Yesterday we posted that Minecraft‘s Mojang AB may be in talks to undergo a $2 billion acquisition by Microsoft. Since then, the report has spread like wildfire, leading many industry followers to wonder why the studio’s indie-loving creator would “sell out” to such a large corporation. Believe it or not, sources at Bloomberg claim that “Notch” Persson was responsible for beginning the sale discussion in the first place. This shocking twist of fate isn’t without a few condolences for the hardcore indie crowd, however. Following the hypothetical purchase, it’s been said that “Notch” will leave Mojang entirely to pursue other projects.
This single report says that Persson’s deal with Microsoft has been in heavy discussion for the last few months. As you can imagine, price has been difficult for Persson to nail down, so it’s taken a long time for agreements to be made. Sources have gone as far as to say that Xbox president Phil Spencer has boarded flights to have dinners with “Notch” to mull over the proceedings.
Should this major buyout conclude, what’s next for Minecraft? As the situation stands now, it’s hoped that Microsoft’s additional funding will expand the game’s established empire even further. There are already several planned and current Minecraft products on the market, but with Microsoft’s strong arm pushing the project, hope remains that this phenomenon may get even bigger. Will we see more Minecraft toys, games, and accessories on store shelves? You can bet your bottom dollar the answer to that question is yes.
How do you feel about “Notch” leaving Mojang to work on other projects? Can he create another billion dollar industry? Will he leave gaming entirely? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!
