Minecraft to join Microsoft

[+Asmodai MVC]

MS has access to some great server tech that could be used in ways that players would approve of.

Moving Realms (Mojang hosted servers) to Azure (I believe it's on Amazon cloud now) could be something transparent they do I guess. What server tech it's running on should be transparent to the users I would think. I don't know anyone who uses Realms nor do I have a sense for how high the usage in the community in general is. Every Minecraft server I play on (or run) is user hosted. My big concern is for the PC client because it's in Java. On the one hand I hate Java and it would be great to get it off my PCs (I have Java on my PCs solely to run Minecraft.) But I have no doubt switching to anything else will break most, if not all, of the mods which is a HUGE part of the community. I don't know anyone who runs Minecraft without any mods at all and if every one has to be rewritten people are going to be ######. Rewriting it in something else will likely hurt compatibility with other OSs (Linux and Mac) as well. From a selfish point of view that doesn't impact me since I play on Windows but there will be a lot of upset (and very vocal) people if Linux and Mac support is impacted.

I'm shocked they appear to be allowing the PlayStation version to go forward. Technically though I don't think Mojang makes them. I believe the just licensed Minecraft to 4J who does all the development so they don't really have to change anything there, just collect the checks. Mojang does do the mobile and PC versions though directly. Mobile is probably fine as well because MS does support iOS and Android with it's own apps. So really it's just the Java PC client (which is the "real" Minecraft) that the big concern is over (for me at least). I'm all for Windows Phone getting a version though. The more devices Minecraft is on the better so while I don't use Windows Phone I think it's great that those who do may soon get to experience the greatness that is Minecraft.

I wouldn't worry at all. They'll continue to sell it for everything, but don't be surprised if they start doing Minecraft 365.

It's going to the cloud.

Minecraft isn't "going to the cloud" it already IS in the cloud. The login servers, download servers, and Mojang hosted Realm servers are all already hosted on Amazon's cloud servers (well for the Java PC Minecraft). So maybe it's moving from Amazon to Azure now but that's not like a HUGE improvement.

As for the console version since this is in a Sony Console forum Mojang doesn't even make them. Mojang licensed out Minecraft to 4J Studios who make the console versions (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, and Vita). Mojang only makes the Desktop and Mobile versions of Minecraft.

bungie and Halo were nothing when they bought it. bungie had a few notable hits but not on the scale of Minecraft.

"Nothing" is a bit harsh. Bungie was a celebrated MAC game developer. Being a celebrated Mac game developer doesn't mean a ton since the Mac gaming community was so small but it's more than "nothing". Halo was a top tier title though, it had great graphics, gameplay, etc. and launched a successful franchise. Most importantly it was a system seller. People had to get an Xbox to play Halo.

Nothing is notable "on the scale of Minecraft." Minecraft is a gaming phenomenon. It is already on pretty much every system though and it's looks pretty much the same from a cell phone to a TV. As a result it's not going to sell systems. People aren't going to buy a $400+ Xbox One so they can play Minecraft. They can play Minecraft on pretty much every device they already have. People will buy Minecraft for the Xbox One because they have an Xbox One, they will not buy and Xbox One because they want Minecraft. I doubt Minecraft will launch a successful franchise either. Minecraft is already like a subscription where the users expect constant upgrades for free (until sales dry up... then they expect it to be open sourced). A Minecraft 2.0 will likely be ignored in favor of the continuously evolving Minecraft 1 that everyone already bought and if Minecraft 1 updates cease when 2 comes out then there is going to be a huge backlash from the community and they aren't going to run out and buy 2 from Microsoft after the "took their game away" (which is undoubtedly how the community would perceive the 1.x updates stopping).

[Showan]

The fight to get the Xbox One selling more than the PS4? Minecraft is the most popular game ever, taking it away from your competitor would almost force parents and kids to get an Xbox One over a PS4.

 

They've done the unbundling of Kinect and the price drop and the PS4 is still selling more in the USA per NPD.

 

 

IMHO, I think this is way bigger than Xbox vs Playstation.  

.

I think this is about Minecraft possibly living on Azure, and having Minecraft scale to Any screen size

[Athernar]

What I would love to see is a single world powered by azure that everyone can join.

