Microsoft reportedly looking to buy Minecraft developer

http://www.polygon.com/2014/9/9/6128819/microsoft-buying-mojang-minecraft-report

In his position, being indepedent, with that kind of success and money, I couldn't think of any reason why I'd want to get bought out by a big company like MS, or any company for that matter.

Not sure about you, but for me, having a lot of money, and my independence, is enough.

 

What if the buyout didn't require working, or at least not for more than a few years, for Microsoft?

 

I don't think that is going to happen. I mean, what could Microsoft possibly offer them?

 

??? they looking to make Minecraft 2 or something ?? ... itd suck compared to minecraft + mods

 

Microsoft reportedly looking to buy Minecraft developer?

Oh my Gosh!!
Lol!!

 

I would never take that $2 Billion just because you would still own all rights to the company and games. If, pretend, Microsoft didn't like that the game only supports 8 players on console, they would force the company to change that. That is something I wouldnt want to live with because the freedom of my game and the happiness of my customers is what I believe is the most important.

Plus this dude is making some serious ca$h!

 

Where do I sign?

 

Exactly my thought. Developers like to mention being independent and building their dream game. Imagine building your dream game with a $2 billion budget.

 

You lose the "independent" bit to get the "$2 billion" bit, though.

 

I would take the money and go start a new studio.

 

yep.

I love writing games. But I love playing on jet-skis, surfing, snowboarding, going on holidays, partying, etc etc a lot more.

 

Wow, a game company with only a single game is worth $2 billion now? Dollar is seriously diluted right now.


EDIT: Its $2.5 billion now.

 

Also, that makes Notch the first indie game developer BILLIONAIRE!

 

No, you wouldn't.

 

Only for the duration you are required to work under them as outlined in the contract. I would leave as soon as that time period had expired. Though depending on what Notch even does these days, they may not even need him.

 

I would take everyone I know on a very long trip around the world.

 

Typically there's a non-compete clause that's separate to the employment clause, and which lasts significantly longer, which is intended to prevent exactly that. So sure, you can leave, but your independence is going to be hampered for some time yet based on what your lawyers and their lawyers jointly agree about what does or does not constitute competition.

A boat trip around the world is a distinct option, though.

 

I think Microsoft would actually use this for good, IMO they would work more towards educational possibilities then just getting a cool exclusive for Xbox and Windows.

 

This seems like a poor investment on MS part.

I think Minecraft will soon go the way of the beanie baby and troll dolls, but their projections seem rooted in an assumption that the studio would remain a cash cow.

Seeing as how you have a tiny studio with people who have never been rich, I doubt they would keep up the steam when they've already got all the cash they need.

So really, MS is just buying Minecraft and a quick brows through Youtube will show that the game's cool factor is about to go toxic from over exposure (something MS is in long denial about themselves).

EDIT: Also, when will Microsoft give up on making money in games. It's not going to happen guys. Go do Office and Programming. And while we're at it, stop trying to crack into the phone market or reinvent your OS when you have nothing to offer consumers over established products!

 

For that kind of money I would start 10 new studios, and force them to compete against each other for my affection and praise.

 

TIL Minecraft is about half the price of Star Wars. Thats pretty incredible.

 

I doubt MS give a crap (cue inconsistent moderating) given that they laid off many of their games departments. Honestly tho I don't think its MS's market - or at least their market of late.

 

Cyan Worlds, who has come pretty close at least once to shutting down, used the tactic of porting Myst to as many platforms as they possibly could.

Mojang has already mostly done this with Minecraft. Console and mobile copies are separate purchases from each other and desktops/laptops.

As technology continues to catch up, they will be able to port it to more and more platforms.

Except they achieved this long ago. According to an article on Gamespot, they made ~$128 million in profits for 2013.

So in one year they could have made every employee a millionaire (40 employees or $3.2 million per employee).

 

You are far more optimistic than I about MS. At this point, there isn't anything MS can possible do right.

