Report: Microsoft To Buy Minecraft Studio For $2bn+

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Report: Microsoft To Buy Minecraft Studio For $2bn+

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday September 9, 2014 @11:37AM from the say-what-now dept.

dotarray (1747900) writes "A surprising story has emerged today that suggests Microsoft is looking to buy Minecraft developer Mojang. The reported price tag is "more than US$2 billion." The original report is at the WSJ (possibly behind a paywall). Quoting: "For Microsoft, "Minecraft" could reinvigorate the company's 13-year-old Xbox videogame business by giving it a cult hit with a legion of young fans. Mojang has sold more than 50 million copies of "Minecraft" since it was initially released in 2009 and earned more than $100 million in profits last year from the game and merchandise. "Minecraft" is already available on the Xbox, as well as Sony Corp.'s PlayStation, PCs and smartphones."

368 comments

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No. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-09 11:40 · Score: 4, Informative

Please. No.
1. Re:No. by Em+Adespoton · 2014-09-09 11:49 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The interesting thing here is that the valuable part of Minecraft is not the software produced, but the development and publishing method and its userbase.
  If MS touches the development or publishing method, it will lose its userbase to someone else doing the same thing properly. Basically, it'll end up like the Sims Online.
2. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:29 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Posting anonymous because I really shouldn't be saying this. Yes, it's for real: notch wants to sell out. It's been known inside the company for weeks. The news hit the developers in the Stockholm office very hard to the point that people were actually sobbing. No-one's happy besides the two people likely to end up with a large pile of cash after this goes down.
3. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:46 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sure they will do for Minecraft what they did for other games, like Halo.
4. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:35 · Score: 0
  
  2000 million for. Minecraft! :}
5. Re:No. by Spudboy2003 · 2014-09-09 13:39 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  My 9 year old is about to learn the hard realities of life.
6. Re:No. by killkillkill · 2014-09-09 13:55 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  And suddenly the pieces begin to come together.
7. Re:No. by metamatic · 2014-09-09 13:58 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  The news hit the developers in the Stockholm office very hard to the point that people were actually sobbing.
  Yeah, they probably know how well being bought by Microsoft worked out for Sublogic. Or Oddworld Inhabitants. Or Bungie, even, forced to crank out endless formulaic sequels.
  On the one hand, I can't blame notch, because if Microsoft offered me enough cash to retire, I'd sell out. But on the other hand, notch is already a millionaire, right? It's not like he needs the money.
  
  --
  GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
8. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:13 · Score: 0
  
  Anyone needs 1billion dollars (lol)
9. Re:No. by Austerity+Empowers · 2014-09-09 14:43 · Score: 1
  
  To some degree it has already happened. With no further updates to bukkit my 6yo is in hell. He has been playing Minecraft since he wasn't even 2yo, his entire youth has been focused on it.
10. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:49 · Score: 0
  
  That's way too much money. Given that 1 billion can fund a MMORPG with 100,000 players, it will still never make back that money.
  Also Minecraft is going to be clone-depreciated pretty quickly by other companies doing things properly (Eg not using Java, using smaller voxels, better character models)
  Like I think the perfect "Sandbox" game would be marrying "Spore"'s character evolution with "Minecraft"'s building/materials evolution
  I'm actually surprised more MMORPG's having yet ripped off Minecraft's "crafting" mechanic, they were so quick to rip off Farmville.
11. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:50 · Score: 0
  
  So much for Notch open sourcing Minecraft "when sales taper off". Money talks - not that I blame him for taking it.
12. Re:No. by ShaunC · 2014-09-09 15:00 · Score: 1
  
  So that's your kid playing Minecraft in the Amazon Fire phone commercial! I guess they really did have a target audience after all.
  
  --
  Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
13. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:03 · Score: 0
  
  Please. No.
  If the price is right Mojang will sell.
14. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:19 · Score: 0
  
  If MS touches the development or publishing method, it will lose its userbase to someone else doing the same thing properly. Basically, it'll end up like the Sims Online.
  It will be dead to me already.
  Microsoft has a long history of deeply unethical and unsavory business practices, and continues to extort monopoly rents from locked-in customers to this day. They willingly share user data with nefarious law enforcement agencies while smearing competitors with accusations of the same practice.
  I do not see how anyone with a conscience can support them or their products.
15. Re:No. by sg_oneill · 2014-09-09 15:21 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  To some degree it has already happened. With no further updates to bukkit my 6yo is in hell. He has been playing Minecraft since he wasn't even 2yo, his entire youth has been focused on it.
  If it was any other game I'd say "...and thats a good thing", but minecraft is a phenomena not like any other. A friend of mine has a deeply autistic son who's never had friends due to the toll autism takes, and he's had deep troubles with school and the like. Until minecraft. On minecraft he's just another kid on a server making castles with his buddies and being part of a gang of kids creating and playing. Its really brought him out of his shell and if I come over to visit his mom he'll even come out and say hello and want to talk (about minecraft... always about minecraft. Its a hobby), and thats a fucking achievement.
  He's now interested in school and maths finally because he wants to be jeb (the main 9-5 developer on minecraft these days) one day. He's got a hero.
  Basically minecraft is turning him into a normal kid, and I'd hate to see anything ruin that.
  
  --
  Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
16. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:26 · Score: 0
  
  This is a real douchebag thing for me to say, but it doesn't surprise me that the company which used some of its most diehard followers is willing to sell out. At least, thanks for providing some context, so that we can understand why some Mojang employees have been acting like such assholes about it—the people working for Notch probably feel more used than we do.
  Some say that everyone has a price. One would have to be incorruptible to turn down so much money. However, the two companies are perfect for each other.
17. Re:No. by dshk · 2014-09-09 15:36 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I think one of the things which made Minecraft popular is Java. There are a huge number of plugins and mods, these wouldn't happen without Java. It is easy to reverse engineer and modify anything in Minecraft exactly because it is in Java. Even its plugin system was written by an external developer! I do not really know Minecraft myself, but my 13 old years son plays Minecraft, and he spent months coding Minecraft extensions, and as far as I hear from him, a usual server uses a very large number of extensions.
  Java is not ideal for graphics intensive applications, but it is also not that bad either. Minecraft (without mods) does not represent what is possible in Java, becuase it is very under-optimized. The new 1.8 version is much faster, but there is still much room for optimization.
  This is similar to why PHP web softwares are very popular, they are not perfect, but they are very easy to be modified.
18. Re:No. by dshk · 2014-09-09 15:41 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  I would add that Java also made it trivial to run Minecraft on Linux. More than one of his friends play Minecraft on Ubuntu, I guess they have old PC-s.
19. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:06 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Yes we will lose our jobs, it was already said Microsoft is not interested in hiring amateur indie java programmers already.
  And there won't be a large severance, Notch is taking the money and retiring.
20. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:31 · Score: 0
  
  Just because they run Linux it does NOT mean they have old PCs. Some people are intelligent enough to extract themselves from the Apple and Microsoft monopolies and run an open operating system that allows them full control over how their computer operates.
  My computer is top of the line and runs only Linux. It will never have Windows installed. All my co-workers run Linux. In fact most people I know outside of work run Linux on at least one of their home computers.
21. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:48 · Score: 0
  
  Also posting as anon because I saw a very anti-MS company purchased by Microsoft a few years ago. There was a lot of angst as the platform was built on BSD, folks had full OSS desktops and generally the culture was just not Microsoft. The top guys did well, the CEO certainly did because it was his job to get the best sale price, but after the golden handcuffs fell off most (90%) of the staff left and now work at Apple/Google/etc.
22. Re:No. by DeathElk · 2014-09-09 16:49 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Yes. And I predict MS putting it up for sale in a few years for about $200M
23. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:44 · Score: 0
  
  Why not?
  Even if he kept his word he had enough money to never care about anything for the rest of his life!
  This is simply greed and nothing else, so yes - blame him like he deserves...
24. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:50 · Score: 1
  
  Posting anonymous because I really shouldn't be saying this. Notch is NOT selling out. He is selling his company. He has all the right in the world to do it and none can blame him or say that the wouldn't do it them selves. All I can say is that I am envious.
25. Re:No. by Opportunist · 2014-09-09 18:09 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Pretty much this. There is very little in the IP itself, especially since everyone and their dog either already did a Minecraft clone or is currently developing one. The moment MS taints the IP by turning it into something its users do not like, it's gone from the front page and replaced by one of its copycats.
  For reference, see Napster.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
26. Re:No. by Opportunist · 2014-09-09 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  Well, after all is said and done, what remains is how you'll be remembered. Provided you give a shit about whether you will be missed at your funeral or whether people come only to see with their own eyes whether the asshole really finally bit it.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
27. Re:No. by Opportunist · 2014-09-09 18:16 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  They are popular with users, but very unpopular with studios. Simply for the same reason: Lack of control over what the user can actually do. It's kinda hard to sell addons when users can simply create them themselves. How do you sell DLC when users simply go "fffft, gimme an hour to code it an keep your overpriced shit!"
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
28. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:21 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  640 million should be enough...
29. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:47 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah? Bullshit.
30. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:49 · Score: 1
  
  You can simultaneously have every right to do something and be a sell out for doing that something.
31. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:57 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah right, it's quite well known that Notch dislikes Microsoft. And considering that he makes more money per year from the sales than he can ever spend it also doesn't really sound like a true story.
32. Re:No. by jones_supa · 2014-09-09 21:05 · Score: 1
  
  Just because they run Linux it does NOT mean they have old PCs. Some people are intelligent enough to extract themselves from the Apple and Microsoft monopolies and run an open operating system that allows them full control over how their computer operates.
  Yes and no. You could as well say that with Win or Mac you get full benefit out of your computer because all the hardware works to its greatest potential, due to optimized drivers (good performance and fully working power saving features).
33. Re:No. by jawtheshark · 2014-09-09 21:13 · Score: 1
  
  I guess they have old PC-s.
  I have a few machines, all of them run exclusively Linux, all of them can (and have) run Minecraft. Let's see, my desktop replacement is a i7-2630QM with 16GB RAM, my Ultrabook is i5-3357U with 4GB RAM and my desktop is a A8-3850 with 16GB RAM. (I'm excluding my servers here, as they have different use-cases.) Are these machines "old" now? Sure, they aren't brand-new, but I'd say they're all adequate. Surely not enough to run Crysis, but they're no slouches.
  
  --
  Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
34. Re:No. by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:17 · Score: 1
  
  The interesting thing here is that the valuable part of Minecraft is not the software produced, but the development and publishing method and its userbase.
  If MS touches the development or publishing method, it will lose its userbase to someone else doing the same thing properly.
  
  Wait, what about what Mojang does is proper? There was no support for modding until recently, the game is written very very poorly in Java...
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
35. Re:No. by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:20 · Score: 1, Flamebait
  
  I think one of the things which made Minecraft popular is Java. There are a huge number of plugins and mods, these wouldn't happen without Java
  Unless, like the competent game designers of old with which Notch shares absolutely nothing, the game were designed for modding.
  
  Even its plugin system was written by an external developer!
  That's because Notch is a fuckup, and Minecraft has succeeded in spite of him as much as because of him. The game is written like shit. There are technically superior competitors left and right. Without rabid modders who would tweak the game in spite of the lack of modding support, Minecraft would have shriveled up and died already. Selling out to Microsoft is like pissing on at least half of them all at once.
  Microsoft probably would consider buying Mojang just to get full Minecraft on Xbox One, instead of the abortion that is Xbox Minecraft.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
36. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 21:40 · Score: 0
  
  If MS touches the development or publishing method, it will lose its userbase to someone else doing the same thing properly. Basically, it'll end up like the Sims Online
  
  It will be dead to me already
  
  The way I see it is that it will be the best time for someone to clone that damn thing and make it opensource
  With all the existing working mods, with the existing userbase, it will be an instant hit
  And MS? It will be left holding the empty bag
37. Re:No. by lkernan · 2014-09-09 22:09 · Score: 1
  
  The news hit the developers in the Stockholm office very hard to the point that people were actually sobbing.
  hmm, funny how @Dinnerbone dropped off twitter recently as well..
38. Re: No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:11 · Score: 0
  
  Considering they're about to get a 2 billion dollar sale, I'd say that counts as sales not tapering off just yet.
39. Re:No. by dshk · 2014-09-09 22:31 · Score: 1
  
  I believe you make my point stronger by showing that even with such small resources and incompetent developers, it was possible to create the most moddable game (ever?). Without actually putting any effort into moddability... That made it possible to spend all of their limited resources on a good game design. That is not a small feat.
  I worked in both C and Java for many years, and regarding moddability, no, it is not possible to beat Java using C with equal resources. My son's code regurly replace builtin Minecraft classes, runtime, without a significant effort, if the existing extension system does not provides (yet) the necessary hooks for him.
40. Re:No. by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 22:40 · Score: 1
  
  My son's code regurly replace builtin Minecraft classes, runtime, without a significant effort, if the existing extension system does not provides (yet) the necessary hooks for him.
  There are handfuls of Minecraft clones, some of which work much better than Minecraft in every way, and which are Open Source. There's really no reason why Minecraft should have even been successful. When the free clones became superior, the community should have jumped ship. Sadly, inertia has won. Everybody has MC now. I gave up on the clones because I couldn't find anyone to play with, but I only bought MC on the basis that it would be Open Sourced when it was done with. So much for that plan.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
41. Re:No. by indytx · 2014-09-09 22:46 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  And suddenly the pieces begin to come together.
  There was an article in I think Time not all that long ago, and the writeup made it sound as if notch had lost all of his drive and zeal. It sounded as if notch and the other owner were going through the motions and blowing through mountains of cash like some newly minted pop star flavor of the month with crazy expensive partying for the employees on the company dime. Seemed very dotcom.
  
