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 Post subject: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:11 
SupaMod
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Microsoft has bought Mojang for $2,500,000,000.

Holy shit on a stick.

https://mojang.com/2014/09/yes-were-bei ... microsoft/

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:16 
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The company does make money $100 million last year.

Very popular game as well

Shows that you can still make big money with good ideas I guess

Better value that Viber I would say!


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:23 
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And Notch / other founder guy is leaving

viewtopic.php?p=835005#p835005

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29204518

Quote:
Microsoft pays $2.5bn for Minecraft maker Mojang

Microsoft has bought Mojang, the Swedish firm behind the popular video game Minecraft, for $2.5bn (£1.5bn).

The title, which has sold over 54 million copies, allows players to build structures with retro Lego-style blocks, as well as explore a large map and battle others.

The deal was announced by Xbox chief Phil Spencer.

Mojang, whose three founders will leave the company, assured fans that "everything is going to be OK".

Some analysts have speculated the deal is designed to attract more users to Microsoft's Windows Phone devices.

The acquisition comes a year after Microsoft bought the Finnish mobile phone firm Nokia.
Markus Persson Minecraft creator Markus Persson has been critical of Microsoft

Minecraft is one of the top-selling apps on both Apple's iOS store and and Android's Google Play, and has recently been released for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, further boosting sales.

Last month, it was the third most popular console game, according to market research firm NPD Group, despite being on sale for a while.

The game's developer, Mojang, which was founded in 2009, brought in over $100m in profit last year, and employs about 40 people.

Microsoft said the Mojang team would join its game studio, which is responsible for titles such as Halo, Forza and Fable.

The tech giant's chief executive, Satya Nadella, said: "Minecraft is more than a great game franchise - it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft."

Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson, has previously criticised Microsoft, and commented to Reuters that the market for Windows phones was "tiny" and not worth developing apps for.
Hunger Games in Minecraft Minecraft encourages users to build their own versions of the game, such as this Hunger Games title.

Minecraft has a large and enthusiastic cult following, many of whom have reacted angrily to what they see as a corporate takeover of a communally-spirited independent company.

“ Not only is [Minecraft] profitable, but it continues to increase in profits years after its release”

James McQuivey Analyst, Forrester

"Makes me sick, and sad," wrote one user on a popular Minecraft forum. "It would kill the gaming community," EvilBatsu added.

Others expressed concerns about whether fans would be able to exhibit their skills.

"Not only will it cost more money to play the game it will cost people their jobs too. Many people play Minecraft and upload it to YouTube as their career, but if Microsoft takes over there will for sure be copyright issues."

However some enthusiasts made the point that Microsoft could devote larger resources to upgrading and expanding the game.

In a statement, Microsoft said it would maintain Minecraft across all its existing platforms, with a "commitment to nurture and grow it long into the future".

It added that the acquisition was expected to be concluded by the end of 2014.

In an announcement confirming the deal on its website, Mojang reassured gamers, saying: "Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you - the community - are extremely important to everyone involved. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be that."

With regard to Microsoft, Mojang said: "There are only a handful of potential buyers with the resources to grow Minecraft on a scale that it deserves."

The firm added that "Notch" had decided that he "doesn't want the responsibility of owning a company of such global significance".

Developer Notch on selling Minecraft:

"I've become a symbol. I don't want to be a symbol, responsible for something huge that I don't understand, that I don't want to work on, that keeps coming back to me. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a CEO."

Why Minecraft?

James McQuivey of analytics firm Forrester, noted that "Minecraft is one of the most important gaming properties in the world".

"Not only is it profitable, but it continues to increase in profits years after its release, largely due to the passionate fan base that invests in building out their own Minecraft worlds.
House Many Minecraft enthusiasts build detailed structures, such as this house

"That helps explain why Microsoft would want Minecraft and would want to ensure it is always available on Microsoft's gaming platforms.

Prof Mark Skilton, from Warwick Business School, said the acquisition was about building a "strong customer base" for Microsoft.