 

no doubt, include me in that deal...

and if anything, it would allow them to hold an IP in which so many people apparently love... how better else to control a target audience and gain market strength than to buy it.

would be genius if you asked me.

 

But would Notch go for it? It is a LOT of money, but i like to think notch is a guy of certain moral values (and very outspoken against the big corporations..)

 

Everyone has a price.

 

Why would MS offer that kind of money? Minecraft, while successful, is NOT worth that much, and there's no reason MS couldn't just hire 5 other studios and build their own mega-block-crafting game. This is silliness of the largest kind. All the business books I've read argue that purchasing companies is a VERY poor business strategy.

TL;DR: DUMB

Gigi

 

It might be more about the fanbase and name of minecraft, presumably they think there is more to it then just the game and current merchandise (though i don't see movies or anything like that happening)

 

Mine Craft = Snow Crash

 

What about the thousands of Youtubers? A good director could easily a series of kids cartoons, movies, and toys, though even so, there's no quick return on a $2B invesment, and if spread out over 3-7 years, would be drastically reduced via Net-Present-Value.

Gigi

 

Not if they have a couple of hundred million in the bank already.

 

Why do I think no one in business has ever read these books then? That or the people who wrote those books have no experience in a massive corporation.

This. This a thousand times over. Every person working a Mojang could easily retire and live quite comfortably for the rest of their live. Unless they are looking to hire a few hundred more people and become a large studio, their money troubles are long gone.

 

lol

 

Clearly this is all a buildup to the "Minecraft Microsoft MMO!"

 

they still have a price.

its just way higher.

 

Maybe this is not about the Minecraft IP, but about Mojang's know-how and fanbase? I don't think Minecraft is worth 2 billion dollars, not by a long shot.

 

iron pickaxe DLC lool... actually damn the IP of just being able to release anything with the word "minecraft" ... lool windows 10?: Windows Minecraft ... obviously the fanbase...

or you mean someone in mojang is a "super badass elite programmer dude" ?

 

So long as no one at Mojang asks the question "why do we need more money," then yes, they might still have a price.'

You only have to sell out when you are still in the rat race.

IP and fanbase is a maybe. As for know how, I kind of doubt it. I wouldn't imagine anything in minecraft to be state of the art enough to warrant a talent buyout.

 

The Minecraft devs made a game pretty much everybody on the world loves. That does seem like as if somebody there actually has done something right.

Minecraft might not be state of the art technology-wise, but technology isn't everything that counts.

jm2c

 

Kind of a one hit wonder though. It's not like this is a studio with a pedigree of blockbuster (*rimshot*) games.

 

If you have $200 million, why would you sell your independence for $2 billion?

Unless he's going for real life Minecraft and trying to start a country made out of pixel blocks.

 

if I could take my money and run I wouldnt think twice about it.

If I got tied down to the software for (x) years...

Id still take the money.

lol.

I like money.

Have you ever seen an un-happy person driving a Veyron?

 

Yeah, John Travolta in Swordfish when the other dude blows his S*** up

 

I do

 

lol. Just re-watched that the other day... so funny.

thats ok. you have 2 billion dollars.

buy a few spares.

 

From some other vague rumors I read today this might not be as restrictive as I would typically expect, since apparently Notch approached MS, not the other way around.

Of course, I'm still taking literally all of this with planet sized grains of salt.

@gigi: Sure, MineCraft itself might not be worth that. But what are MS planning to do with it that might potentially be worth far more than that? I wouldn't say it's out of the question. Sure the game and the tech aren't really anything special, but what is special is the number of users already actively engaged in it, and the long term for which some of them have been thus engaged.

(How much did FB buy Instagram for, again? I remember it being a pretty crazy amount, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the tech that had their interest.)

For instance, if I wanted to start building a consumer platform where people could build their own VR worlds...

 

If I were MS the angle I would take would be to make it an Xbox exclusive title.

 

Of course. Nothing wrong with that. It's games, not world peace or freedom of speech

 

Great. So instead of the dreaded blue screen, a Creeper is going to come along and blow up my desktop???