Microsoft Set to Buy Minecraft's Developer Mojang, Say Reports

Microsoft plans to buy Minecraft's developer Mojang, say reports By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

The video games studio behind Minecraft is in talks to be bought over by Microsoft according to reports.

It has been suggested that Mojang might sell for more than $2 billion (PS1.2bn).

In June, the Swedish studio said it had sold 54 million copies of its hit world-building game. It's been available on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 since then, further increasing the number of copies sold.

Markus "Notch", the creator of Mojang has previously publicly criticized Microsoft.

He said that Microsoft was trying to "destroy the Windows 8 operating platform as an open platform" by certifying third-party games prior to the release of Windows 8.

He was also an avid supporter of independent studios, declaring in 2012 that: "The more studios that can get rid of the publisher system and make games, the more games will be created from passion rather than profits."

According to Bloomberg news agency, it was Mr Persson who "reached out" to Microsoft a few months ago.

It was reported that a source suggested if the deal went through, Mr Persson would help with the transition, but it was unlikely to stay on afterwards.

The New York Times also reported that a person briefed on the talks had said that Mr. Persson was expected to leave within six months, but that Mojang was keen to hold its younger developers.

A spokesperson for Microsoft said: "We don't comment on speculation or rumours."

Mojang also declined to make a statement. BBC's questions were not answered by Mr. Persson.
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Virtual world

Minecraft was first released in the year 2011 and has since grown to become the third bestselling game ever and something of a popular culture.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted an evening that explored its design culture, Lego has made spin-off toys, Ordnance Survey has created a version of mainland Great Britain within the game and Denmark's government constructed an exact model of the country.

The game is set in a virtual universe made of cubes of different materials, including dirt, rocks, and lava. These cubes can be used to build blocks or converted into usable raw materials.

Players use blocks to construct a shelter and build weapons to protect their character from the game's zombies and other creatures.

They can also take part in massive construction projects to develop their creativity.

One of the most extreme examples was the creation of an online hard drive that could be used for work.

Mojang has also developed other titles but they either did not meet the standards of the success of Minecraft - like the role-playing game (RPG) Scrolls or were abandoned before they were completed - like 0x10c, which Mr Persson was working on up until the end of last year.

'Worried gamers'

The Wall Street Journal first reported on negotiations between Mojang, Microsoft and that they might end this week.

It was noted that this would be the first multibillion-dollar acquisition by Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, since he took charge of the company.

Harry Bradshaw, who has interviewed Mr. Persson on the Twitch video site He said that a lot of gamers would be worried by the news.

"There have been cases in the past of big corporations taking someone else's game and making it into a massive money-flip, just to see what they can make out of it," he said.

"Gamers will naturally be concerned about this.

"It is an unanswerable question to me as to what the reason is Mojang is able to make a profit considering that it is the most viewed PC game ever and still sells thousands per day."

One market observer said it was unlikely that Microsoft will pull its existing Minecraft games from the market for the PlayStation, Mac, Android, Linux and other rival platforms.

However, he added that Microsoft's different systems could be given preference when it came to future products.

Piers Harding-Rolls (lead games analyst at IHS) said that Minecraft is among the most important IPs (intellectual propertyin the game space that is acquirable.

"The brand is positioned to continue its growth over the next 10 years,"

"So, even though it is an investment that is expensive but it is still a good option for larger companies looking to secure exclusive rights to a highly-engaged franchise."

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