WSJ: ''Mojang to be bought by Microsoft'

Barzul said:
When someone throws $2bn at you, see how easy it is to take the moral high ground then.
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I don't think this is about "moral high ground." It's just a big surprise that Notch is doing this, given his past. It's not like he needs the money. He's probably rich enough that no amount of money would drastically improve his quality of life. It would be interesting to see what he plans to do with a boat-load of financial capital, though.
(Also, I don't throw morality out the window for fat stacks of cash. I hope you don't either.)
 
Barzul said:
When someone throws $2bn at you, see how easy it is to take the moral high ground then.
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According to the rumors Microsoft didn't even throw 2 billion at him, Notch walked up to Microsoft and asked for it.

I think it's true. Too many sites have sources confirming it and Notch is radio silent.
 
If it turns out to be true, I can't be mad at them. Microsoft gets a cash cow, and Notch gets paid. I know I wouldn't turn down $2 billion if a giant company threw it my way.
 
SenjutsuSage said:
People keep saying this, but I don't think this was an Xbox division decision, even if the xbox decision had some input. This is a larger Microsoft corporate strategy, designed to benefit things beyond just xbox alone, and clearly from their strategic point of view, getting and owning Minecraft, and perhaps the development team, is more valuable to the company as a whole rather than building game studios to make hardcore, big budget AAA games, which is something that would mostly just benefit the Xbox division, and clearly that alone isn't the goal here.
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My man. Agree, just stated the same thing a few pages ago. No-one seemed to listen. No way Microsoft would give Microsoft games studio 2 billion to buy one company. This is going way higher up than Phil Spencer.
 
Paco said:
But none of those Take Two IP have kids or community the same way Minecraft does. Not one of them has the same portability and accessibility across any device either.
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Yeah, that's exactly the reason for which minecraft is pointless as microsoft only.

And that's the reason microsoft putting down 2B is stupid
 
Peterpan said:
My man. Agree, just stated the same thing a few pages ago. No-one seemed to listen. No way Microsoft would give Microsoft games studio 2 billion to buy one company. This is going way higher up then Phil Spencer.
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Spencer did say that he has unlimited funds to buy whatever he deems necessary. And he said his kids play Minecraft all the time.
 
Krilekk said:
Spencer did say that he has unlimited funds to buy whatever he deems necessary. And he said his kids play Minecraft all the time.
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2 billion is definitely not unlimited. When he said unlimited he probably meant in the 100 millions. A 2 billion deal is huge, no matter how you look at it. A 100 million dollar is huge, but a 2 billion deal is 'huge', some of you seem to underestimate this. I mean no way this is just Phil Spencer or Microsoft Studios, this is Microsoft as whole. Too big a deal for Phil and his team I believe.
 
Daviii said:
Yeah, that's exactly the reason for which minecraft is pointless as microsoft only.

And that's the reason microsoft putting down 2B is stupid
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It really depends how far Nadella is going with his current motion of getting their offerings on as many devices as possible. I don't believe for one second he has any intention of keeping the Xbox division focused on the living room, not when he has explicitly highlighted mobile opportunities in the same paragraph as mentioning the Xbox...

Satya Nadella said:
I also want to share some additional thoughts on Xbox and its importance to Microsoft. As a large company, I think it's critical to define the core, but it's important to make smart choices on other businesses in which we can have fundamental impact and success. The single biggest digital life category, measured in both time and money spent, in a mobile-first world is gaming. We are fortunate to have Xbox in our family to go after this opportunity with unique and bold innovation. Microsoft will continue to vigorously innovate and delight gamers with Xbox. Xbox is one of the most-revered consumer brands, with a growing online community and service, and a raving fan base. We also benefit from many technologies flowing from our gaming efforts into our productivity efforts – core graphics and NUI in Windows, speech recognition in Skype, camera technology in Kinect for Windows, Azure cloud enhancements for GPU simulation and many more. Bottom line, we will continue to innovate and grow our fan base with Xbox while also creating additive business value for Microsoft.
Click to expand...
 
Krilekk said:
Spencer did say that he has unlimited funds to buy whatever he deems necessary.
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Source?

MS may have a ton of money but there's no way the xbox division have "unlimited" money. If this deal is going through, it's not going to be solely for the xbox division, it'll most likely be more for toys, clothing, windows phone etc than xbox gaming. I find it hard to believe that Phil Spencer alone has 2billion to splash out on basically one franchise just for xbox.

Edit: By unlimited do you mean the 1 billion the xbox division got to spend on exclusives when the Xbox one launched? That's the only time I can remember anything relating to how much money the xbox division has to spend, but that was a while ago and a good chunk of that is most likely gone now with Titanfall, Tomb raider etc.
 