  --
  Make love, not reality television.
42. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:47 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Minetest is an Open Source clone of Minecraft. It works great also and without Java.
43. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:14 · Score: 0
  
  Well well, I'm reminded why drinkypoo get's a -5 penalty when I'm logged in. As if "the game designers of old" designed anything for modding.
  There are no technically superior clones. Lots of people thought it would be easy, then had to go "shit, there are some challenging things about this that I hadn't expected, this is not like coding a FPS at all".
44. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:29 · Score: 0
  
  Which isn't exactly true, as Windows drivers have a very bad (or not at all) OpenGL implementation, while the OpenGL implementation on Linux is really fast.
  IIRC someone benchmarked it with proprietrary drivers and minecraft was much faster on linux than on Windows. I don't know the situation on Mac, but I assume it's about the same.
45. Re:No. by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 23:34 · Score: 1
  
  As if "the game designers of old" designed anything for modding.
  Originally, not. Then, there was a trend. Now, it is over.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
46. Re:No. by plaukas+pyragely · 2014-09-09 23:51 · Score: 2
  
  But on the other hand, notch is already a millionaire, right?
  Maybe he wants to start his own space program?
47. Re: No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 00:25 · Score: 0
  
  I understand that but if Mojang is sold then Notch is giving up his right to open source it in the process.
48. Re:No. by allcoolnameswheretak · 2014-09-10 00:26 · Score: 2
  
  Given 2 billion dollars for Mojang, I would have sold. No question about it.
  But it does make Notch's indignant reaction to Facebook buying out Occulus look even sillier now.
49. Re:No. by jones_supa · 2014-09-10 00:35 · Score: 1
  
  Good point, I have to agree with that. Many OpenGL implementations under Windows are rather crusty. The main emphasis is clearly on DirectX.
  Also, under Linux you get OpenGL 2.1 support on Intel gen4 hardware, while those are limited on 1.5 on Windows. :)
50. Re:No. by Drinking+Bleach · 2014-09-10 00:45 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It still has no official modding support. Mojang bought Bukkit and hired its team over a year ago, but they still keep it an independent project and not the official mod API (think how CentOS is now owned by Red Hat but still has a social/corporate firewall between RHEL and CentOS devs).
  As for being written poorly in Java, it was original just some dumb idea that Notch had to remake Infiniminer, and his Random Java Project #56 -- he already had mild internet fame (albeit nothing compared to his post-Minecraft fame), but this particular game had just enough potential to keep it moving. He didn't make it to be very performant in the first place, Java was just familiar and convenient to him.
51. Re:No. by Luckyo · 2014-09-10 00:59 · Score: 1
  
  Originality, and original community that came with it.
  It's just like WoW in this regard. There are much better games than WoW in the same genre, but none of them have WoW's community, the people already playing the game.
  And just like in WoW, the main reason I heard from people playing minecraft why they're still playing it is "because I like to play it with my friends".
52. Re:No. by Luckyo · 2014-09-10 01:01 · Score: 1
  
  That and genetic material you left behind. Children. And there's a lot of wombs to be bought for a billion.
53. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:08 · Score: 0
  
  Bungie have just released their biggest game, with the world's largest budget. They're hardly struggling.
54. Re:No. by bluefoxlucid · 2014-09-10 01:13 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Why not give your employees equity in the company; then, when you sell, they get a chunk, you leave with a much bigger pile, you found a new company, and anyone who liked the deal can leave and come to your new company? A string of selling the shit you already sold xD
  
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55. Re:No. by Lord+Lemur · 2014-09-10 01:20 · Score: 1
  
  Take the money and run. There is nothing in Mojang worth $2B
56. Re:No. by bluefoxlucid · 2014-09-10 01:23 · Score: 1
  
  All that shit happened to WinAmp in C, and anything in Python. Objective-C has a much better system for polymorphism, making plug-in architecture easier.
  
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57. Re:No. by bluefoxlucid · 2014-09-10 01:24 · Score: 2
  
  Learn to play Go.
  
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58. Re:No. by rtb61 · 2014-09-10 01:30 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Actually lateral thinking would be to buy Lego and create a full game based around constructing with the Lego blocks. You then have a full 'click and mortar'(heh, heh) solution ie a full range merchandise already in stores to go with the newly created game. Makes much more sense than buying minecraft.
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
59. Re:No. by rioki · 2014-09-10 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know about you, but if I was in that position, I would pull an Elon Musk. Sure Notch is millionaire, but 10 mil (or whatever) is not 2 Bln. I would not sell out unless they offer me sufficient cash so I could try out some of my "non virtual" project ideas. (e.g. moon base/mining/research) Notch is sort of close to that position right now, what he makes of it is an open question.
60. Re:No. by c · 2014-09-10 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  On the one hand, I can't blame notch, because if Microsoft offered me enough cash to retire, I'd sell out. But on the other hand, notch is already a millionaire, right? It's not like he needs the money.
  He might be a millionaire, but there's a subtle qualitative difference between retiring comfortably versus buying a large Pacific island, having an army of minions carve it into something that looks like a Minecraft world, and retiring comfortably.
  
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61. Re:No. by dshk · 2014-09-10 02:03 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't wanted to hurt anybody's feelings. We also have four Ubuntu desktops and two Ubuntu laptops in our house, including both old and current high-end machines. However, I believe it is quite unusual when it turns out that 15% of some group of teenagers uses Linux, and it must have some rational reason. I am sure that there are other reasons too, like my son's advocacy, but having old PCs are likely a reason.
62. Re:No. by ImprovOmega · 2014-09-10 02:04 · Score: 1
  
  Now see, you blew the troll. It was vaguely believable when you talked about sobbing developers, but now you've given the game away. The trick to trolling is to put forward plausible but hard to verify information and then let people's imaginations run free. You've oversold it now and we know you're faking it.
63. Re:No. by jawtheshark · 2014-09-10 02:08 · Score: 2
  
  Most people I know who run Linux are either professionals or family supported by said professionals.
  Most teenagers I know wouldn't touch old computers.
  These days you can easily find Core2Duo and AMD64 class machines in dumpters, and from what I see, nobody wants them. I used to refurbish them for those who wanted and I ended up with a huge pile of decent machines looking for a good home. No takers. I trashed them all.
  
  --
  Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
64. Re: No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:16 · Score: 0
  
  Good. Enjoy flipping burgers, losers.
65. Re:No. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:22 · Score: 1
  
  I tried Minetest and it was okay but disappointing. It's about as fleshed out as a snapshot of Minecraft in late Alpha. I saw no mobs or animals at all, though I did only stay in the game for a few day cycles.
  The current lack of features isn't necessarily bad, because it was playable and is open source, but when I looked into the development blogs, it seemed to be the effort of a very small group of devs, and didn't seem like a growing project. Maybe that will cease to be the case if Minecraft proper seizes up and a critical mass of people move over to Minetest.
  The modularity of Minecraft is a feature, though, that isn't present in an open-source codebase. With rigid 'firewalls' in place that can't be penetrated, people can independntly throw together Mods to run against a binary. With Minetest developers would instead be inclined crowd their way into the main codebase. Which is good when a dev team can scale that way, bad if it turns into a code swamp or design-by-committee.
66. Re: No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:23 · Score: 0
  
  If Microsoft moves in, I'll be hitting the road.
67. Re:No. by Lord+Lemur · 2014-09-10 02:24 · Score: 1
  
  The price is just so unbeleivably high for Mojang. It's like having a winning lottery ticket, and some one offering to buy it off you for 20x its value. $2B pays for alot of fine scotch to wipe away the taste of crow.
68. Re:No. by Lord+Lemur · 2014-09-10 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  There is the little detail about his inability to follow up on Minecraft's success with another marketable game.
69. Re:No. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:30 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Who is to say they are even the same A.C.? Any AC comment here on this topic that professes to 'inside info' is suspect. There are a large number of people who resent or otherwise strongly dislike Minecraft and Mojang, for any number of reasons.
70. Re:No. by drew870mitchell · 2014-09-10 02:59 · Score: 1
  
  >enough cash to retire
  If $2B is to be believed, Microsoft is offering Notch hundreds of times that. I'd easily sell the permanent rights to everything I've ever done so far professionally for that much cash. You should be leery around anyone who wouldn't.
71. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:19 · Score: 0
  
  Without rabid modders who would tweak the game in spite of the lack of modding support, Minecraft would have shriveled up and died already. Selling out to Microsoft is like pissing on at least half of them all at once.
  After it's been converted to C# using "proper" resource files, not these sloppy, moddable resource directories, ensuring that future releases will be available only for the Xbox and Surface will cement Microsoft's hold on Minecraft... and kill it.
72. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:21 · Score: 0
  
  Except in the cases where Windows is not optimized for your drivers, and the Linux drivers are better. I've had many encounters with that.
73. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:30 · Score: 0
  
  Or Rare.
74. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:47 · Score: 0
  
  Pfft. I run Linux since 1995, since that Windows 95 was so crappy. And Windows still is, that's why I still run Linux, on Hardware from 2014. And yes, Minecraft (and hundreds of other games) as well.
75. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:49 · Score: 0
  
  ^^ +1
  the only worse company to buy Mojang would be EA...
76. Re:No. by jones_supa · 2014-09-10 05:21 · Score: 1
  
  I have not had many encounters like that.
77. Re:No. by HideyoshiJP · 2014-09-10 05:27 · Score: 1
  
  I think he just doesn't want to deal with the pressure of being associated with it. He already cancelled 0x10c because he lost interest and it had already become "a thing." Seems like just wants to work on his own stuff and spit out whatever he finds fun without half the internet watching.
78. Re:No. by bravo_2_0 · 2014-09-10 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  It looks like Lego already did that Lego Fusion
  
  --
  I AM A SEXY SHOELESS GOD OF WAR!!!
79. Re:No. by jandrese · 2014-09-10 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  Or worse, you go to a lot of work to make a nifty DLC that adds like machines to process ore or something, and everybody goes: We already have a half dozen fan made mods that do that and do it better, no thanks. The Minecraft modding community is ridiculously large, especially given how hostile Mojang is to the mod community (not only is there no API, but they obfuscate the class names and make people re-reverse engineer the stupid game on every release, so mods go out of date quickly if they're not actively maintained).
  
  --
  
  I read the internet for the articles.
80. Re:No. by jandrese · 2014-09-10 06:15 · Score: 1
  
  Which clone would you recommend? I've seen a whole lot of half finished ones that maybe have terrain generation and let you walk around. Sometimes they even have caves, but usually not monsters, animals, NPCs, etc.... I have yet to see one that's anywhere close to feature complete.
  
  --
  
  I read the internet for the articles.
81. Re:No. by Grismar · 2014-09-10 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  Sure, most readers on /. will agree. But most of the people playing Minecraft aren't readers on here, they're little kids aged 7 or over, playing their little hearts out. And they'll play Minecraft from whatever supplier will keep the service and the brand going for the next couple of months, or years if MS is lucky.
82. Re:No. by rtb61 · 2014-09-10 12:55 · Score: 1
  
  Lego fusion is only a simple extension not a whole world built of Lego, especially in multi-user. So they have a whole long way to go. The smart idea is allow people to cheaply design Lego models and then allow them to order the parts based upon the design and have it delivered as a custom box ready to go in the real world.
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
83. Re:No. by drinkypoo · 2014-09-10 13:50 · Score: 1
  
  The last one I used was minetest, which had just added mobs.
  It's massively extensible and had a mod with CPUs which ran code before mc did
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
84. Re:No. by sg_oneill · 2014-09-10 16:19 · Score: 1
  
  Go's an awesome game, but try convincing an 11 year old to pick up a board game.
  
  --
  Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
85. Re:No. by phantomfive · 2014-09-10 18:08 · Score: 1
  
  Usually there are retention clauses to prevent people from doing just that.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
86. Re:No. by jeremyp · 2014-09-10 23:31 · Score: 1
  
  When he made the promise, the development team consisted only of himself. Now there is a whole company with a number of employees who depend on Minecraft licence sales for their salaries. If Notch open sources Minecraft, all these people will lose their jobs.
  So it's probably greed, but not necessarily. In any case, sales haven't tailed off yet, so he hasn't broken his promise.
  
  --
  All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
87. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-11 01:00 · Score: 0
  
  Thank goodness AC insider info on other topics is still reliable.
88. Re:No. by bluefoxlucid · 2014-09-11 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  I would bet money a 4-year-old could learn to beat you at Go.
  
  --
  Support my political activism on Patreon.
89. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-11 04:31 · Score: 0
  
  the proper response would be, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!......" - falls off cliff and dies.
90. Re:No. by tedgyz · 2014-09-12 02:13 · Score: 1
  
  KHAAANNNN!
  
  --
  "No matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai
91. Re:No. by ProzacPatient · 2014-09-12 03:58 · Score: 1
  
  I worked for a small software company once but then the leadership decided to sell us out to a huge multi-national corporation, took their cash and ran. Since then a number of my colleagues quit the acquiring company after a few months but unfortunately some of us have nowhere to go. So I totally understand where you're coming from. Life sucks.
92. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-12 14:35 · Score: 0
  
  Well, it would make Mojang rich.. what now do we have to pay for to play the game Microsoft? Ladies and Gentlemen... MicroCraft! Crash to desktop.
93. Re:No. by AlabamaCajun · 2014-09-13 02:22 · Score: 1
  
  To the Board of Directors of Microsoft.
  Keep your ****ing hands off of Mojang. Microsoft has already destroyed Word Perfect, Lotus 123/Visicalc, Borland C++, Startteam and many other great tools that worked with your monopolistic ideals. Those products work and had few issues. Had they all been allowed to continue development through today computing would be more efficient and less frustrating. I know many are going to flame this letter but most are not aware of what is missing. We have no reason to export maps to Excel, nor check maps into team server (Mojang already has a good server, nor does it need to be a part of Internet eXploder. None of your products work the same, none of them are that great. Notch watch out for the Microsoft LBO guys the may attempt to leverage you out. The quick money of a buyout may put more ducks in your pockets but it will never replace what you have. Besides, your team enjoys more benefits that any Ms associate who has to wait until they are dead or retired to see any of their dividends and profit shares. Please accept the box of creepers I am sending as a token of appreciation for the consideration.
94. Re:No. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-13 03:51 · Score: 1
  
  Do I need to add or enable a mod to get the mobs? Because I just started playing minetest last week and am liking it, but want there to be mobs. I guess I'd better just roll up my sleeves and dig around their forum and get more involved...
95. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-14 19:13 · Score: 0
  
  Exactly!
  See Nokia!!!
HALO by AdamThor · 2014-09-09 11:44 · Score: 3, Insightful

Remember when everyone was excited about this game in development called "Halo", and MS went and bought that up?
Not too surprised here.

--
-- "Oh. This guy again."
1. Re:HALO by Stormwatch · 2014-09-09 12:09 · Score: 1
  
  And then they cut off almost everything that was exciting about Halo.
  
