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

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."

Comments

Re:No.

[drinkypoo]

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.