 

Look up 2B2T to see why that would be a bad idea.

[+Asmodai MVC]

I've been thinking about MS's purchase of Mojang a lot recently and I finally hit upon an idea I think makes sense.

 

Minecraft isn't going to sell Xbox Ones.  It's already ALMOST everywhere so you can't really use it to draw people to one platform over another.  But then it hit me... that "ALMOST".  Where is it not?  It's NOT on Windows Phone and due to it's low market share was unlikely to make its way there.  It's NOT on Windows 8 (i.e. Metro/Windows Store) and Notch made quite clear his feeling on MS's attempt to turn the PC into a "walled garden" so under Notch it was never going there.

 

So maybe MS purchased Mojang so they could build a version of Minecraft for Windows Runtime (the shared API starting with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8 "Metro" apps.)  Not so much to be the platform Minecraft is on as many (including myself) fear but to NOT be the only platforms Minecraft is NOT on.  I don't mean a Minecraft 2.0, just another version of Minecraft just as the consoles, mobile, and desktop versions are all different but all still just Minecraft.

 

They almost certainly will move the cloud aspects (Mojang hosted server, login servers, download/update server, etc.) from their current Amazon cloud locations to Microsoft's Azure cloud but that should be relatively seemless to users.  Hopefully they won't mess with much else.  If the main thing that comes from this purchase is just Minecraft on MORE platforms (not less) then that's only good for the community.

 

I still think it's a crazy price to pay for that though but it's not like MS doesn't have it to spend.

 

 

[MikeChipshop Member]

$2.5B to have one game on WP8? Nah, nice thought but i wouldn't think so.

[+Asmodai MVC]

$2.5B to have one game on WP8? Nah, nice thought but i wouldn't think so.

Minecraft isn't just "one game".  It's still the number 3 console game according the the latest (Aug) NPD numbers and that's just with Xbox 360 and PS3 since the Xbox One and PS4 versions didn't launch until this month.  Aug isn't exactly it's launch month for those versions and yet it beat everything but Madden and Diablo's combined sales (which are available on more consoles).  It will almost certainly remain on the charts well after they fall off.  NPD just measures retail sales as well and most of it's sales are digital (it was the number one downloadable game on Xbox 360 well before a retail version was even released).  It's also the number 1 all time paid for Android game.  It has sold an insane amount and more importantly keeps on selling with merchandising selling like crazy as well.  I was just in Toy R Us this weekend and a little kid was walking through the store holding a creeper doll.  There has never been a game with the appeal of Minecraft it's gone well beyond being just "one game" and it shows no serious signs of stopping (other than the fear MS will kill it)

[vcfan]

its part of the decision to buy, but not the sole reason.

[123456789A]

Minecraft isn't "going to the cloud" it already IS in the cloud.  The login servers, download servers, and Mojang hosted Realm servers are all already hosted on Amazon's cloud servers (well for the Java PC Minecraft).  So maybe it's moving from Amazon to Azure now but that's not like a HUGE improvement.

 

As for the console version since this is in a Sony Console forum Mojang doesn't even make them.  Mojang licensed out Minecraft to 4J Studios who make the console versions (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, and Vita).  Mojang only makes the Desktop and Mobile versions of Minecraft.

 

I mean it's going to be even more cloudy than ever before.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Topics merged and title updated

 

We don't need to split the discussion across different subs over the same news.

[trooper11]

I like the train of thought here and I agree that getting Minecraft onto WinRT (the api, not windows on arm) is at least part of the equation.

However, some recent comments by the ceo himself after the announced acquisition, make me think there is much more to it. He was talking about Minecraft as a service more than just a single game. He talked about how it already serves as a tool for kids and how it could even have educational aspects for those kids that grow up playing the game.

If you think about it, Minecraft is the 'hip' thing for kids to play today. I see it all the time. Its one of those pieces of content that grows beyond the boundaries of its medium and becomes a brand almost. Maybe MS plans to leverage it to get into into more areas of use. Not change the core game mind you, but expand its reach through various expansions.

I am very interested to see the direction they take.