  --
  Circumcision is child abuse.
2. Re:HALO by Adriax · 2014-09-09 12:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  They should have bought minecraft years ago then. Back when the hype was starting and they could have gotten it for a couple million.
  Kinda curious as to how they're going to screw it up.
  Forced windows 8 integration?
  Port the x-box port back to windows and drop the java version?
  Mandatory Realms hosting for multiplayer so they can police it and add microtransactions for diamonds? "10 credits = 1 diamond. Or buy a pack and save! Available packs include the 64 diamond Stack Pack, the 574 diamond Block Stack Pack, or the best value the Diamond Block Dick To Pierce The Skies pack!"
  
  --
  I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
3. Re:HALO by lister+king+of+smeg · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 1
  
  They should have bought minecraft years ago then. Back when the hype was starting and they could have gotten it for a couple million.
  Kinda curious as to how they're going to screw it up.
  Forced windows 8 integration?
  Port the x-box port back to windows and drop the java version?
  Mandatory Realms hosting for multiplayer so they can police it and add microtransactions for diamonds? "10 credits = 1 diamond. Or buy a pack and save! Available packs include the 64 diamond Stack Pack, the 574 diamond Block Stack Pack, or the best value the Diamond Block Dick To Pierce The Skies pack!"
  If that happened everyone would just stick with the old version and tell Mojang-rosoft to f*ck itself. Just like open-source reveres engineered bukket server became the default Minecraft server for most servers the cracked client would become the default. As is many people run old versions already just to maintain compatibility with various mods already so its not that much of a stretch. I bought Minecraft specifically because they have Linux support, that would end if MS ever got their hand on it.
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
4. Re:HALO by Hadlock · 2014-09-09 12:49 · Score: 1
  
  EA tried to buy them for $100 million a couple years ago, they let the CEO in to the office and shortly after showed him out. At that point they'd already made enough to all comfortably retire and it's not surprising that they would turn down a billion dollars (that's what, $100 mil each per employee?) before caving at the $2 billion mark? It's hard to turn down that kind of money.
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
5. Re:HALO by CaptainDork · 2014-09-09 12:55 · Score: 1
  
  I will have Internet Explorer installed at the core.
  
  --
  It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
6. Re:HALO by lgw · 2014-09-09 13:21 · Score: 1
  
  What was exciting about Halo? No clue here, never heard of it before MS.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
7. Re:HALO by Adriax · 2014-09-09 13:23 · Score: 2
  
  Heh, I can see that.
  Completely recode the game in C#/.Net and have IE specific calls to run the game. Force minecraft players to keep IE completely updated to run it, even old versions.
  $2billion advertising campaign for IE11 or 12 doesn't sound so far fetched.
  
  --
  I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
8. Re:HALO by samkass · 2014-09-09 13:26 · Score: 1
  
  If that happened everyone would just stick with the old version and tell Mojang-rosoft to f*ck itself. Just like open-source reveres engineered bukket server became the default Minecraft server for most servers the cracked client would become the default. As is many people run old versions already just to maintain compatibility with various mods already so its not that much of a stretch. I bought Minecraft specifically because they have Linux support, that would end if MS ever got their hand on it.
  Not sure if you're aware what's been happening with that Bukkit server you cite. Turns out, Mojang AB secretly bought it two years ago when they hired away the lead developers. So Microsoft would own Bukkit, too. So it would have to be re-reverse engineered...
  I agree... A Microsoft purchase would destroy Minecraft. Microsoft doesn't know how to do Java, or "open", or Mac/Playstation/iPad games... It would become just another banal property that gets milked for Microsoft Entertainment Division profit.
  My older son literally burst into tears instantly when I was stupid enough to read the Verge headline out loud. He apparently shares my opinion...
  
  --
  E pluribus unum
9. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:47 · Score: 1
  
  I hate MS and would take the money (assuming Mojang makes around $100 million annually), then leave as soon as the contract allowed because fuck working for Microsoft, and start again, this time on easy-mode because of the money and fame.
  Microsoft seems to think stupidly throwing money on the Xbox problem will solve it, but it won't. "Not enough Minecraft" is not the reason it isn't selling.
10. Re:HALO by lister+king+of+smeg · 2014-09-09 13:53 · Score: 2
  
  If that happened everyone would just stick with the old version and tell Mojang-rosoft to f*ck itself. Just like open-source reveres engineered bukket server became the default Minecraft server for most servers the cracked client would become the default. As is many people run old versions already just to maintain compatibility with various mods already so its not that much of a stretch. I bought Minecraft specifically because they have Linux support, that would end if MS ever got their hand on it.
  Not sure if you're aware what's been happening with that Bukkit server you cite. Turns out, Mojang AB secretly bought it two years ago when they hired away the lead developers. So Microsoft would own Bukkit, too. So it would have to be re-reverse engineered...
  I agree... A Microsoft purchase would destroy Minecraft. Microsoft doesn't know how to do Java, or "open", or Mac/Playstation/iPad games... It would become just another banal property that gets milked for Microsoft Entertainment Division profit.
  My older son literally burst into tears instantly when I was stupid enough to read the Verge headline out loud. He apparently shares my opinion...
  No it would not have to be reverse engineered again as even though they now own it, it is still available and under the gpl v2. So that would be impossible for Microsoft to shutdown as it would be forked the next day and you can't retroactively re-licence someone else’s copy of gpl'ed software, remember GPL is viral and thats a good thing.
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
11. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:58 · Score: 0
  
  No it would not have to be reverse engineered again as even though they now own it, it is still available and under the gpl v2. So that would be impossible for Microsoft to shutdown as it would be forked the next day and you can't retroactively re-licence someone else’s copy of gpl'ed software, remember GPL is viral and thats a good thing.
  Unfortunately the Minecraft server code wasn't clean-room reverse engineered, it was decompiled. Microsoft has a decent legal leg to stand on and the money to back it up to say that the GPL'd code was a copyright violation and is not legally usable.
12. Re:HALO by Bonobo_Unknown · 2014-09-09 15:15 · Score: 1
  
  >I bought Minecraft specifically because they have Linux support, that would end if MS ever got their hand on it. That's probably not true. For example Skype is still available cross platform, Linux included.
  
  --
  We don't believe in radical loony monotheistic religions from the middle east -- we're Christians.
13. Re:HALO by Artifakt · 2014-09-09 15:17 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Halo was really based in the same universe (or a very similar one) as an earlier series of games usually called the Marathon trilogy. These were Bungie's first big hits, and had two major properties that make them remembered fondly.
  1. They were like Doom (2 1/2 D shooters), but with great plots and characterization for their time. (And most of this keenness was something more players saw there for the first time, often before Doom came out, or at least caught on, because Apples were around more then- see point 2). Bungie may have been first with some features, was definitely first to get them right with others, and it took some time for Id games to even be taken seriously. Think of the story everybody wanted for Mass Effect 3, and mostly felt disappointed in. For most gamers who started the series, Marathon 3 was like everything more modern players hoped Mass Effect 3 would be. Plus, many players felt they got a lot of other things right, like squad level control, vehicle movement, microphone talk in multiplayer, weapons/ammo ratios (and not being able to carry 10 or so weapons and thousands of rounds of ammo all at once), being able to design your own levels, and the whole blend of Single Player/Multiplayer/Deathmatch modes.
  2. They ran on Apples, and were so big there that many people actually complained about how there was notihng in gaming for the PC as good as for the Apple. (There were other games, such as Myst and Armor Alley contributing to this effect too, I'm not saying it was all Marathon, but Myst and Bungie doing ports to Microsoft shifted the whole gaming scene away from Apple over just a couple of years).
  Halo was supposed to be the updated version of those, going to a fully 3D engine, and it delivered an really exciting story with a giant ring around a planet, a weapon that could destroy whole worlds, and A.I. systems that would burn themselves out in 3 years or so just through being so ubersmart (and you had to hope the one you were relying on got you through the next scenario before it popped). And for the first time, there was a version for the X-Box and you didn't ahve to have an Apple Mac!
  
  --
  Who is John Cabal?
14. Re: HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:39 · Score: 0
  
  Skype is outdated and shittier on Linux though.
15. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:58 · Score: 0
  
  I remember playing the beta on the PC before MS stepped in and made it an x-box exclusive (and delaying the release).
16. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:24 · Score: 0
  
  The whole problem with bucket started because the GPL is most likely invalid in this case. The reason is that it's based on proprietary minecraft server code at its core.
  Mojang has condoned its use sofar but there is nothing stopping a new owner from forbidding it's use completely.
17. Re:HALO by hraponssi · 2014-09-09 20:38 · Score: 1
  
  also, if you take away the minecraft client, what are people left with? running your own pseudo-legal bukkit server with no client to play it with? i suppose the old versions might work but no new shinies as in the updated xbox versions, and ms could probably use some minecraft licensing issues to ban old plugins and whatnot..
18. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:57 · Score: 0
  
  No it would not have to be reverse engineered again as even though they now own it, it is still available and under the gpl v2.
  No it isn't. It was decompiled from Minecraft Server which is released under a license incompatible with GPL.
  If Microsoft takes it to court whoever was involved in decompiling and stamping GPL on it is in deep shit and anyone distributing the source after that is equally in trouble.
  They have essentially avoided trouble until now because Mojang aren't dumb enough to fight their userbase and prefers to solve legal disputes with Quake3 rather than lawyers.
19. Re:HALO by Agent+ME · 2014-09-09 21:00 · Score: 1
  
  Wasn't Halo stilled planned to be an RTS back when it was on Mac?
20. Re:HALO by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:26 · Score: 1
  
  2. They ran on Apples, and were so big there that many people actually complained about how there was notihng in gaming for the PC as good as for the Apple.
  Yes, for two years. Then came Quake, and the Mac fanboys went back to crying into their keyboards for the year until the Mac version came out... with substantially lower frame rates than PC, dollar for dollar spent on your computer.
  
  (There were other games, such as Myst
  Which came to PC two years later, at the same quality as it was on the Mac. That was a dark time for Apple hardware.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
21. Re: HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:50 · Score: 0
  
  No it's not, in fact it keeps getting better especially with recent updates. But I'm still not going to use it as we all know by now of the FBI backdoor.
22. Re:HALO by Talderas · 2014-09-10 02:09 · Score: 2
  
  Myth: The Fallen Lords was Bungie's first big hit, mostly because it was their first Windows game. Marathon was well received but it was a Mac game and didn't have the market to be a big hit. Myth's profits allowed them to change offices and open a second studio.
  
  --
  "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
23. Re:HALO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:33 · Score: 0
  
  [...] shifted the whole gaming scene away from Apple over just a couple of years
  The gaming scene has always been at least an order of magnitude bigger on the PC than on the Macintosh over its entire history, even when the Mac was technically superior for gaming (this was in the early 90s while most PCs where still using ISA bus VGA cards and Macintoshes with color graphics no longer cost as much as a new car, and PC games typically ran at 320x240 while Mac games typically ran at 640x480 or more if you had a bigger monitor). Apart from the much smaller market share, Apple simply never cared about gaming.
24. Re:HALO by Mr2cents · 2014-09-10 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  Ditch Minecraft and make Minecraft 2. Better graphics! Faster! (Runs on windows only).
  
  --
  "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
25. Re:HALO by Stormwatch · 2014-09-10 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  That was the first proposal, yes. The second one, the one that everyone actually wanted, was supposed to be a third person shooter, set in an open world, with online team multiplayer.
  
  --
  Circumcision is child abuse.
26. Re:HALO by irq-1 · 2014-09-10 04:04 · Score: 1
  
  Kinda curious as to how they're going to screw it up.
  Complete rewrite with Java.Net (with extensions) but running on MSJVM raised from the dead.
27. Re:HALO by lister+king+of+smeg · 2014-09-10 12:41 · Score: 1
  
  No it would not have to be reverse engineered again as even though they now own it, it is still available and under the gpl v2. So that would be impossible for Microsoft to shutdown as it would be forked the next day and you can't retroactively re-licence someone else’s copy of gpl'ed software, remember GPL is viral and thats a good thing.
  Unfortunately the Minecraft server code wasn't clean-room reverse engineered, it was decompiled. Microsoft has a decent legal leg to stand on and the money to back it up to say that the GPL'd code was a copyright violation and is not legally usable.
  That doesn't matter any more as Bukkit was bought up by Mojang the people that own the original copyrighted on the Minecraft Server that was decompiled to create Bukkit in the first place. So now as the same entity now owns both Bukkit & Minecraft Server, and as Mojang continues to distrubute and develop Bukkit under the GPL, it is now leagle and abides by the term of said license. As such any fork of Bukkit would now be legitimate and covered by the gpls redistribution clause eg; "the no takesies backsies clause"
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
28. Re:HALO by Teckla · 2014-09-13 12:00 · Score: 1
  
  No it would not have to be reverse engineered again as even though they now own it, it is still available and under the gpl v2. So that would be impossible for Microsoft to shutdown as it would be forked the next day and you can't retroactively re-licence someone else’s copy of gpl'ed software, remember GPL is viral and thats a good thing.
  How does GPL being viral help? If it was BSD licensed, even after a Microsoft purchase, they couldn't un-BSD the BSD version, so it would still be available...
Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:46 · Score: 0

There goes support for Minecraft on Linux
1. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:22 · Score: 0
  
  and the desktop as well as mac.
  Minecraft soon to be Xbox only with metro ui
2. Re:Awesome by j127 · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Skype got worse on GNU/Linux after Microsoft bought it, so I stopped using it completely. The Android app was terrible last time I used it too.
What? by Nemyst · 2014-09-09 11:46 · Score: 3, Interesting

Minecraft is a PC game first and foremost. The console versions are watered down, limited, pale imitations at best. Microsoft is no longer a PC-centric games publisher (long gone are the days of Age of Empires...). The match makes frankly very little sense, which is why it worries me that it just might happen, and it'd probably cause a massive exodus of the modding community. You can bet that MS wouldn't want dirty modders reverse-engineering their new property's code, and yet destroying the modding community would spell the doom for Minecraft.
1. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 18:30 · Score: 0
  
  What's incredible is that they have made an absolute ton of money reselling Age of Empires 2, and yet they insist on spitting out more crappy mobile games and stuff using the Age of Empires brand rather than actually making a good RTS with some complexity behind it. The market is clearly desparate for one.
2. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:26 · Score: 0
  
  Also, Minecraft is coded and runs on Java.
  Rofl
3. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 03:55 · Score: 0
  
  The console and mobile versions out sell the PC version by a huge margin. Minecraft is literally the most played 360 and Xbone title and has been for years.
  I've got little doubt that this is what Microsoft is after. If they have any sense they'll leave the PC side alone. It's where all the community-driven development happens that makes the game popular in the first place. Community developed sever and client side mods are critical to Mincraft's success. Community content driven youtube and streaming are a huge part too. The 2nd most popular channel network on youtube (Yogscast) is mostly semi-scripted dicking around in minecraft, and depends entirely on community Minecraft mods.
4. Re:What? by steelfood · 2014-09-10 07:48 · Score: 1
  
  And then you have the mods that may or may not violate other people's IP (pixelmon mod anybody?).
  Microsoft would shut those things down right away. Hell, they'd shut down any mod attempts and the whole mod API project in general.
  It'd be the death of the game. And since nobody's got patents on the game, there'll definitely be clones coming out to eat away at the mindshare itself. But man, what a way to go. That $2B better be in cash, Notch. Don't get fooled by offers in shares.
  
