Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion

[nathreed]

Not actually subscription based

Their website says it's $13/mo subscription.
But how many subscribers, I can't find that.

By my calculation. 2.5B / $13 / 15mo = 12.8 million subscribers.

That seems feasible.

That $13/mo is not for the game. That is for their easy setup they-host-the-server plan for you and your friends, called Minecraft Realms. You can also host a server yourself or pay another hosting provider to do it for you. The game itself is a one-time purchase whose price has been raised over the years as the game progressed, starting somewhere around $10 (iirc) and coming up to $27. It has remained that way for a long time. Once a person has bought the game, they have it and can use it on as many devices as they like. Nowhere near 12.8 million players use Realms (they havent relased any actual numbers, so this is only an educated guess.)

 

[APlotdevice]

Ugh, son of a *****!

 

[lke]

I think it is an error to sell in this times any company, a big crash is coming and the only way to keep the value of you company is by not selling it.

minecraft could make more money with movies, tv shows, toys, and more things.

In some years the minecraft owners will know that they make a big mistake.

 

[Toltepeceno]

What are the chances that most of the talented developers leave because they hate Microsoft? So in the end MS buys the IP.

Why do you assume they hate microsoft? Windows has a vast majority of the market share, so most of the haters are probably right here on macrumors.

I like apple, but I don't hate microsoft. Hating a major company achieves nothing.

----------

No wonder MS is being written off as irrelevant.

So something like 92% of the [companies](I meant to say computers here) in the world are running windows and that makes them irrelevant? Now THATS funny.

I just noticed both of these were from the same person. It's not healthy to harbor so much hate toward a fricken company, especial one that pretty much controls computer operating systems. It will get you nowhere, they are not going under any time soon.

 

[Jack snakeskin]

with 2,5 BILLION microsoft could pay a team of 1000 programmers to build something way more advanced and still spare a couple of billions.

 

[eggyhead]

This is what I expect:
1) Mojang becomes the new Rare.
2) Minecraft 2 is announced as freemium or subscription-based, multi-platform and is only marginally better than the original.

The reason I avoid Microsoft and it's products is because consumers always seem to take a back seat to their investors. They've probably made this acquisition hoping that they've scored themselves a new halo.

 

[Porco]

I hope they pay them in actual cash and don't just give them trillions of pixels and tell them they have to build the money themselves.

 

[Kissaragi]

Good news, the current guys haven't got a clue. Hopefully Microsoft will move it forward.

They had a great idea for a game and then no idea how to manage it. The fact you still have to use a 3rd party tool for multiplayer is just mad.

 

[APlotdevice]

Good news, the current guys haven't got a clue. Hopefully Microsoft will move it forward.

They had a great idea for a game and then no idea how to manage it. The fact you still have to use a 3rd party tool for multiplayer is just mad.

What are you even talking about? Mojang has always had a first party server software... Bukkit is just an alternative... and now they even offer their own hosting service.

 

[AlecZ]

First Bukkit is shut down forcibly, then Microsoft buys Mojang. "GG no re" (no I'm not a g4m3r).

----------

What are you even talking about? Mojang has always had a first party server software... Bukkit is just an alternative... and now they even offer their own hosting service.

If you don't have Bukkit with anti-cheat plugins, it's too easy for people to cheat with modified clients. Bukkit is also faster. The regular server should never be used if Bukkit is available.

My main complaint is that Mojang loves Java. Lots of glitches, and the clock cycles and RAM are consumed freely.

 

[APlotdevice]

Same here.
Hopefully MS will bring those graphics out of the mid-90s

You can use a high-resolution texture pack if you want more detail. However be prepared for a tax your system heavily. Minecraft is more a processor intensive game than it looks.

 

[AlecZ]

I think it is an error to sell in this times any company, a big crash is coming and the only way to keep the value of you company is by not selling it.

minecraft could make more money with movies, tv shows, toys, and more things.

In some years the minecraft owners will know that they make a big mistake.

