According to reports from Bloomberg, Microsoft is nearing a $2 billion acquisition of Minecraft developer Mojang. There's no confirmation from anyone yet; all we have are sources that wish to remain anonymous and are close to the situation.
As both a member of media and as a gamer, I'm intrigued by this potential acquisition and what it could mean for Minecraft in the future.
The first thing I find interesting is that Notch reportedly reached out to Microsoft a few months back. Markus Persson is arguably the biggest name in the indie game scene. He took Minecraft from a small, no-name indie game to having a massive presence on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, iPhone and Android, including recent releases on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and a PS Vita launch coming later. There's toys, plushies, shirts, apparel — you name it. It's one of the first games a lot of kids are introduced to, and everyone has heard of it. But Notch has also expressed critical opinions of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, saying it was potentially "very, very bad for indie games."
That said, he can think whatever he wants about Windows 8. When it comes to business and money, you don't let your opinion on that stand between you and $2 billion dollars. There's multiple reports that either Notch is unlikely to stay with Mojang once the sale is complete, or that he would stay with Mojang through the transition to Microsoft and then leave. Either way, he's not staying with Mojang in the future. He doesn't want to work for the man, but he doesn't mind taking the man's money. And why shouldn't he? He can have his cake and eat it too. Let's keep in mind, though, that Notch wrote in a blog post that "Mojang does not exist to make as much money as possible for the owners."
The Bloomberg article also says that Microsoft "calculates it can boost Minecraft sales by expanding the number of game users through Microsoft's position in video games and computers, and by expanding licensing for things like toys and movies." Keep in mind, Minecraft has sold more than 54 million copies across all of its platforms. It is my belief that a game can only grow so much before it plateaus and starts to decline. How much more growth is in store for Minecraft? Granted, there's still money to be made with Minecraft​. But is the licensing for toys and movies worth $2 billion? How long will it take for this potential investment by Microsoft to pay off with a profit?
I would be surprised if the future of Minecraft (the game) switches from multi-platform. I'm sure Microsoft devices will get perks — it would only make sense. But I can't imagine, let's say, Minecraft 2 only on Xbox One, Windows PC, Windows Phones and Microsoft Surface. From a PR perspective, Microsoft would take another hit that they can't afford. If they take what's arguably one of the most popular games ever and neglect 75 percent of its fanbase, the backlash would be horrible. Instead, I'd expect special skins and features, as well as earlier access (to whatever the future might hold) for Microsoft devices. Who knows, maybe we'll finally get the game on 3DS and Wii U.
When all is said and done — and if any of this is true — Microsoft is snatching up a wildly popular franchise for a wild amount of money. The potential growth of Minecraft will determine if the acquisition will be a smart one for Microsoft, and a good one for gamers.
You can follow Editorial Director Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. Or you can email him at LLiebl@GameZone.com.
