Author Topic: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.  (Read 4123 times)

Aya Reiko

  • Humans are scary!
Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« on: September 16, 2014, 12:27:30 AM »
http://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2014/09/15/microsoft-to-buy-minecraft-maker-mojang-for-2-5-billion/

Quote
In the last two years, gamers have played more than 2 billion hours of Minecraft on Microsoft?s Xbox 360. Monday, Microsoft MSFT -0.97%  made the relationship official, announcing it will buy Minecraft maker Mojang for $2.5 billion. While that is just $1.5o per hour of play, the deal is 25% greater than the $2 billion rumored last week and the largest acquisition Microsoft has undertaken since Satya Nadella took over as CEO in February.

$2.5 Billion...

All that needs to be said right now.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2014, 02:17:57 AM by Aya Reiko »

MatsuriSakuragi

Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2014, 12:50:29 AM »
As long as they don't fuck up the PC version, I guess...?

Failure McFailFace

  • I'm h...a...p...p...y...
  • Impor
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2014, 04:14:29 AM »
As long as they don't fuck up the PC version, I guess...?
Probably. No wonder we didn't get any snapshots for the past 2 weeks. Then again, they tend to do that...
1cc Easy: DDC (all) | 1cc Normal: UFO (SanA autobomb),  DDC (ReiA, SakA) , LoLK (Sanae PD)| EX clears: DDC (MarB Ultra) | Puzzle Games: StB: 10-X, DS: Hatate unlock, ISC: All clear

Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2014, 03:12:00 PM »
As long as they don't fuck up the PC version, I guess...?

As long as I get my Minecraft for WindowsPhone.  :V

Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2014, 03:59:42 PM »
I recall a tweet by notch which said he was gonna pack it up if mojang didn't create another game as successful as minecraft.

I'm sure everyone in the universe knew that would never happen.

Tengukami

  • Breaking news. Any season.
  • *
  • I said, with a posed look.
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2014, 04:32:16 PM »
To be honest, I only wonder what took Microsoft so long to make an offer. Minecraft is huge, and has been wildly successful for a long time now.

"Human history and growth are both linked closely to strife. Without conflict, humanity would have no impetus for growth. When humans are satisfied with their present condition, they may as well give up on life."

MatsuriSakuragi

Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2014, 07:48:15 PM »
It's not like Notch NEEDS to make a new game beyond out of his own hobby time now. Dude's literally a fuckin' billionaire now.

That said, was Scrolls any good at all?

trancehime

  • 不聖女
  • *
  • 2017年~ 茨心R (希望)
    • himegimi
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2014, 06:11:41 AM »
I recall a tweet by notch which said he was gonna pack it up if mojang didn't create another game as successful as minecraft.

I'm sure everyone in the universe knew that would never happen.

He already announced that he was leaving.

It's not like Notch NEEDS to make a new game beyond out of his own hobby time now. Dude's literally a fuckin' billionaire now.

He just wants to go back to game jams and Ludum Dares and all that jazz. He wants to hide back in the small time shadows again.

That's what he said, anyway. People will still judge him for that though precisely because of the sale, though. Ah well.

元素召唤 || pad & msl news translator robit
twitter xx motk resident whale

DX7.EP

  • Red shroom
  • *
  • Smooth Charisma
    • Sanmaat (site of personal tat)
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2014, 01:44:13 PM »
One of the most interesting stories in the game industry as of late. I do understand Notch's position for the sale (especially given a recent fiasco in the MC modding community amid GPL licence conflicts and DMCA takedown notices) and wish him luck in his future endeavours, we may also see a repeat of Kim Swift's situation, where future works will be compared very bluntly to their magnum opus.

From this point forward things I can expect from MC under MSFT include:
  • WP8 port of Pocket Edition
  • A port to the Win8.x store, complete with ARM tablet support?
  • Integration of Minecraft Realms (Mojang's paid online server service) with MSFT cloud technologies such as Azure
  • Continued maintenance of all existing platforms' versions of the game. Making MC exclusive or gradually phasing out things, while possible, would be at quite some odds with the existing players (and doesn't exactly line up with Nadella's services-heavy strategy for MSFT anyway).
  • A rewrite to .NET/C# code
  • Logging in with MSFT accounts as an option

That said, was Scrolls any good at all?
IIRC it got overtaken by Hearthstone in terms of playerbase attention, so can't say much on the matter.
C:DOS> ayayaya.mid
Bad command or file name

C:>_

Zerviscos

  • Infinite Bread Chewing Powers! Activate!
  • *
  • Om nom nom nom nom nom*
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2014, 02:11:00 PM »
*Expects no more Minecraft in PSN*

Like I even play it on the PSN. Still, this would mean Minecraft might disappear from iOS, PSN, and such.



Twitter | Steam | Battle.net[Zerviscos#1833]

DX7.EP

  • Red shroom
  • *
  • Smooth Charisma
    • Sanmaat (site of personal tat)
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2014, 02:44:52 PM »
MSFT already made it clear MC would stay on all platforms it currently has a version for. According to the initial press statement:
Quote
Microsoft plans to continue to make “Minecraft” available across all the platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation.