Ahh, so THIS is why Notch became "over" the Facebook-Oculus thing.

Microsoft shoved $2bn dollars in his face and he suddenly realized "Oh, it turns out I would sell too."
 
Notch was on a long haul flight and finally got round to reading 'Ready Player One'. He finished the book, loved it so much that like inception an idea had been planted in his mind. He lands, he calls Microsoft and says "Give me 2 billion dollars and Minecraft is yours". They fly over faster than batman disappearing after a sentence. They'll give him the billion and walk away smug with their new toy. He then starts up Notch 2.0 industries and builds 'The Oasis' a fully fledged interactive universe of different worlds with full augmented reality headset support, tactile glove feedback and other shinyness. It becomes the game to end all games. The mothership of MMO RPG FPS etc etc

Microsoft look at what he has made for 2 billion then look at Minecraft 2 sales. They decide to try and take over his empire. They create a covert group of in game operatives known as the Sixers to infect the game and by any means take it over.

What happens next? :D Well it's already been written.
 
Ahzrei said:
Ahh, so THIS is why Notch became "over" the Facebook-Oculus thing.

Microsoft shoved $2bn dollars in his face and he suddenly realized "Oh, it turns out I would sell too."
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You know what ? I wonder if MS should try buying NeoGaf. Do you think Evilore would sell for 2 billions ?
 
speculawyer said:
More perspective. ...This is more than the entire market cap of Take-Two.

Minecraft > GTA franchise + RDR + civilization + Bioshock + NBA 2Kn + X com + evolve + mafia + all those studios + etc.

Really?
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In order to buy Rockstar, they'd have to buy Take 2 and none of thier IP is worth it. Mojang have no such baggage
 
jellies_two said:
I don't think you understand. Without java minecraft would not be. Being able to download it and have it run in a window on anything is a huge part of its success. Kids can't all maintain a windows steam install but they can run minecraft on a school library pc or their moms laptop or whatever.
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Except I've had to download and install Java on every computer my sister's kid have wanted to play Minecraft on.
 
Seems like this whole deal was initiated by Persson.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-09/microsoft-said-near-2-billion-deal-for-minecraft-maker.html

The deal came together after Mojang founder Markus Persson reached out to Microsoft a few months ago, based on a positive working relationship on Minecraft for Xbox, said the person familiar with Microsoft.

The two companies quickly agreed on a framework and approximate price and have been working out the details since, the person said. Persson will help out with the transition, though he is unlikely to remain beyond that, according to the person.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer has a close relationship with Persson, and has flown out to have dinners with the Mojang founder, another person familiar with Microsoft said.

The software maker calculates it can boost Minecraft sales by expanding the number of game users through Microsoft’s position in video games and computers, and by expanding licensing for things like toys and movies, said one of the people.
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JMDSO said:
I wouldn't be shocked if he took the billions and made his own VR equipment.
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Why would he do that when there are already two, maybe three big actors on that field ? And he would have to start everything from scratch, being several years late to the competition. And it's not like he would have specific skills on that topic himself.
If the rumours of fatigue and fear of never doing anything as good as Minecraft are true (and it would be easily understandable), then he'd probably like to retire. Such amount of money is plenty enough to live several lifetimes.
 
The software maker calculates it can boost Minecraft sales by expanding the number of game users through Microsoft’s position in video games and computers, and by expanding licensing for things like toys and movies, said one of the people.
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Haha. This confirms all of this info as fake to me.
 
DJKhaled said:
this article is interesting http://motherboard.vice.com/read/no...-surprisehes-been-talking-about-it-for-months
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Yes it is. Can't say I blame him for feeling that way either, even though I'm disappointed that it's come to this.

Well, at least we have Minecraft 1.8 now, and no matter what happens we will always have that even if it ends up being the final update ever to Minecraft. The community can take it from there then if Microsoft does buy the IP and promptly moves all development towards a Minecraft 2 that they can monetize. I have an idea people will still be modding original Minecraft years from now no matter where Microsoft takes the franchise.

Maybe Microsoft will surprise me and change their usual behavior and continue developing the original game with free updates like Mojang has, but I very highly doubt it. It's just not Microsoft's nature to be that consumer friendly.
 
DJKhaled said:
this article is interesting http://motherboard.vice.com/read/no...-surprisehes-been-talking-about-it-for-months
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Mengy said:
Yes it is. Can't say I blame him for feeling that way either, even though I'm disappointed that it's come to this.
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It is indeed, I had missed that post, thanks for quoting it.
I'm getting worried about how the internet community can be destructive. It wouldn't be the first time in the last few months. :/

Mengy said:
Maybe Microsoft will surprise me and change their usual behavior and continue developing the original game with free updates like Mojang has, but I very highly doubt it. It's just not Microsoft's nature to be that consumer friendly.
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I don't think it would be "consumer unfriendly" to sell content for the game. Mojang could afford to do it because they already earned enough to support the game for free, but MS just spent two billions to get it, they certainly need to make back some of it one way or another.
 
