every day."



One market watcher said that it was unlikely that Microsoft would pull existing Minecraft games off sale for the PlayStation, Mac, Android, Linux and other rival platforms.



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



Piers Harding-Rolls (lead games analyst at IHS) said that Minecraft is among the most important IPs [intellectual propertythat are in the gaming space that may be acquired.



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



"So, even though it's an investment that is expensive but it is still a good option for larger companies that want to get exclusive rights to a highly engaged franchise."



Minecraft maker shelves 0x10c game



19 August 2013



Twitch



IHS



New York Times



Bloomberg



WSJ


My Website: https://arkadne-igre.net/