  --
  "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
5. Re:What? by drsquare · 2014-09-12 04:11 · Score: 1
  
  I'm pretty sure that the xbox version of the game sold more than any other. It's big on tablets too.
wot? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:47 · Score: 0

how is mojang worth 2 billion? they are a one trick pony.
1. Re:wot? by lister+king+of+smeg · 2014-09-09 12:53 · Score: 1
  
  how is mojang worth 2 billion? they are a one trick pony.
  3 trick
  minecraft
  scrolls
  and cobalt
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
2. Re:wot? by Pseudonym · 2014-09-09 13:21 · Score: 2
  
  But you have to admit, it's one hell of a trick.
  I think the breakdown is:
  - Minecraft IP: $1.9 billion
  - Notch's good luck: $90 million
  - Rest of company: $10 million
  - Chance to port WinRT to the DCPU-16: priceless
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
3. Re:wot? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:10 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I've paid attention to what Mojang has been doing because I used to play Minecraft a lot. I didn't even know Scrolls or Cobalt were out. I thought they were still in development, along with 0x10c or whatever it was called before development stopped on it. I found out all of these status updates from this article, today.
  "1 trick pony" is correct. They have not done any further successful tricks. (This sell-out to Microsoft will probably increment that, but in the "hooker" way.)
  I think it's tremendously smart for Notch to cash in on his Minecraft empire while it's still worth $2 billion. It's a shame that he's selling the whole company, rather than just selling off Minecraft as a subsidiary asset-wrapper. (If you're unfamiliar with the concept, it's a way to avoid the insane legal idiocy of transferring assets while still transferring assets. You assign the asset to a subsidiary, then sell the subsidiary in a buy-out process rather than doing a direct asset sale. It cuts a lot of stupid red tape and saves on capital gains taxes.)
  Microsoft is tremendously dumb for spending $2 billion on a game and a name that will never pay off for them. Minecraft is a 5 year old game and is unlikely to grow, spin-offs and sequels are unlikely to do anywhere near as well, and merchandise is already showing up at dollar stores. It's not worth $1 billion anymore, much less 2. Their investors are gonna be pissed.
Umm... WHY??? by Sycraft-fu · 2014-09-09 11:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

I mean seriously, why would you want Mojang? Minecraft itself has already made most of its money. You'd never make $2 billion on it going forward, it's big sales have already happened. So you'd be buying the talent/IP for future games... ya, about that. Mojang seems to have little or nothing at all in the pipe to speak of. 0x10c has gone all of nowhere, Scrolls has very little interest anymore and that's about it.
When you look at Minecraft, particularly what it started as, where it came from (Infiniminer) and how much has come form community contribution, it is fairly apparent that Notch is not some genius game designer, he just had the right idea at the right time, and got lucky that it went viral. Minecraft was not some amazing feat of design, it was a digital lego game that struck a chord with people. Fair enough, and he deserves his success, but that isn't the kind of thing worth buying in to, particularly given 0x10c's complete lack of development.
I can't see what MS hopes to gain. Maybe the Minecraft name? I guess, in theory, that is worth some money but I don't really think so. I think people will happily play a good builder game, regardless of title.
Just seems like a bad use of money to me.
1. Re:Umm... WHY??? by sayfawa · 2014-09-09 11:57 · Score: 2
  
  Because tech-bubble 2.0?
  
  --
  Free the Quark 3 from asymptotic confinement! Bring your charm! Don't get down! All colours and flavours welcome!
2. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:58 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Notch announced over a year ago that he had suspended development on 0x10c indefinitely. He also stated that he was working on a new project but would be keeping it secret untill it was ready. Ever since the only thing out of Mojang has been stuff like the mojam games, and ludum dare entries. Notch has shown he can punch out an interesting game in as little as 48 hours, but when not given a deadline he gets easily distracted and never produces anything, Microsoft owning Mojang may actually get the team producing.
3. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:00 · Score: 0
  
  Advertising
4. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:03 · Score: 1
  
  0x10c has gone all of nowhere, Scrolls has very little interest anymore and that's about it.
  It's now called C++11 and it's doing just fine, thank you!
5. Re:Umm... WHY??? by CanadianMacFan · 2014-09-09 12:04 · Score: 0
  
  How many of Microsoft's big purchases have ever really turned out to be good ones? Can't say too much about the smaller ones because I don't pay much attention to them.
6. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Sycraft-fu · 2014-09-09 12:10 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Off the top of my head DirectX, Visio, Internet Explorer, Bungie, and Wininternals all worked out very well for them. Not saying you personally like all the products there, but they were all commercially successful in a number of ways.
7. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Hadlock · 2014-09-09 12:11 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Imagine you can leverage off of their existing user base, your minecraft character becomes your xbox equivilent of a "Mii", and now you have a 3D avatar in a 3D world you can legitimately interact with. Did you not read Snowcrash? This is Snowcrash. Someone bootstrapped the 3D virtual world we've been promised since the 1980's (and failed at with Second Life) and now Microsoft will own it. And will integrate it in to your living room and cell phone.
  
  P.S. Go read Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
8. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:20 · Score: 1
  
  I mean seriously, why would you want Mojang?
  Because Mojang has been tremendously successful with absolutely ZERO business sense?
  My son is 7 years old and we've begun to host Minecraft meetings here because none of the other parents can get mods to work. Just run this forge thing on the 1.7.2 thing and then unjar these files into this folder.
  Mojang are essentially toothless hillbilles. Just because they are successful doesn't mean that they have left most of the money on the table.
  I despise Microsoft but welcome this change.
9. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:23 · Score: 1
  
  Nice examples. That's "Sysinternals" though ;) Also add the database they bought from Sybase.
10. Re:Umm... WHY??? by turrican · 2014-09-09 12:24 · Score: 1
  
  How about QDOS? That seemed to work out pretty well for Bill...
11. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:26 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Don't forget PowerPoint, which came with Forefront acquisition.
12. Re:Umm... WHY??? by aliquis · 2014-09-09 12:36 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  But Microsoft will do their own incompatible version.
  And then refuse to go on.
  And people will call it Minecraft 6 and use it for 5+ years even though it's outdated and nasty.
13. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Rowan_u · 2014-09-09 12:52 · Score: 2
  
  The name is exactly what they're after (and sequels with that name attached). Don't underestimate the brand power that Minecraft has with kids.
  
  --
  only one everything
14. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Sez+Zero · 2014-09-09 13:00 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I mean seriously, why would you want Mojang?
  
  Maybe they don't want to buy it, they just want to leak a salacious story on the day some other company had big news?
15. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Kabukiwookie · 2014-09-09 13:03 · Score: 1
  
  Just another bandwagon MS is jumping on. Too late as usual.
  
  --
  The mountains of madness have many little plateaus of sanity - Terry Pratchett.
16. Re:Umm... WHY??? by wisnoskij · 2014-09-09 13:12 · Score: 2
  
  I agree, but I think for a lot of the same reasons if MS is interested Notch would probably sell. He seems to have pretty much checked out of the studio to me; more interested in being a gamer celebrity and doing lone side projects than running a studio. And you are probably right, unless someone has some new big idea most of the money has already been made off of Minecraft, and the studio itself was not some dream team put together over decades
  
  --
  Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
17. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Pseudonym · 2014-09-09 13:23 · Score: 2
  
  Mojang are essentially toothless hillbilles.
  Oh, it's worse than that. They're nerds.
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
18. Re:Umm... WHY??? by khallow · 2014-09-09 14:27 · Score: 1
  
  More likely, they'll spend a lot of money while other parties get that VR thing. MS has a long history of letting opportunity slide through its grasp. I don't see the current proposed purchase changing that. Rather, I consider the long term worth of this transaction to be a transfer of wealth from a has-been to a creator of value.
19. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:51 · Score: 0
  
  You calling Minecraft the real life (haha) Metaverse just made Neal Stephenson roll over in his grave. And he's not even dead yet.
20. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-09 15:10 · Score: 1
  
  I read Snowcrash. About 14 years ago. Lots of us here probably did. There's a lot more in that book than the metaverse. Gargoyles have materialized in r.l. as glassholes, for example.
  Read 'The Big U'. It's fun, it's from before N.S. got such an attitude. He finally allowed it to be reissued.
21. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:14 · Score: 0
  
  The Metaverse wasn't built in Java.
22. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-09 15:14 · Score: 1
  
  I remember a few years ago when Notch was going on and on about getting a new oscilloscope. I sort of hoped he'd gotten a Tek 547 or maybe a nice 475.
23. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Noxal · 2014-09-09 15:20 · Score: 1
  
  I want a Rat Thing
24. Re:Umm... WHY??? by n3r0.m4dski11z · 2014-09-09 15:21 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  "it is fairly apparent that Notch is not some genius game designer, he just had the right idea at the right time, and got lucky that it went viral. Minecraft was not some amazing feat of design, it was a digital lego game that struck a chord with people."
  Have you even played the game for more than 5 minutes? it had more depth and FUN my first hour playing it than all the games in the last ten years of gaming combined! Plus, kids fucking LOVE it. Southpark was bang on with its observation that everyone under 16 (maybe 20 now?) has played it and enjoyed it. If he's not a "genius" in some sense, with millions of accounts (paying like $25 each), then what the fuck dude, who the hell is?
  He had the right idea at the right time, just like every other inventor in history. Nothing "genius" or not "genius" about it. Minecraft is an amazingly deep and thoughtful game, that is still getting free updates years after its release!
  He is actually quite humble in the interviews I have read about him such as this one:
  http://www.newyorker.com/tech/...
  Minecraft is THE cult game of the last 10 years. The spinoffs, youtube channels, mods, servers, real life products, halloween costumes, t shirts... the list goes on and on. Minecraft steve, a creeper or other characters are easily as recognizable as mario, or a disney character to children these days.
  There is a TONNE of value with the minecraft brand. Missing that means you are not in touch with the youths! and you lose at your evaluation of the situation.
  
  --
  -
25. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:13 · Score: 0
  
  Someone bootstrapped the 3D virtual world we've been promised since the 1980's (and failed at with Second Life) and now Microsoft will own it.
  You know what's cool about a 3D virtual world? That it's one contiguous space where people can gather and interact. You know what's cool about Minecraft? Everyone has their own world (or a couple, even)--one of which is always lava land.
  
  And will integrate it in to your living room and cell phone.
  Yep. Nothing funner than hunting down people in the virtual world in your living room to talk to them or on your cell phone. And let's not even get into raiding parties, zombies, spiders, etc killing grandma while she's trying to talk to her grandson.
26. Re:Umm... WHY??? by dhalsim2 · 2014-09-09 17:09 · Score: 1
  
  You guys are focusing too much on the game. The Minecraft, as an icon, is valuable in and of itself. Disney has Mickey. Nintendo has Mario. Sega has Sonic. Microsoft could possibly be buying Steve. If Steve, as an icon, can last decades into the future, it will be well worth the price tag to Microsoft.
  Think Nintendo has made at least $2 billion off of Mario? They certainly didn't make that much off of Mario Bros. or even Super Mario Bros., but has an icon, I'm sure Mario has been worth way more than that.
27. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Pseudonym · 2014-09-09 17:31 · Score: 1
  
  With $2 billion, he could afford a MSO.
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
28. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 18:31 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Minecraft - "Only on XBox One."
  Marketing.
  That's what they're buying.
  They're losing the current gen console war against Sony and this a typical desperate, and in my view utterly pointless, Microsoftian play.
29. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Alarash · 2014-09-09 19:39 · Score: 1
  
  Shhhh. A nerd's going to make 2 billions, keep it quiet lest Microsoft backs off.
30. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:17 · Score: 0
  
  Didn't Sony already have some virtual reality thing on the PS3? I tried it twice, but found absolutely nothing interesting to do in there.
31. Re:Umm... WHY??? by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:14 · Score: 1
  
  It really IS like snow crash, in that the game can glitch and you can find yourself having walked through blocks and so on. When I teleport to a different region on a server, the server regularly fails to fill in the blocks beneath my feet, and sometimes I wind up walking around the secret parts of a world.
  Technologically, Minecraft is a festering bowl of shit. It's perfect for Microsoft. But if they buy it, that will likely spend the end of my playing the game, which sadly I spent money on. They will just fuck it up.
  I hope this is bullshit.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
32. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:58 · Score: 1
  
  Note: I am not the grand parent.
  
  Have you even played the game for more than 5 minutes?
  
  I have spent a significant amount of time on it.
  
  it had more depth and FUN my first hour playing it than all the games in the last ten years of gaming combined!
  I personally grew bored of the game it self quickly. I was more interested in the human interaction. Such as, making people freak out because one harmless block of dirt was in their house (you would be surprised how people react over nothing, not even doing anything destructive).
  
  He is actually quite humble in the interviews
  This is irrelevant.
  
  Minecraft is an amazingly deep and thoughtful game,
  I disagree. I don't see much thoughtful about it.
  
  Minecraft is THE cult game of the last 10 years. The spinoffs, youtube channels, mods, servers, real life products, halloween costumes, t shirts... the list goes on and on.
  Agreed, the masses love it. But knowing the game, played the game. I know the hype and hysteria is not deserved. It really isn't that impressive or amazing.
  