"The online gaming industry is fast moving from niche collective enthusiast to mass market and Minecraft is a logical move as big business follows the traffic numbers in the digital world."

Last month, Amazon bought Twitch, a site which allows users to watch other people play video games, for $970m (£597m).


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:27 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Props to Notch for speaking out like he has. I can totally see where he is coming from. (admittedly, the billion dollars in his bank account probably make the decision to walk away a bit easier ;))


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:28 
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Quote:
And Notch / other founder guy is leaving


Fair play to him, he doesn't appear to be too happy with all the none technical stuff he has to do now Minecraft is so big.

That said if he walks away with 100's of millions of dollars, his life is never going to be simple, managing that sort of money is a job in its self even with people doing it for you.


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:46 
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asfish wrote:
That said if he walks away with 100's of millions of dollars, his life is never going to be simple, managing that sort of money is a job in its self even with people doing it for you.


Pretty sure he already had the millions of dollars and its not exactly made his life easy - if you watch the Mojang documentary about Minecraft you find he married his girlfriend shortly after Minecraft hit big but they split fairly soon afterwards.

In everything i've seen him in he comes across as a nice guy but someone who was unprepared for what his little game became.


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 15:52 
SupaMod
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I love those knee jerk reactions to the news. The buyout WILL cost peoples jobs and RUIN the game.

Brilliant.


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 16:25 
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asfish wrote:
managing that sort of money is a job in its self even with people doing it for you.


Nah. Hey, accountant. Spread my money around a balanced stock portfolio while keeping me with a solid whack of income. Here's £5K a month. Ta.

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 17:32 

Joined: 23rd Sep, 2010
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Hmm. Can't really say I'm all that happy about that to be honest.
But, maybe Microsoft will do something good with it.
Or, they'll just fill it with even more micro-transactions on the consoles.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'd be interested to find out if they continue on with the enforcement of the EULA that Mojang begun.


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 17:34 
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Unpossible!

Joined: 27th Jun, 2008
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Maybe they can get bukkit 1.8 published


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 19:15 
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Skype hasn't really changed that much since MS bought it, become better if anything.

Doubt they will mess to much with this as its earning money and has a huge user base, all of home they would like to buy Live Gold no doubt!


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 20:34 
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At $100m/yr it would take Microsoft 25 years to see a return on investment. There's no way that's what it has planned. Major changes are inevitable.


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 21:21 
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Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
At $100m/yr it would take Microsoft 25 years to see a return on investment. There's no way that's what it has planned. Major changes are inevitable.


In their statement they said they expect to see a return in the next 2 years so yes , change (and more monetisation in some way) is coming


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:37 
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...and this is Microsoft remember, so they're sure to screw it up in a major EA type way.

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 8:56 
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Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
At $100m/yr it would take Microsoft 25 years to see a return on investment. There's no way that's what it has planned. Major charges are inevitable.


Slight FeeX

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:57 
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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 16:27 
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Morte wrote:
...and this is Microsoft remember, so they're sure to screw it up in a major EA type way.


Given how fucked Flight Sim, Train Sim, Age of Empires,Dungeon Siege, Freelancer, Halo, Viva Pinata and Mark of the Ninja were, yes.

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 16:28 
SupaMod
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Mark of the Ninja was brilliant, you fool.

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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 16:43 
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MaliA wrote:
Morte wrote:
...and this is Microsoft remember, so they're sure to screw it up in a major EA type way.


Given how fucked Flight Sim, Train Sim, Age of Empires,Dungeon Siege, Freelancer, Halo, Viva Pinata and Mark of the Ninja were, yes.


Why is Halo on that list? I thought they did a great job with that?


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 16:51 
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Grim... wrote:
Mark of the Ninja was brilliant, you fool.


Um, isn't that point there?


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 Post subject: Re: Minecraft sold to Microsoft
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 19:07 
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Ah... Sarcasm. Got it.


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