Of course, MSFT could just slowly phase out updates for these other platforms and/or prioritise its platforms first (which already has precedent in the X360 version's much earlier launch than on other consoles), but I do not see this happening due to the sheer prevalence of MC across a variety of platforms, as well as the company's own multi-platform ventures as of late (Office on iPad, Kinectimals on iOS among others).
C:DOS> ayayaya.mid
Bad command or file name

C:>_

Aya Reiko

  • Humans are scary!
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2014, 09:53:59 AM »
Wouldn't surprise me if they did phase out updates for X360 and PS3, though due to them being older platforms they would like to phase out than anything.

For all we know MS may add a "platform" for Minecraft, Steam.

Stuffman

  • *
  • We're having a ball!
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2014, 09:56:09 PM »
How the hell are they gonna make that much money back on Minecraft?

Zerviscos

  • Infinite Bread Chewing Powers! Activate!
  • *
  • Om nom nom nom nom nom*
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2014, 12:49:43 AM »
How the hell are they gonna make that much money back on Minecraft?
DLCs

I've been thinking about too. Considering it's already in almost EVERY platform, right now. I doubt anyone would buy them for their future X'blocks' if they decided to make it exclusive, atm.


Or, Steam it. Wait for sale. Even 10% off. People buy it, even though MOST already have it, just so they could stare at it in their library of collection of unplayed games.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2014, 01:36:30 AM by En »



Twitter | Steam | Battle.net[Zerviscos#1833]

Third Eye Lem

  • Time Ticker
  • Castle Bal
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2014, 12:53:45 AM »
MSFT already made it clear MC would stay on all platforms it currently has a version for. According to the initial press statement.

Of course, MSFT could just slowly phase out updates for these other platforms and/or prioritise its platforms first (which already has precedent in the X360 version's much earlier launch than on other consoles), but I do not see this happening due to the sheer prevalence of MC across a variety of platforms, as well as the company's own multi-platform ventures as of late (Office on iPad, Kinectimals on iOS among others).
They'd better keep updating for PC...And not lock down MC with ridiculous DRM. My friend and her roommate play MC regularly and we started messing around in Tekkit's mods, so forgive me if I'm a bit...Skittish. MS hasn't exactly done right in the past so I'm still skeptical about the dealings between them and Mojang.


Or, Steam it. Wait for sale. Even 10% off. People buy it, even though MOST already have it, just so they could stare at it in their library of collection of unplayed games.
...Now I wonder why Valve didn't jump on this first instead. :V They'd make a killing off of MC DLC, see.

Helepolis

  • Charisma!
  • *
  • O-ojousama!?
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #15 on: September 19, 2014, 08:05:30 AM »
Notch never bothered seriously with MC after he cashed in Alpha and early Beta. The community carried MC into the success and Notch was cool with this (see the endless mods and such). Because the basic Minecraft versions never offered anything interesting. The mods did.

Right now he discovered that he don't want to deal any more with the drama and thus cashed a little more money. Technically he never has to work any more in his entire life. So he can just go do random things here and there (cash more money) with easy life.

But hey, nothing to blame him. He pulled a smart move and I would've done the same.

Microsoft doesn't needs to do much about MC since the community still carries the game. Maybe rewrite it in VISUAL BASIC or something to ditch the **** Java, but probably that will anger modders here and there.


Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2014, 11:43:16 AM »
Notch never bothered seriously with MC after he cashed in Alpha and early Beta. The community carried MC into the success and Notch was cool with this (see the endless mods and such). Because the basic Minecraft versions never offered anything interesting. The mods did.

Right now he discovered that he don't want to deal any more with the drama and thus cashed a little more money. Technically he never has to work any more in his entire life. So he can just go do random things here and there (cash more money) with easy life.

But hey, nothing to blame him. He pulled a smart move and I would've done the same.

Microsoft doesn't needs to do much about MC since the community still carries the game. Maybe rewrite it in VISUAL BASIC or something to ditch the **** Java, but probably that will anger modders here and there.
Never having to work again is at about $1M (most people work because they like it, or waste money), he's at his grandkids never have to work level.

If you're going to rewrite it needs to be C++, due to multiplatform.
Java's hate is mostly for applets (equivalent to MSs ActiveX) , not for standalone programs like Minecraft.
Java's main problem especially Java64 is the RAM overhead.

Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #17 on: September 19, 2014, 07:25:15 PM »
Java's hate is mostly for applets (equivalent to MSs ActiveX) , not for standalone programs like Minecraft.

You're funny.

Teh Kookaburra

  • Kook
  • I like dem burds
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2014, 02:38:16 AM »
I stopped playing minecraft like 2 years age
Got way too boring
But again, every elementary school plays it.

H4xolotl

  • Myon
Re: Microsoft buys Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 BILLION.
« Reply #19 on: September 23, 2014, 06:20:30 AM »
Just a little context on why Microsoft is willing to spend 2.5 billion;

They expect Minecraft and Mojang to repay the opportunity cost within 2 years. Its not the 2.5 billion dollars, but the money they would get in interest if the 2.5 bil sat in the bank.

The other benefit is of course buying something cool and making Microsoft "hip" again now that Google and Apple's own brands are so much more popular.
It's fun to imagine what that large marshmallow-looking thing tastes like