[HawkMan]

The fact it's a game is most likely secondary to this whole equation. and while they will leverage that fact as well, it's certainly not why they bought them. it's pure business about making more money and as a bonus repatriating the money. 

[Shadrack]

$2.5B to have one game on WP8? Nah, nice thought but i wouldn't think so.

 

I'm not a fan myself, but I at least recognize that Minecraft isn't just "one game." It has become a pop culture icon. I'd compare it more to "Mario" than to just any other single game.

[HawkMan]

I'm not a fan myself, but I at least recognize that Minecraft isn't just "one game." It has become a pop culture icon. I'd compare it more to "Mario" than to just any other single game.

 

Not quite Mario no. 

[shastasheen]

I would be pretty certain Microsoft isn't buying Minecraft just for a Windows Phone port. They probably have some interesting plans for it with Azure, Windows, Xbox, Android, iOS, and any other platform. If you look at Satya's public statements on his vision and plans, it fits in very well. Microsoft wont wall it off, unlike some other companies that try to keep content away from MS platforms. I'm sure they shared their vision with Mojang - and Mojang wouldn't have sold it for any amount if they didn't like the vision MS had for it.

 

Now, if Microsoft would get a Moto GP license and hire the guys from Climax, and make a new PGR, I'd be ecstatic.

[dead.cell]

I can't believe they spent 2.5bn on this, only to see Notch and others walk away. Is the name "Mojang" really that powerful, or have they bought a husk of a company just for the Minecraft name?

 

Either way, it seems a waste. Can't believe this actually happened.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

If MC will have a .NET modding API, I would be happy.

[trooper11]

I can't believe they spent 2.5bn on this, only to see Notch and others walk away. Is the name "Mojang" really that powerful, or have they bought a husk of a company just for the Minecraft name?

 

Either way, it seems a waste. Can't believe this actually happened.

The guys that have been actually working on Minecraft for the past few years are still at the company. Notch hadn't actually done work on Minecraft for a while.

[+Asmodai MVC]

The guys that have been actually working on Minecraft for the past few years are still at the company. Notch hadn't actually done work on Minecraft for a while.

To be fair they are still there because they didn't know about the deal.  People don't just quit their job on a dime typically so even if they wanted to leave they'd probably stick around for a little while as they look for a job elsewhere.

 

Here's the quote from the Mojang site:

"Though it?s too early to confirm which of us will continue working on Minecraft or other projects, we predict that the vast majority (if not all) Mojangstas will continue to work at Mojang for the time being."

 

Starting with "Though it's too early to confirm..." and ending with "... for the time being." doesn't exactly exude confidence even if they do "predict the vast majority (if not all) Mojangstas will continue..."

 

I'm not saying they won't all stay, maybe they will, but I don't think it's a certainty by any means.  It probably depends a great deal on what MS decides to do. It will probably take months for the deal to be final in any event.

[blank]

Microsoft is buying Mojang, so they can use the Minecraft graphics on windows 9.

 

 

 

 

If people quit their job simply because a larger successful company acquires them, then they deserve to be homeless and jobless.

 

Best thing that could ever of happened to Mojang, is having a much larger company WASTE such money on them.

[trooper11]

I'm not saying they won't all stay, maybe they will, but I don't think it's a certainty by any means.  It probably depends a great deal on what MS decides to do. It will probably take months for the deal to be final in any event.

The point I was making stands. The question was what value is there in Mojang with Notch and other execs leaving. I pointed out that Notch was not an active developer and that those that were actively developing Minecraft were still with the company. So there is value there. Of course things can change in the future, but right now, that is the reality.

[+Asmodai MVC]

The point I was making stands. The question was what value is there in Mojang with Notch and other execs leaving. I pointed out that Notch was not an active developer and that those that were actively developing Minecraft were still with the company. So there is value there. Of course things can change in the future, but right now, that is the reality.

I'm not sure I follow.  I totally get your point that Notch specifically wasn't doing any Minecraft development and hasn't for some time so lets set that aside as we agree.  The question said "Notch and others" though.  My point is just that we don't know what those others are going to do.  You make it sound like you know they are going to stay but I'm saying I'm not even sure THEY even know that.  This deal came out of nowhere.  lt was kept secret from the rank and file with only the three execs who are leaving knew about it.  As such sure no one may have left yet because they didn't know it was coming to prepare (find a new job, etc.)  Again maybe they will all stay, my point isn't that they won't, it's that we just don't know one way or the other.