Haunted said:
That 2 billion dollars tweet from 2 years ago is fucking gold.
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It's honestly a very funny coincidence, considering there's probably no way he thought someone would actually offer that for Mojang.

Obviously it gets split between everyone, but I would assume he gets the lion's share. He should straight up just retire. Screw the rules, he's got money
 
BronsonLee said:
It's honestly a very funny coincidence, considering there's probably no way he thought someone would actually offer that for Mojang.

Obviously it gets split between everyone, but I would assume he gets the lion's share. He should straight up just retire. Screw the rules, he's got money
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he would at least have to fund psychonauts 2, would redeem his action incredibly slightly in my eyes.
 
BronsonLee said:
It's honestly a very funny coincidence, considering there's probably no way he thought someone would actually offer that for Mojang.

Obviously it gets split between everyone, but I would assume he gets the lion's share. He should straight up just retire. Screw the rules, he's got money
Click to expand...
Exactly. Just the fact that he petulantly "named his price" years ago, picking a ludicrously, impossibly high number to get people off his back... and now someone's actually ready to pay that much. :D

It's like straight out of a movie.


edit: actually, it totally is. There's that scene in The Core where the scientist states what it would cost to build a machine to his specs and it's an impossibly high number and he laughs it off while the stone-faced government black suit guy just goes "ok". :D life imitating art etc
 
Alx said:
I don't think it would be "consumer unfriendly" to sell content for the game. Mojang could afford to do it because they already earned enough to support the game for free, but MS just spent two billions to get it, they certainly need to make back some of it one way or another.
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When you say it like that this upsets me more. So when in-app purchases and paid updates come out, I will be paying Notch still as its his money from Microsoft that has made the game cost more. He has every right to, it was his idea, still doesn't make me feel better though.

I love 1.8 so I'm happy. Would take a seriously good Minecraft 2.0 to make me want to splash out more though.
 
ryanofcall said:
Would be interesting to know how many of you know any other game "Mojang" developed after Minecraft, to see if this really is such a big deal.
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Let's just say Microsoft isn't buying scrolls for 2 billion.


This is not about scrolls, notch, mojang or its other 13 employees, this is about Minecraft.
 
Haunted said:
Let's just say Microsoft isn't buying scrolls for 2 billion.
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That's what makes it so bad: so Microsoft is buying Minecraft to milk that franchise- and not support any other ideas this indie dev studio/publisher might've come up with in the future, then how is it a good thing for the customers... not sure if I'm okay with that :/
 
ryanofcall said:
That's what makes it so bad: so Microsoft is buying Minecraft to milk that franchise- then how is it a good thing for the customers... it's horrible :/
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Oh it's not. I don't think anyone is arguing that, is someone?

This is a business transaction between two companies, customers don't factor.
 
The software maker calculates it can boost Minecraft sales by expanding the number of game users through Microsoft’s position in video games and computers, and by expanding licensing for things like toys and movies, said one of the people.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm not seeing: how is Microsoft going to expand the number of game users?

They can't do it by limiting the game to Xbox, even though that is their standard practice nowadays. They can't do it by limiting it to both Xbox and Windows, the only two platforms that Microsoft owns. If they really want to have any chance of growing the userbase of Minecraft past it's existing 54+ million users then they are going to have to keep the multiplatform format that Mojang has adopted. They are going to have to honestly INCREASE distribution, not limit it. That means keeping it on Playstaion. That means going ahead with the Vita plans. That may even mean porting it FINALLY to the Wii-U and maybe even 3DS.

I just can't see a Microsoft game on Sony platforms. I'm not saying I'm against it, but it would be completely new ground for them if they did. Microsoft is (historically) too much of a control freak about their products to put them on competing platforms or stores. If they don't though then there is no way they can get a Minecraft 2 to sell anywhere near as well as Minecraft today, it's just not physically possible.
 
ryanofcall said:
That's what makes it so bad: so Microsoft is buying Minecraft to milk that franchise- and not support any other ideas this indie dev studio/publisher might've come up with in the future, then how is it a good thing for the customers... not sure if I'm okay with that :/
Click to expand...

Microsoft made a deal for Cobalt a while back - a Mojang published title being ported to Xbox (and possibly PS3 but the official website just says Xbox 360/One) by Fatshark, the original game is made by Oxeye Studio...

It seems they've gone for more than just Minecraft although I haven't been able to work out if Mojang or Oxeye own it
 
Mengy said:
This is what I'm not seeing: how is Microsoft going to expand the number of game users?

