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Console Warz.
WSJ: ''Mojang to be bought by Microsoft'
- Thread starter Thomper
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Console Warz.
Is minecraft merchandising really worth that much ?
Even spiderman doesn't get that much from merchandise
VR is still a gamble, Minecraft 2 is money-in-the-bank.
That's not counting toys, clothing, lunch boxes, everything.
My buddy has a 12 year old, last time I saw him he was in a minecraft t shirt. My cousin's eight year old talks to me about minecraft. Minecraft is huge with kids.
Palette Swap
Member
I might be completely off but I'm not sure it works that way. Minecraft is incredibly popular because of its very formula. Its brand identity seems secondary to the formula and just pushing out games that share that identity wouldn't automatically lead to commercial success, at least not to the multi-billion dollar kind of success we're imagining here.
Then again, that's the kind of ham fisted approach MS tends to have.
Gentleman Jack
Member
plasmawave
Banned
You know something, don't you!
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
Broder Salsa
Banned
Yep it's crazy. I always knew minecraft had a quite large following and there's conventions and stuff... But if you go to any school and see what the 6 to 12 year olds are playing, it's mostly minecraft, and they are playing it on phones, ipads and computers, fucking everything.
Bingo, my nephews recently had a Minecraft bday party and they got SO much stuff that was Minecraft branded. Legos, books, toys, posters, etc. The brand recognition alone is worth A LOT of money. Minecraft so huge that it has become the Mario for kids of today.
JackAubrey
Member
Yup my 5 year old boy and his 7yo twin brother and sister play it. And they talk about it a lot. They make prototypes in Lego. Read about it. Everyone at school plays or knows about it. The IP is huge - and not yet really reaching its full potential.
Corronchilejano
Member
Hexic was ok.
GhostTrick
Banned
Let's be serious, for 2 billions... there's like a lot smarter ways to use that much of money. They could basically buy one or two big publisher or tons developpers.
That'd be like making 10 GTA5.
Do any of you know any children? My nephew and his friends scream bloody murder for Minecraft in any way they can get it. They have it on their phones, their parent's phones, their consoles and eventually on their new consoles. This is to say nothing of the other merch. Notch owns these kids and millions more. $2 bil doesn't sound that crazy.
Two billion...I wouldn't be too worried about my reputation. I'd buy an island and everyone could fuck off haha
Twin Tails
Member
Wow if true minecraft is fing huge
So... I guess this is the master plan of universe domination:
1) Pull game from PSN, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
2) Pull game from Android, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
3) Pull game from iOS, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
4) Pull game from Android, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
5) Pull game from Windows, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
6) Mandatory 24/7 Kinect is required.
1) Pull game from PSN, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
2) Pull game from Android, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
3) Pull game from iOS, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
4) Pull game from Android, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
5) Pull game from Windows, drop support screwing all customers who have paid
6) Mandatory 24/7 Kinect is required.
Stock is at a 14 year high. Titanic boat loads of money rolling in every month. I think they know what they are doing.
outunderthestars
Banned
Yes, and in a few years they will all move onto something else.
It is a fad, not a long term business. For a frame of reference. Lucas was sold to Disney for 4 billion.
I refuse to believe that Minecraft is worth half as much as the entire Lucas IP collection.
Yes, but here is the thing: Spending two billion to buy that IP doesn't magically make those kids all run out and spend more money. They already own Minecraft. By the time MS can release a new version/product, the crowd will have moved on to something else.
Microsoft is a sundial in a stopwatch market. They won't be able to move fast enough to capitalize on the craze before it is over. This is the Kinect all over again.
VibratingDonkey
Member
Imagine how many potentially great Xbone exclusives aren't going to happen if they're actually planning to spend $2 billion on this one thing. Must be at least like three or something.
Also, I don't care for Minecraft.
Also, I don't care for Minecraft.
Cobalt is not a Mojang game and technically Minecraft was released before Mojang was a studio.
Facebook wanted Oculus because of its potential and that amount still seems excessive. They want in before it potentially becomes a success.
Microsoft is too late getting on the success train so there has to be more in it for them than just Minecraft to offer $2 billion dollars. Even when you count in sequels.
Ambition
Member
But it is amazing! It's like a friggin Pokemon MMO, I love it.
omegashockwave
Member
Wow. Why be a millionaire when you can be a BILLIONAIRE, eh Notch?