  There is a TONNE of value with the minecraft brand.
  I'm not sure people will see it the same way after Mojang's lawyers upsetting the community and then the community's response causing Notch to offer to sell all his shares (which causes Microsoft to bite). The community will lose their hero Notch.
  I don't think the brand will last much longer with it's current popularity, but it can certainly be capitalized for a few more years.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
33. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:20 · Score: 0
  
  The thing is, they could still totally make 0x10c.
  There is still no game out that is even as remotely as fun as that game sounded.
  Even Space Engineers, with its hilarious physics and all the hype for it, is still inferior. (still a fun game with friends for a while if you want to do stupid shit. much more fun that crappy Gmod as well)
  Notch cancelling that was the worst mistake. That game would have sold like crazy.
  But Notch is lazy. He doesn't LIKE doing things if it means effort.
  All he does is play with nerf guns, order pizza and do shitty game jams exactly the same way he has always done them for years.
  The mojam streams demonstrated this very much so. In a not-so-very-subtle way.
  No, that was not Notch just having fun because charity game jam stream. Not at all.
34. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:45 · Score: 0
  
  Jealous nerds bitching that "he ain't all that"? Really? Since when was dorkiness associated with acting like a teenage girl?
35. Re:Umm... WHY??? by pklinken · 2014-09-09 22:47 · Score: 1
  
  It's a UNIX system, I know this !
36. Re:Umm... WHY??? by GTRacer · 2014-09-10 00:14 · Score: 1
  
  They did, and do. It's called PlayStation Home. I used it regularly while I had my PS3. It's fun to find people to chat with, troll or counter troll (just like /. !). Also, some of the PS3 game promotions rolled out to Home were pretty well done. It supported voice chat and keyboards too.
  
  Color me shocked then, when I switched to a PS4 for Final Fantasy 14 and Home was not available.
  
  --
  Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
37. Re:Umm... WHY??? by eulernet · 2014-09-10 00:50 · Score: 2
  
  I'm surprised nobody gets it, but I bet that Microsoft is preparing its own virtual reality headset.
  What will make people adopt VR is games, and the simplest game (think about a 3D Tetris) is Minecraft.
  So my second bet is that they'll use Minecraft to sell their VR.
38. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:15 · Score: 1
  
  Annual subscriptions. My kids have two PC licenses, along with Android and iOS clients. I've deliberately kept it off the consoles. They get many hours out of Minecraft, my youngest loves watching the TY celeb's doing things in it which she then tries to copy. She is 6. There are millions of people obsessed with Minecraft, let alone the casuals like my kids. They build whole fscking worlds alone with games within games. MS will move to a subscription model, millions will pay. Sony, EA, MS et al, are all moving to subscriptions before they get to pay-per-play models in the 2020s.
39. Re:Umm... WHY??? by CronoCloud · 2014-09-10 01:23 · Score: 1
  
  Color me shocked then, when I switched to a PS4.... Home was not available.
  Ditto.
40. Re: Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:24 · Score: 0
  
  You have a point. Why should only fratboys and preppies like Andreesen and the Zuck get handed billions?
41. Re:Umm... WHY??? by CronoCloud · 2014-09-10 01:30 · Score: 1
  
  There's more things to do now. Game spaces and whatnot with mini-golf, Sodium, Novus Prime, etc. You can use it as a sort of "hub" to organize multiplayer games too.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...
42. Re:Umm... WHY??? by CronoCloud · 2014-09-10 01:34 · Score: 1
  
  Minecraft is already on the PS4, this won't help the Xbox One.
43. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Daniel+Hoffmann · 2014-09-10 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  Minecraft 2
  Sequels always sell more than the original, right?
44. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  But a 547 with a good collection of plugins would be awesome. For reasons that I think, only knowing Notch from a great distance, he would appreciate.
45. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  All of that sort of damage happened last week, when said other company's gaseous cloud let off quite a stench.
46. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:14 · Score: 0
  
  buying MS-DOS didn't turn out that bad for them either
47. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:34 · Score: 0
  
  To turn it into a subscription model, maybe?
48. Re:Umm... WHY??? by PincushionMan · 2014-09-10 04:38 · Score: 1
  
  Back in the bad old days, you had to pay for your browsers. If you wanted TCP/IP on Window 3.11, you even had to pay for Trumpet Winsock ($25). I remember that IE's trident core was licensed from some other company (Spyglass? Mosaic?), and that the parent company was to get a cut of the profits. They never envisioned that MS would just give it away as a part Windows 95, netting them $0 per copy.
  
  Also, Microsoft paid the huge sum of $0 for their TCP/IP stack for Windows 95. They cribbed it straight from BSD's TCP/IP stack, IIRC.
49. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Rinikusu · 2014-09-10 04:44 · Score: 1
  
  Amusingly, he even foresaw that Gargoyles (glassholes) would be viewed with uneasy contempt by the masses they glasshole on.
  
  --
  If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
50. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Rinikusu · 2014-09-10 04:45 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe clojure, then, but most likely just hacked together with perl.
  
  --
  If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
51. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-11 08:40 · Score: 0
  
  It's Snowcrash in the sense that it's a 3d world... but not in any other way? Did YOU read Snowcrash?
52. Re:Umm... WHY??? by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-13 03:58 · Score: 1
  
  Tc/ip networking on Win3 was a driver addon from Microsoft that was free. I think you are referring to a dialup slip/ppp extension, which was a commercial 3rd party thing.
Do it Notch. Dooo Iiiiittt! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:50 · Score: 0

Do it.
History by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:51 · Score: 0

Minecraft as we know it, will be history.
It's all over. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:52 · Score: 1

There is no god.
Licenses by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 11:59 · Score: 5, Insightful

Not just software licenses. Licenses to print sticker, to make kids' notebooks and BMX bikes and a billion other shitty things from China with Minecraft-branded content. It's the brand they want- probably don't give a shit about the game itself.
1. Re:Licenses by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:10 · Score: 0
  
  This is where it's at since the purchase cycle for the game itself is largely exhausted. But there's already tons and tons of MC merchandise out there - and MS will get a cut of sales, in the form of royalties. And there are people that have made their one-time purchase of the game itself, but are now focused on buying pretty much EVERYTHING to make a Minecraft mancave or maybe even their whole house. T-shirts will get worn out, and may be replaced with more Minecraft stuff.
  As the Spaceballs saying goes, "MERCHANDISING!"
2. Re:Licenses by rjejr · 2014-09-09 13:19 · Score: 2
  
  Thank goodness somebody gets it. Rovio's Angry Birds are everywhere, but Minecraft is going to stick with kids forever and ever as they are much more involved in the game world.
3. Re:Licenses by Charliemopps · 2014-09-09 13:28 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Right... my kids never played the game, he can't do WASD yet because he's only six. He's never seen a show about it and doesn't even know what it's about. But he has a minecraft Tshirt, lunchbox and a couple of toys and regales me with Tales of Creepers and Zombies. I've no idea what kind hallucinogenic crack Notch put in that game but it seems to be particularly effective on small children.
4. Re:Licenses by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:55 · Score: 0
  
  My 3yo can do WASD.. it's not the age of your child limiting their skills.. I'd guess they haven't played many pc games to get used to it.
  Fair enough if so..my kids spend more time on games than I like..
5. Re:Licenses by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-12 09:56 · Score: 0
  
  You should try again on the pc with your son. wasd at six years old was easy for all the kids I know. My niece struggled for a day or two, but the desire to 'build her playhouse' in the game kept her at it.
2018 by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:07 · Score: 0

Next on the news: Microsoft with the collaboration from 343 Industries releases Minecraft: advanced warfare with newly unseen advanced A.I fish.
hell, this is america by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:10 · Score: 0

I'd sell the shit out of my company for that amount, retire and buy an island somewhere. Do it notch
1. Re: hell, this is america by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:28 · Score: 0
  
  Notch's idea of America was going to Vegas. Yes, that was really his main motivation for the first Con. Even though most his fanbase was too young to do ANYTHING people commonly go to Vegas for.
"No, not yet, and we hope not to." by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:10 · Score: 0

Relevant video: http://youtu.be/iMIDquNSXmA?t=7m28s The rest of it's pretty fun if you like the off-hand style Craig Ferguson uses.
Minetest. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:16 · Score: 1

C++, Irrlicht, Crossplatform including Android.
It doesn't have the 360/XBone, but if you go buy one of those crappy 100 dollar Android Settop boxes from China, it's got you covered :)
Other benefits/detriments: No Java, Lua scripting, some C++ scripting hooks, laggy with exceptionally large collections of modpacks. Everybody things it 'sucks' because they tried it before it had scripting and obv couldn't have improved in the past 2-4 years.
1. Re:Minetest. by lister+king+of+smeg · 2014-09-09 12:48 · Score: 0
  
  C++, Irrlicht, Crossplatform including Android.
  It doesn't have the 360/XBone, but if you go buy one of those crappy 100 dollar Android Settop boxes from China, it's got you covered :)
  Other benefits/detriments: No Java, Lua scripting, some C++ scripting hooks, laggy with exceptionally large collections of modpacks. Everybody things it 'sucks' because they tried it before it had scripting and obv couldn't have improved in the past 2-4 years.
  I tried it a couple monthes ago still sucked compared to minecraft it lacked a lot features and wasn't very polished, Compared to a fully modded Tekkit build Minecraft setup it isn't even in the same league.
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
2. Re:Minetest. by Pseudonym · 2014-09-09 13:17 · Score: 1
  
  First off, Minecraft is written in Java.
  Secondly, while Irrlicht has improved recently, it's still a toy. Forward rendering only (hope you like fixed-function pipeline lights), nothing in the way of screen-space effects (motion blur, distortion, ambient occlusion, etc), or multi-pass rendering of any kind for that matter, no current-gen support (OpenGL 4 / D3D11), and even if you can overcome all that, it's still a rendering engine and not a game engine. No networking, no physics, no movie player (not even Vorbis)... need I go on?
  Even Torque is better than Irrlicht, despite the crappy scripting system.
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
3. Re:Minetest. by 0100010001010011 · 2014-09-09 14:34 · Score: 1
  
  Did you even read his title? MineTest is a Minecraft clone.
  It uses Irrlicht.
  It is written in C++
4. Re:Minetest. by Pseudonym · 2014-09-09 14:39 · Score: 1
  
  No, the title did not register as a thing. Nonetheless, I stand by my assessment of Irrlicht as being... well, it doesn't suck at what it does necessarily, but it lacks almost everything you'd want these days.
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
5. Re:Minetest. by UnknownSoldier · 2014-09-09 17:02 · Score: 1
  
  Minetest is a joke.
  I've subscribed to the GitHub bug list.
  Lacks tons of features, devs argue over pointless features and bugs, most the devs write amateur, translation, shitty code.
  It will probably never amount to anything sadly.
$2Bn? Put Bruce Artwick on suicide watch by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:16 · Score: 0

Microsoft Flight Simulator: Add-ons, customisation and community involvement
That is a lot of money... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:19 · Score: 0

I hope it doesn't happen though. I can't see Microsoft doing anything good with the game which runs on all three platforms right now. I only see it running on Windows in the future if MS gets it's paws on it.
1. Re:That is a lot of money... by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:41 · Score: 1
  
  I hope it doesn't happen though. I can't see Microsoft doing anything good with the game which runs on all three platforms right now.
  I can't see Mojang doing any good either to be honest. They didn't even do a clean room implementation from the opensource code they based Minecraft off originally and as such, are in violation of the license's distribution terms for their derivative works.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
2. Re:That is a lot of money... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 00:43 · Score: 0
  
  I can't see Mojang doing any good either to be honest. They didn't even do a clean room implementation from the opensource code they based Minecraft off originally and as such, are in violation of the license's distribution terms for their derivative works.
  Not really, the open source code wasn't a clean room implementation of the minecraft server so the GPL license can't be enforced and if Microsofts buys the rights and starts enforcing the rights to it then whoever stamped GPL on the decompiled code is in deep shit.
3. Re:That is a lot of money... by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-10 01:16 · Score: 1
  
  Not really, the open source code wasn't a clean room implementation of the minecraft server so the GPL license can't be enforced
  
  Uh.. The fact it isn't a clean room implementation means it can be enforced and it wasn't only the server component.
  
  if Microsofts buys the rights and starts enforcing the rights to it then whoever stamped GPL on the decompiled code is in deep shit.
  Now, the fact that Mojang has compiled against various SDKs (see the xbox version) if Microsoft buys them, it would make for an interesting liability with regards to how much would need to be released to adhere to the license. Never-mind the potential punitive damages of each copy sold.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
How is this going to happen? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:19 · Score: 0

Notch seems like one of those people who wouldn't even let this sort of thing happen. He's had fights with Microsoft in the past, and he's abandoned development for Oculus Rift the moment they got bought out by Facebook (and even blogged about it). Even if MS wants to buy Mojang, this isn't the sort of thing that looks like it will even happen.
1. Re:How is this going to happen? by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:38 · Score: 1
  
  otch seems like one of those people who wouldn't even let this sort of thing happen.
  But it's happening because Notch offered to sell his shares after the lawyer drama Mojang created that upset the community.
  
  He's had fights with Microsoft in the past,
  Which is irrelevant, once the shares are out of his control, he has no control.
  
  Even if MS wants to buy Mojang, this isn't the sort of thing that looks like it will even happen.
  It does to me.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Dear God, no by Trogre · 2014-09-09 12:24 · Score: 4, Insightful

Why do these successful companies allow themselves to be bought up by behemoths who almost never improve upon them? Is it just so the current owners can retire?
Especially Microsoft, whose modus operandi has been shown again and again to be embrace, extend, extinguish.

--
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
1. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:32 · Score: 0
  
  ($)($). Two chicks at once.
2. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:55 · Score: 1
  
  Seriously?
  You have no idea what 2 billion dollars can do. You stick around as long as your contract requires and then you leave to start another company. or research life extension, or build rockets, or live any dream you have ever had.
3. Re:Dear God, no by Bonobo_Unknown · 2014-09-09 15:27 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  We all work so that we can pay the bills. If we're given an opportunity to sell something we've made for the option of never working again but living in luxury for the rest of our lives why not take it? That gives security, and the option to go on and do bigger and better things that 2BN dollars can provide. It's a dream come true.
  
  --
  We don't believe in radical loony monotheistic religions from the middle east -- we're Christians.
4. Re:Dear God, no by godrik · 2014-09-09 15:55 · Score: 1
  
  Let's be honnest here. If anybody is willing to buy anything I did for $2B, I'd sell it without thinking about it (even if it is a cure for cancer). Cash in your $2B and go explore some other crazy ideas you have that you release for free (you'll probably find a second way to cure cancer). You no longer need money at that point: you can live with $10M/y for 200 years...
5. Re:Dear God, no by dcollins · 2014-09-09 17:06 · Score: 1
  
  "We all work so that we can pay the bills... go on and do bigger and better things that 2BN dollars can provide."
  Will the work on the things post-2BN also be to pay the bills? Seems like a contradiction. I wonder what proportion of people are actually not working to pay the bills.
  