They can't do it by limiting the game to Xbox, even though that is their standard practice nowadays. They can't do it by limiting it to both Xbox and Windows, the only two platforms that Microsoft owns. If they really want to have any chance of growing the userbase of Minecraft past it's existing 54+ million users then they are going to have to keep the multiplatform format that Mojang has adopted. They are going to have to honestly INCREASE distribution, not limit it. That means keeping it on Playstaion. That means going ahead with the Vita plans. That may even mean porting it FINALLY to the Wii-U and maybe even 3DS.

I just can't see a Microsoft game on Sony platforms. I'm not saying I'm against it, but it would be completely new ground for them if they did. Microsoft is (historically) too much of a control freak about their products to put them on competing platforms or stores. If they don't though then there is no way they can get a Minecraft 2 to sell anywhere near as well as Minecraft today, it's just not physically possible.
Click to expand...

Minecraft doesn't need Playstation to get big, hell it's practically a newbie on PS3 let alone PS4.

PC/360/XB1/Mobile will suffice.
 
The success stories of indie games on Vita and the imminent launch of Minecraft Vita version might be the reasoning behind this decision.
 
tahsutify said:
The success stories of indie games on Vita and the imminent launch of Minecraft Vita version might be the reasoning behind this decision.
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I doubt even Sony has put over 1 billion USD into the Vita, so to think that MS is parting with 2 billion USD because of something related with the Vita is just putting to much value into what already is a dying product
 
Mengy said:
This is what I'm not seeing: how is Microsoft going to expand the number of game users?

They can't do it by limiting the game to Xbox, even though that is their standard practice nowadays. They can't do it by limiting it to both Xbox and Windows, the only two platforms that Microsoft owns. If they really want to have any chance of growing the userbase of Minecraft past it's existing 54+ million users then they are going to have to keep the multiplatform format that Mojang has adopted. They are going to have to honestly INCREASE distribution, not limit it. That means keeping it on Playstaion. That means going ahead with the Vita plans. That may even mean porting it FINALLY to the Wii-U and maybe even 3DS.

I just can't see a Microsoft game on Sony platforms. I'm not saying I'm against it, but it would be completely new ground for them if they did. Microsoft is (historically) too much of a control freak about their products to put them on competing platforms or stores. If they don't though then there is no way they can get a Minecraft 2 to sell anywhere near as well as Minecraft today, it's just not physically possible.
Click to expand...

The series had sold 55 million copies before it ever hit playstation. 12 million copies on 360 alone as of last June. If Microsoft covers the mobile market with some form of paired down minecraft release while giving their two consoles and the PC a true Minecraft 2 they'll be just fine. They don't need to support the playstation (nor should they have to) to make money on this investment. Hell the merchandise rights alone would easily offset any lost costs from not giving PS4 Minecraft 2. And if they don't yank the Sony versions from the digital marketplace they'll still benefit from Sony's userbase anyways while not given them the sequel.
 
jeffers said:
he would at least have to fund psychonauts 2, would redeem his action incredibly slightly in my eyes.
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Why does he need to do anything? This is a business. Minecraft is huge, Mojang made it, they can do whatever they want with it. He owes nobody anything.

Haunted said:
Exactly. Just the fact that he petulantly "named his price" years ago, picking a ludicrously, impossibly high number to get people off his back... and now someone's actually ready to pay that much. :D

It's like straight out of a movie.

edit: actually, it totally is. There's that scene in The Core where the scientist states what it would cost to build a machine to his specs and it's an impossibly high number and he laughs it off while the stone-faced government black suit guy just goes "ok". :D life imitating art etc
Click to expand...

Lolollo I remember that scene! Dude said like 50 billion dollars, and Stanley Tucci went all 'would you take a check?'

tahsutify said:
The success stories of indie games on Vita and the imminent launch of Minecraft Vita version might be the reasoning behind this decision.
Click to expand...

Nah. This isn't very likely. Vita doesn't mean squat to Microsoft, it's not a market they want into.

DarkCloud said:
If Microsoft covers the mobile market with some form of paired down minecraft release while giving their two consoles and the PC a true Minecraft 2 they'll be just fine.
Click to expand...

I actually see them making a Minecraft 2 that is the same across all platforms (PC, Xbox, Mobile). It matches the vision they have right now.
 
Notch and his team might have lost interest in game development. After all the second Mojang game was cancelled after a long time in development doldrum. Why not cash out to the tune of hundreds of millions and use that money for something else? At this point Minecraft isn't game development any more. It's a game as a service. Which isn't all that exciting. And Notch has been milking Minecraft hard himself. Thing is expensive
 
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