Microsoft has just announced that they have closed a deal to purchase Minecraft asnd its developer Mojang. This confirms the rumors that began last week, which said that the deal would cost Microsoft either $2 billion or $2.5 billion. While Microsoft hasn’t confirmed how much they paid to acquire Mojang, it seems like it is the higher amount. Microsoft announced the deal by saying:
“At Microsoft, we believe in the power of content to unite people. Minecraft adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms. Gaming is the top activity across devices and we see great potential to continue to grow the Minecraft community and nurture the franchise. That is why we plan to continue to make Minecraft available across platforms – including iOS, Android and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC.
The Minecraft community is passionate and diverse, ranging across all ages and demographics. We respect the brand and independent spirit that has made Minecraft great, and we’ll carry on the tradition of innovation to move the franchise forward. Our investments in cloud, Xbox Live and mobile technology will enable players to benefit from richer and faster worlds, more powerful development tools, and more opportunities to connect with the Minecraft community.”
With Microsoft owning Minecraft and its developer many question have surfaced. The first is what will happen to Minecraft on other systems, and how will this change Minecraft going forward. As far as other consoles with the game, such as PS3, PS4, and PS Vita it is doubtful that Microsoft will pull Minecraft from them due to the potential fan backlash. Reuters reported that the acquisition was intended to bolster the Windows Phone platform, so focus will likely be on the mobile space. As far as Minecraft’s future, that is more open for debate. Microsoft could push for development of Minecraft 2, which could then be a Microsoft exclusive game. Unfortunately we’ll have to wait and see as everything has just been changed.
UPDATE: Markus “Notch”Persson, the creator of Minecraft, has announced that he will leave the company after this deal is completed.
Published: Sep 15, 2014 08:50 am