  --
  We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
6. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:33 · Score: 0
  
  To jump around with your pockets and fists stuffed with money going 'wooohooo!'.
  Thats the entire point of human culture right now.
  2 billion. that'll do it.
7. Re:Dear God, no by CptJeanLuc · 2014-09-09 18:33 · Score: 1
  
  Why do these successful companies allow themselves to be bought up by behemoths who almost never improve upon them?
  Using the voice of Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movie: "two ... b i l l i o n ... dollars".
  There are two options; either cash in and take the 2 Bn which then becomes a sure thing, or keep running the company with the two possibilities that you could make even more money (that you would never have the chance to spend anyway so there is in reality zero additional value in that scenario), or you could lose some or all of the value. The owner may even have knowledge they are currently headed in a bad direction. First option you have to do zero work for the rest of your life, second option you have to work really, really hard running the company.
  Think of it in terms of game theory. For society as a whole, this is a suboptimal decision. However for the owner, it is probably the right decision.
8. Re:Dear God, no by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:21 · Score: 1
  
  To jump around with your pockets and fists stuffed with money going 'wooohooo!'.
  Thats the entire point of human culture right now.
  Almost. you have to go "woohoo, I have more than you!" Because it's not just about having, it's about having more.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
9. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 21:57 · Score: 0
  
  Because it's a load of money, and it's just a game which will be forgotten about in 20 years. On the scale of human endevour it's not a big deal, it's hardly like selling out the discovery of fire or something.
10. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:06 · Score: 0
  
  Why do these successful companies allow themselves to be bought up by behemoths who almost never improve upon them?
  Because it's a billion dollars.
  Billion. With a B.
  If you get that kind of cash you can do anything you're able to imagine. Anything. Even go to the moon, if you really want to.
  Think about it.
11. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:34 · Score: 0
  
  If I had $100M and were offered $2B for my cancer cure, it'd boil down to the following: "can I use this pile of money to do something even better?". Those amounts are pretty much the same from the point of personal consumption - the difference only matters if you have some larger-than-life use for it.
12. Re:Dear God, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:23 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, really. WTF. Someone had to ask that question?
13. Re:Dear God, no by RendonWI · 2014-09-10 02:26 · Score: 1
  
  Why... I think they have 2 Billion reasons why. Is it really that hard to understand.
14. Re:Dear God, no by Rich0 · 2014-09-10 05:46 · Score: 1
  
  "We all work so that we can pay the bills... go on and do bigger and better things that 2BN dollars can provide."
  Will the work on the things post-2BN also be to pay the bills? Seems like a contradiction. I wonder what proportion of people are actually not working to pay the bills.
  Maybe 0.05%? One of the advantages of pocketing the $2B is that now you can take all the risks you want to and do the stuff you REALLY want to do. Maybe that makes you even more money, or maybe it doesn't, but who cares at that point?
  Work would be a lot less stressful for me if I had $10M in the bank. I'd probably still be doing a lot of the stuff I'm doing today, though I might not be doing it for the same employers. I'd be more interested in getting good stuff done and less about whether my boss likes me, etc.
15. Re:Dear God, no by Trogre · 2014-09-10 16:49 · Score: 1
  
  With respect, that's a very selfish position and an incredibly naive justification (that you'd probably find a second way to cure cancer).
  Not all of us come with a price.
  
  --
  "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Have you thought of applying to be the next CEO? by Herschel+Cohen · 2014-09-09 12:24 · Score: 2

You seem to have a better grasp on what makes business sense for a company that has been floundering, albeit with scads of cash.
So have your resume handy, if they do not call the Ballmer back.
If it's not the latter, Good Luck with your new endeavor.
Re:Down the Drain by Dracos · 2014-09-09 12:25 · Score: 1

Not idiotic at all for MS... very idiotic for Notch.
Keyboard and Mouse by dohzer · 2014-09-09 12:29 · Score: 0

Can I play Xbox games with a keyboard and mouse?
1. Re:Keyboard and Mouse by dbIII · 2014-09-09 13:49 · Score: 1
  
  No that's the Nintendo DS - keyboard anyway.
2. Re:Keyboard and Mouse by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:35 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, you need to obtain a ChronosMAX first though.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
checks the date by RichMan · 2014-09-09 12:35 · Score: 1

Ok, it is not April 1st. This is one weird rumor.
If it happens I expect Minecraft to be ported to whatever comes next after C# so that your command blocks can access excel spread sheets and the network printer configuration. *sigh*
1. Re:checks the date by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 0
  
  I expect the next Windows interface to be Minecraft. You know, Windows 8 was to tablet-ify the desktop. Next step is to go 3-D and cub-ify the desktop. (Yeah I know it's been done before.)
2. Re:checks the date by pipedwho · 2014-09-09 13:29 · Score: 1
  
  I know Unix!
3. Re:checks the date by saramakos · 2014-09-09 16:50 · Score: 1
  
  I don't see why not - it would be an improvement over the current Metro interface!
4. Re:checks the date by SuiteSisterMary · 2014-09-10 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  Don't you see? Minecraft BECOMES the new metro interface! Instead of dragging tiles, you pick them up and put them down! Sometimes you shear them for wool!
  
  --
  Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
5. Re:checks the date by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 08:05 · Score: 0
  
  SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS boom.
  blue creeper of death. you just lost all your work.
Re:Down the Drain by DaveyJJ · 2014-09-09 12:42 · Score: 2

Very idiotic, perhaps. But if Microsoft (or Google, or Apple &c) offered you $2,000,000,000 for your small company, I wonder how many of us would say no.

--
DaveyJJ
Re:Down the Drain by smaddox · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 3, Insightful

For $2 billion? 20 years of current revenue? For a video game? Sounds pretty brilliant to me.
Like Coca-Cola? by justthinkit · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 1

Like Coca-Cola?

--
I come here for the love
1. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by Lunix+Nutcase · 2014-09-09 14:07 · Score: 1
  
  How exactly is the Coca-Cola company a one trick pony? They have dozens upon dozens of globally popular brands.
2. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by justthinkit · 2014-09-09 14:47 · Score: 1
  
  beverages bearing the trademark "Coca-Cola" or "Coke" accounted for approximately 78% of the company's total gallon sales.
  
  --
  I come here for the love
3. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:21 · Score: 0
  
  to be fair, sprite and most of their other beverages, do bear those trademarks.
4. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:41 · Score: 0
  
  And that still does not make them a one-trick pony since according to the very same article:
  
  The Coca-Cola Company offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries, aside from its namesake Coca-Cola beverage.
  Yes, Coke is their number one seller, but having 500 different brands from all over the world would be exactly opposite of a one-trick pony.
5. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 18:03 · Score: 0
  
  and being a one trick pony is fine anyway, if it a really good trick.
6. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by justthinkit · 2014-09-10 00:21 · Score: 1
  
  You are confusing shelf space with successful products. It is like Microsoft with their Windows product. It is their Coke. You don't carry their Coke, you don't succeed in the computer market.
  
  You don't do everything Coca-Cola wants, you don't get to carry Coke.
  
  You are also missing the time element to this comparison. Coca-Cola is a trifle older than Mojang. Did Coca-Cola have 500 products when it was 5 years old?
  
  --
  I come here for the love
7. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by cyberchondriac · 2014-09-10 03:18 · Score: 1
  
  Well, that 78% is still multiple types of beverages/flavors, and there's still 22% of the company that isn't just beverages.
  But in any case, doesn't matter, if a one trick pony is very good at that trick, it's valuable.
  
  --
  
  Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
8. Re:Like Coca-Cola? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 17:47 · Score: 0
  
  Like Google?
wot? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:45 · Score: 0

how is mojang worth 2 billion? they are a one trick pony.
Assuming, for the moment, that the article is accurate... It is one ridiculously profitable trick.
Microsoft to start java development by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:50 · Score: 0

I suspect Microsoft wants Mojang so they can reassign the Java developers to other internal projects and build up a significant internal Java development resource pool.
1. Re:Microsoft to start java development by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2014-09-09 13:28 · Score: 1
  
  You must be too young to remember J#.
  
  --
  #DeleteChrome
2. Re:Microsoft to start java development by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:14 · Score: 0
  
  If they wanted that why would they hire the incompetents of Mojang?
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 12:52 · Score: 1

Considering they've probably sold 70% of the copies they will ever sell and have no hits on the way, it makes total sense for Notch.
No sense for MS, everyone will dump it right after they require the server to run on Win9
Re:Down the Drain by MrDoh! · 2014-09-09 12:55 · Score: 2

2 Billion dollars richer? I wish I could fail that badly.

--
Waiting for an amusing sig.
Stupid move, like buying Gamefreak in 1997 by rjejr · 2014-09-09 13:26 · Score: 2

Stupid Microsoft. Imagine if they tried to buy Gamefreak in 1996 after Pokemon Red and Green had already come out. What has Gamefreak done since 1996? Well besides Diamond and Pearl. And Ruby and Sapphire. And X and Y. And Black and White. Boy I would hate to have owned Gamefreak and the Pokemon license for 18 years. Who wants to keep track of all that money for 18 years?
1. Re:Stupid move, like buying Gamefreak in 1997 by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-09 15:19 · Score: 1
  
  Yellow would have come out exclusively for PDAs running Windows CE. There wouldn't be any other Pokemon games.
Step one by viperidaenz · 2014-09-09 13:30 · Score: 0

Rewrite it in .NET please, Mojang. We don't do Java.
End of an era by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 13:58 · Score: 0

Tonight, across the world, is a nation of young kids praying to the gamer gods, their YouTube heroes, and all that is holy, to keep their childhood intact.
Tonight a sad young fella is going to sleep. Tomorrow a wiser young man will awake.
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:02 · Score: 0

How is it idiotic? How many games have you sold for $2 billion?
Like all game studio Microsoft buys by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 14:11 · Score: 0

From Digital Anvil to Rare, from Nokia phones to Xboxes, everything always ends up getting ruined or destroyed (ONE MICROSOFT WAY AFTER ANOTHER)...
Thank jebus i've never minecraft, and won't ever touch a single game from them after this either...
1. Re:Like all game studio Microsoft buys by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:31 · Score: 2
  
  Digital Anvil was going to die out completely without releasing if it were not for Microsoft. Similar situation with Nokia phones, except they would release and nobody would buy. I don't know anything about Rare's history.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
I was promised "some sort of open source" by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-09 14:24 · Score: 4, Informative

Oh, hard luck Microsoft, you've just run afoul of my country's fair trading act.

Part of my purchase decision was that Minecraft would be released open source or public domain.

You've just purchased some very high punitive fines.

Once sales start dying and a minimum time has passed, I will release the game source code as some kind of open source. I'm not very happy with the draconian nature of (L)GPL, nor do I believe the other licenses have much merit other than to boost the egos of the original authors, so I might just possibly release it all as public domain.
1. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:18 · Score: 0
  
  Reading comprehension fail.
2. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:24 · Score: 1
  
  And if you believed Notch, you are dumb as fuck.
3. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-09 18:07 · Score: 1
  
  The question is "could a reasonable person have believed him?", not "Is a reasonable person dumb as fuck"?
4. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by phantomfive · 2014-09-09 18:26 · Score: 2
  
  Oh, hard luck Microsoft, you've just run afoul of my country's fair trading act.
  How did they do that? Your country doesn't let companies buy other companies?
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
5. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 18:33 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  What if that "minimum time" is a couple of hundred years?
6. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:29 · Score: 1
  
  A reasonable person is not "dumb as fuck", so no, they wouldn't have believed him.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
7. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Richard_at_work · 2014-09-09 21:35 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Good luck taking some vague hand wavy statements as evidence in any court case or consumer complaint. So, did he ever outline what a "minimum time" would be? 10 years? 50 years? His lifetime?
  If its not written into the license you received when you purchased the product, its all too easy to dismiss in court.
8. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:57 · Score: 0
  
  Wow, an ignorant blowhard on Slashdot, whatever next?
  Apart from the ridiculous tone of your comment, you seem to be under the false impression that Microsoft made those promises and/or that you made your purchase from Microsoft. Neither of those is the case. Also, you can lie to us about your "purchase decision" all you like, but purchase decisions don't even come in to fair trading laws. Only advertising does, and vague intentions stated in blog posts are not advertisements. Even if you made this stick (which is possible because you're clearly an expert consumer lawyer) there would be no "high punitive fines" because the loss of value from this relatively minor aspect of the game's potential future is about as close to zero as it's possible to get without underflowing a double.
9. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:00 · Score: 0
  
  Um, you know Microsoft has an awful lot of open source projects right? That it even has it's own open source project hosting platform?
  You seem to have some evidence that Microsoft would never fulfil that pledge - please, show us, we'd all love to see it.
  Oh right, you don't have that, you were making a wild assumption coupled with some obscure assumption that "minimum time has passed" means pretty soon. Oh well, it looks like it's not Microsoft that's fallen foul of anything then but simply your own overactive imagination and abysmal lack of understanding of legal technicalities.
10. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:02 · Score: 0
  
  You are seriously linking an archived page of something he said?
  It is Notch, he is a lying prick.
  There was also a load of features that Minecraft was going to have, exactly none of them have seen the light of day.
  This is why the entirety of /v/ collectively told him to fuck off from the site back in the early days of Minecraft development and then he jumped over to Reddit for dicksuckery. Which happened for a while until the Yogscast shitstorm that HE caused.
  Notch is high-tier scum. I thought everyone knew this?
  Or do people really think this is a vocal minority situation? Even the developers in the damn company dislike him. (mainly Bukkit team)
11. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:46 · Score: 0
  
  draconian nature of (L)GPL
  So, he was a true 'Softie even back then... How did anyone not expect this?
12. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:00 · Score: 0
  
  Notch is high-tier scum. I thought everyone knew this?
  Or do people really think this is a vocal minority situation?
  Vocal minority? Not even that. I've been in Minecraft for almost two years and never heard of anything you said. Think about it...
13. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by steelfood · 2014-09-10 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Especially since courts nowadays interpret "eventually" and "limited" as "forever - 1 day".
  
  --
  "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
14. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 08:20 · Score: 0
  
  Heck, Microsoft would just argue that _because_ they bought the product, it's not dying but receiving new blood.
  Besides, Microsoft could just open-source the version they bought, while denying you all the improvements they made later on. In a community that depends on user-generated content, the support for a 5 year old version will be virtually nil.
15. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-10 12:39 · Score: 1
  
  If its not written into the license you received when you purchased the product, its all too easy to dismiss in court.
  Australian law is pretty generous with finding "misleading conduct". The standard is if it would lead an ordinary member of the public to be influenced by it into error. The courts look at the likely audience and judge by the standards of persons who are not stupid, but are perhaps of less than average intelligence and background knowledge in that audience.
  