 

If your point is that they are all there today well MS doesn't own them today and again they JUST found out when everyone else did about the deal.  Buying companies doesn't happen over night so while the deal may be agreed upon they have lots of legal things to take care of which often takes months.  It's probably even worse being that there are international issues at play here. Maybe they all put out resumes when the deal was announced and over the next few weeks they all start accepting other job offers until by the time the deal is final no one is left.  I doubt that will happen but again my point is just that we don't know.  You seem to believe that because they all didn't walk out the door the second the deal was announced they will probably be there for the forseeable future, I'm not so sure that's a reasonable assumption to make.  It might not even be up to them.  Maybe when the deal is final Microsoft fires them all and puts their own C# developers on a rewrite instead of retaining a bunch of Java devs in a foreign country.  Again I don't think that's going to happen but we just don't know.

[dead.cell]

Microsoft is buying Mojang, so they can use the Minecraft graphics on windows 9.

 

If people quit their job simply because a larger successful company acquires them, then they deserve to be homeless and jobless.

 

Best thing that could ever of happened to Mojang, is having a much larger company WASTE such money on them.

 

I'm sure all the employees over at Nokia losing their jobs feel just as grateful as you suggest.

 

Also, how disliking your employer puts you in the position of deserving to be homeless is a bit peculiar. Jobless sure, if they quit on their own accord, but why homeless? You seem bitter.

[blank]

I'm sure all the employees over at Nokia losing their jobs feel just as grateful as you suggest.

 

Also, how disliking your employer puts you in the position of deserving to be homeless is a bit peculiar. Jobless sure, if they quit on their own accord, but why homeless? You seem bitter.

 

People losing their job at Nokia has nothing to do with this. Not even sure why you bought it up, if anything, it displays even more why someone should appreciate having a job. They didn't chose to lose a job over some pretend hipster feelings.

 

You deserve to be homeless if you give up good paying jobs just to pretend you have "morals" and "ethics".  Usually no job means no money and no money means no home.

Appreciate that you have a job in the first place, and stop feeling so special about yourself.

 

Bitter? LOL. But, i'd take bitter over some weird overly caring.

 

Oh well, they quit, someone who will actually contribute to a company can be hired in their place.

[Skiver Veteran]

<snip>

 

If people quit their job simply because a larger successful company acquires them, then they deserve to be homeless and jobless.

 

Best thing that could ever of happened to Mojang, is having a much larger company WASTE such money on them.

 

Coming from someone who worked for a smallish company and was bought by a bigger company with a lot more money, don't assume the money they have will go anywhere near this team. Being bought out is the opinion of most of the remaining staff here that it was the worst thing that ever happened to "our" company.

 

dead.cell isn't far off either, typically buyouts end up with redundancies. If Mojang had its own "finance" dept then those people are hardly going to be needed and I'm sure that wont be the only role, even the developers will be at risk. Nokia doesn't technically have anything to do with it but it can be used as an example of Microsoft buying a company.

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting people are going to just get up and quit with nothing lined up hence the "for the time being" part of the statement. That IMO is a, people aren't happy so the first chance they get, they will jump ship.

[JonnyLH]

I'm sure all the employees over at Nokia losing their jobs feel just as grateful as you suggest.

You run a company, you've just bought another company which employees thousands of people who's positions you already have filled in your company.. What are you going to do? It's business, a horrible decision which effects lives but that is business.

Coming from someone who worked for a smallish company and was bought by a bigger company with a lot more money, don't assume the money they have will go anywhere near this team. Being bought out is the opinion of most of the remaining staff here that it was the worst thing that ever happened to "our" company.

I'm also the same, but it was the greatest thing which happened to our company. It's depends with every case obviously. With the case of us, people complain about now and want the 'good old days' where we had a couple of thousand customers with financial insecurity. Now we're financially secure with a large backing and 700,000 customers and that's a bad thing because some little thing has changed in their office life. People like to complain about anything.