Microsoft to Buy “Minecraft” and Mojang for $2.5 Billion

Microsoft agrees to buy "Minecraft" studio Mojang for $2.5 billion.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It seems, for once, that what started out as a rumor has turned out to be quite true: Microsoft is indeed buying Mojang, agreeing to purchase the studio behind Minecraft for the tidy sum of $2.5 billion.

Minecraft has already become one of the most popular video games ever, amassing over 100 million total downloads from PC users since 2009 and becoming a huge hit on Xbox 360. The game’s creators will not be joining the Microsoft team, however; the software giant’s statement mentions only that they will “move on to start new projects.” Perhaps that project is this:

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Microsoft maintains that Minecraft will continue to be available across all platforms, even rivals like Sony Playstation. Let’s see how long that actually lasts.

UPDATE: Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has issued a statement regarding his future, posted on his blog and titled "I'm leaving Mojang." Here is the full text:


"I don’t see myself as a real game developer. I make games because it’s fun, and because I love games and I love to program, but I don’t make games with the intention of them becoming huge hits, and I don’t try to change the world. Minecraft certainly became a huge hit, and people are telling me it’s changed games. I never meant for it to do either. It’s certainly flattering, and to gradually get thrust into some kind of public spotlight is interesting.


A relatively long time ago, I decided to step down from Minecraft development. Jens was the perfect person to take over leading it, and I wanted to try to do new things. At first, I failed by trying to make something big again, but since I decided to just stick to small prototypes and interesting challenges, I’ve had so much fun with work. I wasn’t exactly sure how I fit into Mojang where people did actual work, but since people said I was important for the culture, I stayed.


I was at home with a bad cold a couple of weeks ago when the internet exploded with hate against me over some kind of EULA situation that I had nothing to do with. I was confused. I didn’t understand. I tweeted this in frustration. Later on, I watched the This is Phil Fish video on YouTube and started to realize I didn’t have the connection to my fans I thought I had. 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. I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.


As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing Ludum Dares and small web experiments. If I ever accidentally make something that seems to gain traction, I’ll probably abandon it immediately.


Considering the public image of me already is a bit skewed, I don’t expect to get away from negative comments by doing this, but at least now I won’t feel a responsibility to read them.


I’m aware this goes against a lot of what I’ve said in public. I have no good response to that. I’m also aware a lot of you were using me as a symbol of some perceived struggle. I’m not. I’m a person, and I’m right there struggling with you.


I love you. All of you. Thank you for turning Minecraft into what it has become, but there are too many of you, and I can’t be responsible for something this big. In one sense, it belongs to Microsoft now. In a much bigger sense, it’s belonged to all of you for a long time, and that will never change.


It’s not about the money. It’s about my sanity."

[via Gizmodo]

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