Death Metalist
Member
After seeing what happened with Rare because of Microsoft, I won't be excited for any studio they purchase unless they prove me wrong so we'll see. Good for everybody at Mojang for dat dough though if true.
Eh. Minecraft isn't some genius, delicately designed game by any means.
There's a clear formula at work that can pretty easily be replicated and improved.
Gentleman Jack
Member
I loved Hexic HD on my 360, but MS was trying to manufacture bottled lightning with Carbonated, and acquiring Mojang reeks of the same if the rumor pans out.
EdReedFan20
Member
I would bet game updates would probably cease, making it a far outdated version compared to ones of MS consoles.
Willy Wanka
my god this avatar owns
Minecraft is a huge brand these days and it would be a hell of a purchase for MS but I don't really understand Notch's motivation to sell. It's not like he needs more money.
J
Jotamide
Unconfirmed Member
Not really. Rare had more than one iconic IP.
Lady Siara
Member
Minecraft 2 for Xbox Portable.
It prints money.
It prints money.
there are so many better things they could buy with 2 billion, with that much or thereabouts you could buy take two interactive or similar and have brands like gta. BUT
I can see operating cost of big companies like that is not attractive to Microsoft though so they wouldn't do that. xbox business isn't worth such investment either. big company like that would only help xbox console.
Now maybe with minecraft they think it applies to more of their products than just xbox and there is insignificant operating cost and headcount attached. but it's still too much. If it was Ballmer era I could believe it but not now. I'm not sure how they would justify this to investors if it were true, it's hard still even with mc. Buying twitch for example made a lot more sense than mojang...
I can see operating cost of big companies like that is not attractive to Microsoft though so they wouldn't do that. xbox business isn't worth such investment either. big company like that would only help xbox console.
Now maybe with minecraft they think it applies to more of their products than just xbox and there is insignificant operating cost and headcount attached. but it's still too much. If it was Ballmer era I could believe it but not now. I'm not sure how they would justify this to investors if it were true, it's hard still even with mc. Buying twitch for example made a lot more sense than mojang...
When you're a billionaire, you don't need to worry about that shit.
Yup that sure worked out for TrackMania.
shacklesmcgee
Member
loaf of bread
Member
Massive waste of money if true, Minecraft is huge but its not going to last forever and its probably already hit its peak. Going off of that, the idea of Minecraft and it taking off was pretty much luck, Mojang as a developer isn't really that good, updates and additions take ages and they've released mostly junk after Minecraft, the only thing I remember is that game where you control a horse with terrible physics.
JackAubrey
Member
MS would not pull the game from PS4, heck the more play it now the more customers for the Xbox exclusive sequel.
Wow I didn't know that. He was behind Hexic? But yeah, the Minecraft brand is massive right now. Merchandising, sequels, it's not a bad business strategy. Hopefully they're at least smart enough to make Minecraft 2.0 for phones and PC still, because they just want another way to try to fuck Sony. That's their whole strategy. They clearly have determined they can't make a dent any other way.
The new CEO said they are open to all platforms. You could see minecraft coming to WiiU, TVs, Roku and every thing else in the world.
They have ported office to iOS and they are out to make money. They want to become the app company than devices company.
MS can't buy Square Enix. Squeenix wants the TR brand to reach a wide audience, that's worth more than exclusivity.
Leafhopper
Banned
You mean that device they are trying to get away from, even if its slowly?
Delta Assault
Member
Now we just need some infighting and drama and Aaron Sorkin can start writing his next movie script.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
Yeah this too. As mentions above. They can make it their Lego.
Actually, I was thinking of these:
http://notch.tumblr.com/post/17681692985/hype
http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/02/05/psychonauts-2-wont-be-funded-by-notch/
MikeE21286
Member
Lol I think this is a dumb idea.
Minecraft is lightning in a bottle.
They're trying to buy more lightning just like they did with chasing after the success of the Wii. Good luck.
Minecraft is lightning in a bottle.
They're trying to buy more lightning just like they did with chasing after the success of the Wii. Good luck.
Team Dakota am cry.
I don't see the point unless their looking to make a franchise of it and/or use it to showcase their own technology. Maybe it's a cornerstone IP to draw consumers to their own AR/VR solution when that finally comes out? I suppose there are a lot of online and cloud compute possibilities for it as well?
I don't see the point unless their looking to make a franchise of it and/or use it to showcase their own technology. Maybe it's a cornerstone IP to draw consumers to their own AR/VR solution when that finally comes out? I suppose there are a lot of online and cloud compute possibilities for it as well?
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