Actually, if the company is going to crash, you WANT to sell it. It's like selling stocks.

 

[69Mustang]

The game creator seems like the flappy bird guy. He just wants to create games and not deal with the notoriety. He wants to be a nerdy computer guy who posts on Twitter. If he creates another game that becomes successful, he will probably abandon it immediately.

Fame affects people differently. Wish him and his partners well.

 

[Rizzm]

with 2,5 BILLION microsoft could pay a team of 1000 programmers to build something way more advanced and still spare a couple of billions.

But it wouldn't be called Minecraft, which already has notoriety and a huge user base.

 

[AlecZ]

Good news, the current guys haven't got a clue. Hopefully Microsoft will move it forward.

They had a great idea for a game and then no idea how to manage it. The fact you still have to use a 3rd party tool for multiplayer is just mad.

Microsoft has ruined some gems in the past, including Age of Empires II HD and… all of Rare. I wouldn't trust them. To think there was Halo for Mac at some point! (Yes, I know MS doesn't own Bungie anymore.)

 

[9876544]

The worst you can do is to start a company to change the world and sell it for the money...

 

[skywalkerr69]

For those of us who play Minecraft. This is very very upsetting. And Notch announced today he is leaving. This is terrible news. This game was amazing.

 

[Milese3]

Ugh... How does this relate to MacRumors?

 

[blue22]

not good...

I can't see this acquisition as a positive development for hardcore fans of Minecraft.

R.I.P.

 

[andre.olive]

RIP Minecraft

MS has just creeped the Creepers out.... Damn!

Definitely bad news!!!

Minecraft was an amazing game/sandbox.

 

[AlecZ]

For those of us who play Minecraft. This is very very upsetting. And Notch announced today he is leaving. This is terrible news. This game was amazing.

I haven't played much lately, but I host a school server that I used to play a lot on with my friends and have made a few Bukkit plugins for fun. The plugins are now temporarily or permanently dead now that Bukkit has ceased to exist. I'm a little upset from this acquisition. I can imagine that you are very upset, as I would have been if this deal had gone through a few years ago. Sorry to hear about this.

 

[Orlandoech]

I still have no idea what the appeal of this game is. Or really what it is all about.
Is it all world building? Does it run like a MMORPG?
And how is it this valuable for Microsoft? Is it possible to turn it in to what Sony's failed PS3 'home' service was?

Its virtual legos. Its nothing cool, but kids love it.

 

[coolfactor]

Why do you assume they hate microsoft? Windows has a vast majority of the market share
...
So something like 92% of the companies in the world are running windows and that makes them irrelevant? Now THATS funny.

Time to wake up there, Tolepeceno. Market share does not a good product make. And the 92% is such an outdated, incorrect number, it's not even funny. To truly understand market share, you need to look at specific "markets". When you begin to do that, you can see that Microsoft has been losing share by landslides over the past 10 years, and Apple has been gaining.

We hate Microsoft because they make sub-par products. Just look at their Outlook software suites. Compare them to more standards-compliant email programs. When you take a hard look, you can see why MS has become hated... the reasons are many.

 

[Orlandoech]

Why do you assume they hate microsoft? Windows has a vast majority of the market share, so most of the haters are probably right here on macrumors.

I like apple, but I don't hate microsoft. Hating a major company achieves nothing.

----------



So something like 92% of the companies in the world are running windows and that makes them irrelevant? Now THATS funny.

I just noticed both of these were from the same person. It's not healthy to harbor so much hate toward a fricken company, especial one that pretty much controls computer operating systems. It will get you nowhere, they are not going under any time soon.

He is still mad that he upgraded to Windows ME and won't get over it.

 

[Michael Scrip]

RIP Mac/iOS client.

Why?

Microsoft seems to be very into Apple these days. Did we forget about MS Office on the iPad?

Apple users like to spend money... and Microsoft likes to make money. They would be foolish to cut off Apple support.