  Also, it is sufficient that the conduct in question has the potential to mislead or to deceive. No intent to mislead or deceive is required.
16. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-10 12:41 · Score: 1
  
  Besides, Microsoft could just open-source the version they bought, while denying you all the improvements they made later on. In a community that depends on user-generated content, the support for a 5 year old version will be virtually nil.
  I'd be happy with that.
  
  And I'm not sure they'd end up with the most popular fork. The Minecraft community is pretty big
17. Re:I was promised "some sort of open source" by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-10 12:49 · Score: 1
  
  Apart from the ridiculous tone of your comment, you seem to be under the false impression that Microsoft made those promises and/or that you made your purchase from Microsoft. Neither of those is the case.
  Nope, I'm not under that impression. I'm under the impression that if Microsoft acquires Mojang, they acquire their assets and obligations.
  
  Also, you can lie to us about your "purchase decision" all you like, but purchase decisions don't even come in to fair trading laws.
  If I was mislead before entering into a purchase agreement, that comes under multiple fair trading laws. One is the Australian Trade Practices Act (1974). Another is the New South Wales Fair Trading Act (1987).
  
  Even if you made this stick (which is possible because you're clearly an expert consumer lawyer) there would be no "high punitive fines" because the loss of value from this relatively minor aspect of the game's potential future is about as close to zero as it's possible to get without underflowing a double.
  The Fair Trading Commission has been very heavy handed in the past. The fines are not about loss of value to the consumer, but about making deceptive conduct uneconomic.
Microsoft? OH HELL NO! by Chas · 2014-09-09 14:38 · Score: 1

Okay! I understand a monster cash infusion could help Minecraft Studio immensely.
And I'll be damned if I tell Mojang they "MUST" refuse a big payday for all the work they've done.
But Microsoft has proved, time and again, that it simply doesn't know how to deal with properties like this and pretty much always winds up shutting them down because they can't figure out a way to monetize it properly.

--

Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Isn't it a little bit obvious? by gaboalonso · 2014-09-09 14:46 · Score: 4, Interesting

MS is trying to have a say in the VR game and they think Minecraft would be a nice entry point.
1. Re:Isn't it a little bit obvious? by Puff_Of_Hot_Air · 2014-09-09 16:37 · Score: 2
  
  And why not? This Notch fella sounds like he's just been holding things back.. "No VR because Oculus sold out!" "What's that mega-corp? 2 Billion?". Owned by Microsoft might see rational rather than ego-centric decision making.
2. Re:Isn't it a little bit obvious? by Rowan_u · 2014-09-10 00:44 · Score: 1
  
  I doubt they've even heard of Minecrift, although I'm sure they'll nuke it from orbit if this deal goes through . . . :(
  
  --
  only one everything
3. Re:Isn't it a little bit obvious? by eulernet · 2014-09-10 00:54 · Score: 2
  
  I totally agree.
  In fact, MS will probably propose a VR headset next year, and will use Minecraft to sell it.
  Of course, Minecraft will not be available anywhere except MS's VR.
  I expect that Minecraft clones on other VR companies will be sued.
way to go by Yehzo · 2014-09-09 15:01 · Score: 2

Way to go Mircosoft, way to ruin another awesome brand with your shitty management practices. So when is minecraft going to start charging $59.99 /game with a monthly membership?
1. Re:way to go by Ash-Fox · 2014-09-09 21:27 · Score: 1
  
  Way to go Mircosoft, way to ruin another awesome brand with your shitty management practices
  What are you talking about? Mojang's brand is ruined by themselves when they started sending lawyers after people and upsetting the community. Notch was the one who then offered to sell all his shares in public due to the outcry, Microsoft just happened to bite on that prospect.
  This is Notch's management bringing it down, not Microsoft's.
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
way to go you dumb fucks by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:17 · Score: 0

you all bought minecraft. way to make some worthless fucking nerds rich. go kill yourselves now.
Smart move by notch by Nyder · 2014-09-09 15:20 · Score: 1

Okay, look, Minecraft is at the end of it's life. Sure it's still popular now, but it won't be in a year or so. Notch is smart to sell for so much money.
But will all the minecraft clones and crappy versions out now, it doesn't matter. Notch will have a bunch of money, and hopefully move onto the next big thing he wants to make. Still waiting on the Space Game he teased us with...

--
Be seeing you...
1. Re:Smart move by notch by drinkypoo · 2014-09-09 21:30 · Score: 1
  
  Okay, look, Minecraft is at the end of it's life.
  What's your logic?
  
  Sure it's still popular now, but it won't be in a year or so.
  Unsupported statement.
  
  Notch is smart to sell for so much money.
  Sure, but if it is true (Esp. after promising to release the code open source when he's done with it) then fuck him, fuck him sideways, fuck him with a rusty dildo. He's a liar and a thief and fuck him. I would never have bought in without the promise to open source the code eventually, so if he sells it now, he's a liar and fraud is a kind of theft when done for financial gain.
  
  But will all the minecraft clones and crappy versions out now,
  
  At least some of the clones are technically superior to minecraft, especially in the net code department where Minecraft is shit. I should not be having to mine the same block ten or twenty times because of lag. Seems like minecraft is using UDP without checking to see if packets arrive.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I sense a disturbance in the Force by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 15:27 · Score: 0

As if millions of Minecraft players screamed out in agony, and kept screaming.

I fear something awful is going to happen.
That is a lot of money... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:22 · Score: 0

Windows? Try Xbox exclusive - Microsoft has all but given up in the PC game space.
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:44 · Score: 0

> How is it idiotic?
Idiotic for MS. Waste of money for a business that can't even leverage their business OS monopoly to ubiquity, much less manage to put a clone on their wholly owned hardware platform. No, let's spend money on a brand for no reason other than attempting to bandwagon a one-hit-wonder, years after the fad.
> How many games have you sold for $2 billion?
Way to completely miss the point.
Everyone has their price by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 16:53 · Score: 0

For anyone bashing Notch for selling out, please consider this carefully:
2 BILLION DOLLARS.
The guy (and his team) made one successful game. There's no evidence to suggest they can do it again, and current attempts have gone nowhere (Scrolls is not on anyone's radar and that game with a hex value for a title is on indefinite hold apparently). So, with that as the facts, if you were offered 2 fucking BILLION dollars for your one-game development group... would you really say no? If you wanted to you could take that money and create a new studio and have a shitload left to enjoy life on. You could create a studio that's entirely for pet projects that might never see any success, but you'd have the artistic freedom to do so with financial pressure. There's plenty of avenues for using the money to further develop things outside of the business what was bought.
But no, because apparently no-one thinks that if they were in the same position they'd be capable of knocking back 2 BILLION. Idiots.
Yeah..no, not real. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:14 · Score: 0

meh its not realistic and its from "1x" source
I made detailed comments here - http://forums.bukkit.org/threads/microsoft-offering-to-buy-minecraft-for-2-billion.310871/#post-2802227
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:39 · Score: 0

How the fuck is becoming a billionaire idiotic?
Ho Hum... by hambone142 · 2014-09-09 17:40 · Score: 4, Insightful

Microsoft is a dying old fart company, much like Hewlett-Packard. What they can't earn with innovation is being replaced with attempted acquisitions. Unfortunately, all that they acquire is typically destroyed with no revenue to the bottom line. Acquire, lay off the people, destroy, forget. Management by "bean counters" vs. the ability to invent. Sad but the state of large cranky corporations of the day.
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:41 · Score: 0

Idiotic for MS.
Way to completely miss the point!
No, no, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 17:46 · Score: 0

Another very, very sad example of the destructive power of m$ running rampant in the Nordic area
I know of several people that will throw this game away as soon as it has the m$ moniker on it - so this is pure, stupid, misguided destruction plain and simple.
Very sad news indeed.
Sorry, but need to post as ac, as m$ is known for wrecking peoples careers for less than this.
1. Re:No, no, no by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:00 · Score: 0
  
  Another very, very sad example of the destructive power of m$ running rampant in the Nordic area
  As a sidenote, Microsoft also recently erected a data center in undisclosed location somewhere in southern Finland.
Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Sycraft-fu · 2014-09-09 17:55 · Score: 4, Insightful

But funny thing about money, people always want more.
1. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:07 · Score: 1
  
  Given his reaction to Oculus being bought by Facebook, he is indeed funny. Or a hypocrite.
2. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by thegarbz · 2014-09-09 21:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Once you have enough money, money is no longer money. For you and I money is something we use to get through life. Once you have enough money to no longer worry about anything for the rest of your life money takes another form entirely...
  Power. Sure you may be a multi-millionaire, but is that enough to get you a private dinner with the President? No? You and all your kids are free of any cash problems for your life, but are you on the cover of Time? No?
  Well clearly you need more.
3. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:27 · Score: 0
  
  He's a billionaire in Kroner, not in USD.
4. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by bwcbwc · 2014-09-09 23:48 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Yeah, just on off-the-cuff calculations, say 30 million copies across all platforms,could be as high as 40 M, but PC is only 16-17 M. I'm not sure what cut Mojang gets from the non-PC versions after you take out the development costs and Xbox/PS platform royalties, but let's say that Mojang grossed about $20 per copy overall. This includes he alpha and beta sales that were for under $20 averaged with the higher costs now.
  This comes out to $600-$800 M before taxes, so after you factor in Minecraft Realms monthly fees and any income from Scrolls, you're probably somewhere around $1B in sales. I'm pretty sure there are more than 2 employees with equity in the company, and when you factor in Swedish income taxes, Notch is clearly not a billionaire in dollars.
  It's worth $2B to Microsoft, because they can milk the Minecraft cow for at least that much by merchandising paraphenalia and movies, Minecraft Realms is also an ongoing cashflow. Oh, and I bet they institute a monthly fee for Minecraft Server.
  Apart from the money, I think Notch is really selling because he's sick of the BS of running a company: Bethesda suing them over scrolls, parents suing them over exploitative MC servers....etc.
  
  --
  We are the 198 proof..
5. Re: Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 00:53 · Score: 0
  
  Or, a lot of AC's are seeding this discussion with slander and speculation.
6. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by rioki · 2014-09-10 01:48 · Score: 2
  
  I don't know... Elon Musk seamed to put the money to go use. But then again, unfortunately there are really few creative billionais out there and the only thing they do is try to up one each other.
7. Re: Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:00 · Score: 0
  
  You're forgetting clothing sales. I'd wager half the kids in America have at least one mineceaft shirt.
8. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:04 · Score: 0
  
  enough money to no longer worry about anything for the rest of your life
  I've met plenty of 1%ers, but never met anyone who didn't worry about money. You'll just start worrying about OTHER people's survival.
9. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 05:58 · Score: 0
  
  " I'm not sure what cut Mojang gets from the non-PC versions after you take out the development costs and Xbox/PS platform royalties, but let's say that Mojang grossed about $20 per copy overall."
  *looks over at the retail costs of console Minecraft that were $19.99 at launch*
  Damn, 101% is a pretty sweet take per copy.
10. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Maxo-Texas · 2014-09-10 10:44 · Score: 1
  
  CNBC is reporting 50 million copies.
  
  --
  She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
11. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by thegarbz · 2014-09-10 20:24 · Score: 1
  
  Shall we throw anecdotes at each other?
  You say Elon Musk (who is good), I say Clive Palmer (Australian mining magnate who bought his way into politics for that appears to be exclusively so he could derail efforts to ban a coal terminal expansion at the border of the great barrier reef.
  We can keep swapping lists of good and bad billionaires all day but I think your list may run out first. Mind you you're saying Elon Musk under the assumption that he's not attempting to do what every other one is. SpaceX seems like a worthy cause to you and I, and it would seem it for him too if he manages to completely corner the space market. Same with Tesla. Yes it is possible he is a selfless greenie who would sink billions to make the world a cleaner place, or he's hoping to capitalise on one of the fastest growing trends in recent years, green transport.
  Personally I think he does it to get richer. We may benefit for it, but lets face it he has power and he's getting more of it every day. (oh and he's in the Time magazine's most influential list, but he so far hasn't featured on the cover).
12. Re:Billionaire and no he doesn't need the money by Devola · 2014-09-13 12:33 · Score: 1
  
  Across all platforms its 54Mil, close to 55. The curious thing about Minecraft is the continous sales. On the PC its has been averaging 10k sales per day for more than 3 years.
No, it isn't Snowcrash by Sycraft-fu · 2014-09-09 18:02 · Score: 1

For one thing that is a work of fiction, and there is plenty in there to give it away as something that will never be reality. Then there's also the fact that Minecraft is a poorly optimized Java game with graphics from the 1990s, not the foundation for some world wide universe.
1. Re:No, it isn't Snowcrash by Hadlock · 2014-09-09 19:42 · Score: 1
  
  And yet if sales follow their current upward accelerating trend, by this time next year 1% of the world's population will own a copy of the game. What would you suggest hitching your wagon to instead? Second Life? Because that's worked out so well.
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
2. Re: No, it isn't Snowcrash by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:18 · Score: 0
  
  I would suggest that there is nothing to hitch said wagon to.
Re:Down the Drain by Michael+Woodhams · 2014-09-09 18:36 · Score: 1

Scenario A:
Notch sells Mojang to a respected community friendly company for a reasonable price of a few hundred million. Mojang's employees and customers are reasonably happy.
Scenario B:
Notch sells Mojang to Microsoft for $2B. Mojang's employees are very unhappy. The customers are fairly unhappy but if they get too unhappy there are clones out there to migrate to, or they can just play the current version without further updates.
Scenario C:
Notch sells Mojang to Microsoft for $2B and gives each of his employees $1M as a present. Notch is still way richer than in scenario A, employees are happier, customers still have the migrate or no updates options.
If I had a cheap effective cure for malaria and a company I didn't trust offered me 10 times what I thought it was worth, I'd likely not sell. But for a smallish computer game company, I can do more good with $2B than any plausible evil that could come of the sale.
However, I am going to download the latest Minecraft development snapshot tonight so as to not miss out on slime blocks should I need to abandon updates.

