Notes

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 bought Mojang the Swedish firm behind the popular video game Minecraft for $2.5bn (PS1.5bn).



The title has been sold more than 54 million copies. It allows players to create structures using retro Lego-style blocks. They can also explore large maps and battle with other players.



Phil Spencer, chief Xbox executive, announced the deal.



Mojang the company's founders promised fans that everything was going to be fine.



Some analysts have speculated the deal is designed to draw more customers to Microsoft's Windows Phone devices.



This acquisition comes a year after Microsoft bought the Finnish mobile phone company Nokia's handset and devices division.



Minecraft is among the most popular games on the Apple iOS store and Android's Google Play, and has recently been made available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and has boosted sales even more.



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



The game's developer, Mojang, which was founded in 2009, brought in more than $100 million in profits last year, and employs around 40 employees.



Microsoft announced that the Mojang team would be joining its game studio, which is responsible for games like Halo, Forza, and Fable.



The tech giant's chief executive, Satya Nadella, said: "Minecraft is more than an amazing game franchise. It is an open world platform, driven by a lively community that we cherish, and rich with new opportunities for the community as well as for Microsoft."
INFO


Opposition to the sale



Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson, has previously criticised Microsoft, and commented to 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 expressed anger over what they see as the corporate takeover of an independent, community-minded 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 about whether fans would be able to demonstrate their talents.



"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 however, should Microsoft takes over there will for sure be copyright issues."



Some players suggested that Microsoft could spend more resources on the game's expansion and improvements.



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



It also stated that the acquisition was expected to be concluded by the end of 2014.



In a statement that confirmed 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. Let this be the only thing you take away from this post.



In relation to Microsoft, Mojang said: "There are only a handful of potential buyers who have the resources to expand Minecraft on the scale it deserves."



The firm added that "Notch" has decided that he "doesn't want the responsibility of owning an enterprise with such global importance".



Developer Notch on selling Minecraft:



"I've become a symbol. I don’t want to be an object of ridicule. I don't want to be responsible for something that I don’t understand. That I don’t want to work on. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a chief executive."



Read his statement in full



Why Minecraft?



James McQuivey of analytics firm Forrester, noted that "Minecraft is among the most popular gaming properties in the world".



"Not only is it profitable, but it continues to increase in terms of profits even after its release, largely because of the ardent fan base that invests in the creation of their own Minecraft worlds.



"That is a reason the reason Microsoft would be interested in Minecraft and would want to ensure that it's always available on Microsoft's gaming platforms.



Prof. Mark Skilton, from Warwick Business School Prof Mark Skilton from Warwick Business School 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 logical move since big business is following the growth of traffic in the digital world."



Amazon bought Twitch last month for $970m (PS597m).



"It's all about my mental health"



Microsoft is 'set to buy Minecraft'



Microsoft completes Nokia phone deal



25 April 2014



Microsoft



NPD Group


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