--
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Makes sense by macson_g · 2014-09-09 19:15 · Score: 1

Makes perfect sense. The Minecraft's UI should integrate with Metro seamlessly.
1. Re:Makes sense by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  A Metro version of Minecraft that I could play on my Windows 8.1 tablet would be awesome, if it integrated seamlessly. It would give me a compelling version to turn that tablet on.
  Metro isn't much good for anything other than tablets, though, no matter how Microsoft strives.
What they're really buying by Tyr07 · 2014-09-09 19:53 · Score: 2

When Microsoft purchases minecraft, they're buying the name.
It's popular, well known, and a success. If they manage to do with the current version, or even if they leave it as is, the important thing....
Is that they can make Minecraft 2 as they own the IP and will sell a crap ton. They can rewrite it into any language they feel, optimize it, add a ton new features (Basically add all the things mods are doing) and bam, profit.
Although technically they wouldn't even need to improve performance or write it in a different language. Simply can add a host of new features, call it MC 2.
ROI? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 20:06 · Score: 0

So they are planning to pay 20 times more than Mojang ever earned, effectively paying 40$ for every copy of Minecraft sold to date. I just wander what kind of return of investment they expect. And when. Just saying.
minecraft = pc game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 21:49 · Score: 0

ms are stupid to think a mincraft user will go buy an xbox to play it ROFL
as usual they are trying to buy out all the games....this however is utter fail and now you see why i never got into this nor wish to.
1. Re:minecraft = pc game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 04:26 · Score: 0
  
  ms are stupid to think a mincraft user will go buy an xbox to play it ROFL
  Bungie's work on Halo for the PC was too far along to kill it, but it was relatively simple to recode the graphics for the Xbox, and Microsoft made it the signature game for the Xbox, then made sure that subsequent Halo releases would be Xbox-only. Their track record gives me no reason to believe that they won't go the same route with Minecraft after rewriting it so that it becomes moddable only with in-house tools.
Anything Microsoft touches inevitably turns to dog by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:00 · Score: 0

If this comes into fruition, the Minecraft as we know will cease to exist. It'll also be polluted with Bing, Skype, Onedrive and ads etc... the 'Microsoft ecosystem'.
Server-side vs. client-side by Mal-2 · 2014-09-09 22:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

Another issue is that enabling server-side mods means players don't have to buy anything at all. I didn't have to pay for the mods, but even if I did, me paying once would be far cheaper than players having to buy them individually.
I had all sorts of things on my server -- giants, creepers started fires, skeleton arrows could blind you, spiders could poison you, zombies could make you hungry and/or cause the Wither effect, nearby explosions would cause you to become dizzy, there were "space zombies" with glass helmets and 5x the health wandering around (in the Nether too). Monsters would target you from 27 blocks away rather than 16. There were Elementals, invisible monsters, and flying carpets. I also nerfed the enchantments to reduce the power differences between well-equipped and just-starting-out players. That way I didn't have to crank the difficulty up quite as high, and the n00bs could live a little longer. There were shops, and there was an economy. We had mcMMO. We had trading posts stocked with villagers. We had minecarts on the backs of bats, so you could ride in a random aerial pattern if you felt like it. We had bouncy blocks that would catapult you into the air. I added drops (for example, blazes would drop quartz, and magma cubes could drop regular slimeballs). One of my admins made uncraftable blocks such as circle stone and packed ice expensive but available through stores.
The effect of any one of these mods was minor, but taken as a sum, they made up an environment unlike any other Minecraft server. What was the player required to do to enable all of these changes? Absolutely nothing. Just sign on and play.
This is anathema to the DLC business model. Therefore, it can't be monetized by the company producing the game. Mojang was OK with that. (I wasn't running Pay-To-Win.) Microsoft most likely won't be.

--
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
1. Re:Server-side vs. client-side by phantomfive · 2014-09-10 18:10 · Score: 1
  
  That sounds so cool
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Minecraft 2 by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 22:44 · Score: 0

It's coming to you on Xbox One, with hundred of DLCs and in game money.
Re:Microsoft? OH HELL NO! by Xest · 2014-09-09 23:10 · Score: 1

Yeah, because it's not like Halo ever became the single most best selling and most profitable Sci-Fi FPS franchise in history following Microsoft's takeover of Bungie or anything is it?
New ranged weapon by Dancindan84 · 2014-09-09 23:39 · Score: 1

When do they add the throwable chair?

--
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
There's one way I'd let this slide by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-09 23:43 · Score: 0

If Notch shared the first billion equally among all of his employees, then just let it happen. We'll just make an open source version of Minecraft and use that instead anyway, let them make their money.
This is fun .. by miller701 · 2014-09-10 00:28 · Score: 2

I saw this headline last night and my son (Minecraft fan). He said "Wow, so Google is buying Minecraft?"
"No, not Google, Microsoft"
"Well, who are they?"
We've been an Apple/Mac house since before he was born, so I guess I'm going to have to put in terms he'll understand
"They make Xbox"
Worthy investment by allcoolnameswheretak · 2014-09-10 00:52 · Score: 2

Microsoft
Minecraft
Both start with MI and end in FT. Both are 9 characters long. Further lexical analysis shows that the mismatched infix "croso" and "necra" strings contain the common substring "cr", leaving "oso" and "nea" after the 2nd reduction. Osonea will be the next game developed by Mojang under Microsofts stewardship. It will make 2.5 billion dollars. Earning Microsoft immediate return on investment of 25%.
qed
Obligatory Star Wars refernce by Wubby · 2014-09-10 01:12 · Score: 1

... as if millions of Linux users suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

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1. Re:Obligatory Star Wars refernce by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-09-10 02:54 · Score: 1
  
  Millions of Linux users? Surely you jest.
No minecraft for linux by rsilvergun · 2014-09-10 01:13 · Score: 2

or android. Or PS4. Or any other platform Microsoft doesn't want it on.

I know I might be over reacting, but is it just me or is there something wrong with a world where a company has so much money it just just nonchalantly drop $2 billion USD to get a slight competitive advantage? This isn't the first time Microsoft has done this either. This is why liberals don't like concentration of wealth and support high capital gains taxes...

--
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Um....DUMB? by PortHaven · 2014-09-10 01:23 · Score: 1

$2,000,000,000
Divided by $100,000,000 million in profits. Means what, a 20 year return on investment?
--
That said, it could eliminate the whole GPL issue. Microsoft has lawyers in abundance.
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:27 · Score: 0

It's not just the game. There will be a huge income from LEGO selling branded Minecraft sets. Then there will soon be annual subscriptions, followed by exclusivity. Add in DLC (mod packs, worlds etc). $2bn is a lot for a single product, but the potential is there to be a system seller with recurring income.
Microsoft also need to expand. They can't do that at their saturation point, so they buy other companies and IP. It'll be a stock exchange, so they won't even need to touch their cash.
I R Pharaoh! by Thud457 · 2014-09-10 01:30 · Score: 1

pshaw, personal space programs are so 00's!
The new hotness is life extension research and personal immortality.

--
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
1. Re:I R Pharaoh! by flappinbooger · 2014-09-10 06:16 · Score: 1
  
  pshaw, personal space programs are so 00's!
  The new hotness is life extension research and personal immortality.
  Minecraft is already pretty transhuman.
  You can change your skin at will, appearing in different worlds with a completely different appearance but it's still you. You can die on one world and appear on another world with a different skin - but it's still you.
  I know many modern sci fi novels have embraced this body swapping idea either as a main plot point or as a normal practice in the sci-fi universe.
  
  --
  Flappinbooger isn't my real name
too late by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 01:37 · Score: 0

Well it's too late to keep it off the PS4.
Re:Microsoft? OH HELL NO! by Chas · 2014-09-10 02:03 · Score: 1

Yeah, but Minecraft ain't an FPS. It's an entirely different class of multiplayer game. And one that Microsoft has, historically, never been able to crack properly.

--

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Where this news came from perhaps. by Gavin+Scott · 2014-09-10 02:10 · Score: 1

Considering all the other ridiculous acquisition prices from Apple, Facebook, etc. recently, I think $2B for the Minecraft "brand" is awfully cheap.
So I would imagine the "leak" of the news about these negotiations would come from Notch's side, just to make sure everyone knows that there's an opportunity to bid higher.
I can imagine a few large media companies waking up this morning going "Shit, Mojang is actually for sale? I gotta get me some of that".
So just as everyone "knew" Google was buying Twitch a few weeks ago, I wouldn't count my Minecraft Chickens just yet.
But then...
MIcrosoFT
MInecraFT
...they're already almost the same thing!
G.
Comment removed by account_deleted · 2014-09-10 02:13 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion
MicroCraft by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:22 · Score: 0

MicroCraft
MineSoft
Microsoft® Games for Windows MineCraft for Workgroups SE Plus Pack for Zune Metro w/bundled Silverlight®
when someone asks you if you're a god... by Thud457 · 2014-09-10 02:22 · Score: 1

If you get that kind of cash you can do anything you're able to imagine. Anything.
You SERIOUSLY underestimate my imagination Junior.
Hell, if you can build a laser big enough to carve "Chairface Chippendale is a doodoohead" on the moon, you're just starting to get warm.

--
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
1. Re:when someone asks you if you're a god... by SuiteSisterMary · 2014-09-10 03:16 · Score: 1
  
  Honestly, I don't think the power would be as much of an issue as focusing it down narrowly enough to carve the letters.
  
  --
  Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Idea VS game by phorm · 2014-09-10 02:30 · Score: 1

Minecraft as a "concept" is great. A fairly open, semi-dynamically generated world. A focus on (generally cooperative) construction and innovation rather than blowing sh** up. In later versions, some fairly serious modding capabilities.
There's definitely some value in the player-base, but in terms of the code-base? The *idea* behind MC was new and is what makes it great, but I don't know that the code itself would be particularly difficult to reproduce or even improve upon. Other than artwork and some specific mechanics, I don't see what's copyrightable that would prevent an improved offshoot. At the moment, it's mainly "we've sunk a lot into MC and it's been good enough," but if MS starts shenanigans that might change dramatically.
Hum, damn man by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:30 · Score: 0

fucking shit man, wtf am I doing with my fucking life. Maybe I should become a full time programmer and create a mediocre game, let brainwashed losers with no gaming sense buy it, now hype it up, and let some mediocre company like MS buy it for billions. WTF! Even Mark Shuttleworth was fucking lucky that somebody bought his shitty fucking company for billions and now he is worth 500 million. The way people get rich in this country amazes me. Lucky fucking bastards.
Why Minecraft by ArcadeMan · 2014-09-10 02:33 · Score: 1

I never understood the fascination with Minecraft. The whole blocks concept looks extremely crude in 3D, but in 2D it looks as good if not better than older games when you look at Terraria and Starbound.

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Re:Anything Microsoft touches inevitably turns to by ArcadeMan · 2014-09-10 02:35 · Score: 2

Would you like to purchase 100 dirt blocks for 10 Microsoft points?

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Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
I was promised by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 02:57 · Score: 0

Oh, hard luck Microsoft, you've just run afoul of my country's fair trading act.
Part of my purchase decision was that Minecraft would be released open source or public domain.
You've just purchased some very high punitive fines.
Once sales start dying and a minimum time has passed, I will release the game source code as some kind of open source. I'm not very happy with the draconian nature of (L)GPL, nor do I believe the other licenses have much merit other than to boost the egos of the original authors, so I might just possibly release it all as public domain. [archive.org]
A comment on some blog is not a contract.
And good luck making that stick, Microsoft's income is probably larger then your countries GNP.
Maybe there are countries out there where the rich don't run the court system.
But from what I can tell money makes right in US, most of EU, China, Russia, South America, Africa, Asia
1. Re:I was promised by Truth_Quark · 2014-09-10 12:50 · Score: 1
  
  A comment on some blog is not a contract.
  That's right.
  
  And good luck making that stick, Microsoft's income is probably larger then your countries GNP.
  than. FFS.
Re:Microsoft? OH HELL NO! by Xest · 2014-09-10 03:29 · Score: 1

Minecraft is really pretty much a completely new genre in itself so no one had cracked it until Notch came along.
But mostly my point was it's easy to point to Microsoft's failures, it's easy to even point to disaffected Bungie splitting up from MS, but ultimately MS has turned Halo into one of the most loved, most succesful, most profitable gaming franchises in history and that's no small feat.
I'm not going to begin to guess what may or may not happen if they take over Minecraft, but I don't think you can realistically assume that it'll automatically flop under them. Minecraft updates do seem quite slow and relatively low on features to my eye so I can certainly see the benefit to Minecraft of a much better funded, much better equipped studio driving it forward - that's not to say I expect that will definitely be the case but I think there's a distinct possibility if nothing else.
Minecraft OS and Minecraft Office... by fsbogus · 2014-09-10 04:45 · Score: 1

Minecraft will take over... and Microsoft will be no more.
It will be Mine OS and Mine Office.
The new OS and Office will have a spiffy new 8-bit interface. It will run lightning fast.
Modders will come in and create cheats to improve the system. Just install the latest mod. If you dont like it, fix it yourself, live with it, or uninstall it and find another.
Best part. It is all written in Java so C# and its CLR will fall to the wayside and Oracle and Microsoft, er um Minecraft will vie for setting the latest Java standards making sure that mods become de facto part of the JVM.
Minecraft's new army of developers will refocus and rebrand the XBox as Mine Box, creating a new skin interface that lets you reskin everything as 8-bit. Kids growing up on CraftBox will no nothing of other software other than Mine OS, Mine Office, and Mine Box.
And so it goes...

--
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The statement above is TRUE
FOSS Alternatives by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-10 05:28 · Score: 0

For those interested, Minetest and Voxelands are Free and Open Source Software, and very mature.
Oculus and Facebook? Ha! by Dripdry · 2014-09-10 08:22 · Score: 1

Notch getting pissed about Facebook buying Oculus?
Mr. Pot, white courtesy phone from a Ms. Kettle

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Umm... WHY??? by Potassodium · 2014-09-10 08:24 · Score: 1

I think this person here is unto something : http://forums.bukkit.org/threa...
Mojang has flirted with the idea of a plugin marketplace before and with the idea that plugin developers could make money off them : http://notch.tumblr.com/post/4... Minecraft still doesn't have an official API. As far as we know, it is still in the works. It may VERY well be that Microsoft is planning to make a plugin marketplace from which they plan to make a certain percentage of profit on all plugin sales. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.
Re:Down the Drain by Anonymous Coward · 2014-09-12 11:24 · Score: 0

...very idiotic for Notch.
I'm not the first responder who doesn't understand this part of your post. Perhaps you think he left money on the table? Maybe you think they could have held out for $3B, for example?
- T