14 DAY TRIAL // Without a doubt, the second biggest news story from the last week, besides the launch of Destiny, is the report that Microsoft is looking to acquire Mojang, the independent studio that makes and owns Minecraft, the hugely successful survival and crafting game.
The report surfaced from a respectable outlet and was immediately solidified from other additional sources, bringing forth even more information about the deal that's supposedly still in the process of being constructed, before its eventual signing by both parties.
Minecraft is a phenomenon
Few video games have managed to capture the hearts and minds of fans like Minecraft, and it seems like a fluke when looking back on its inception.
The game was the result of a one-man passion project from Markus "Notch" Persson, who started building it while he was working full-time at King, the developer of hit social games like Candy Crush Saga and much more.
Persson didn't have a lot of money, so he decided to sell the quirky game as an alpha project that, while working, didn't have that many features.
The initial alpha was a stunning success, despite the fact that Persson didn't invest in marketing or promotion. The game was solely transmitted through word of mouth, with more and more people hyping it up, while sharing the huge amount of things that could be achieved inside the survival and crafting experience.
Persson quickly realized the potential of the game and formed Mojang, his own company, by bringing in a few friends to help out with the development and deliver the beta, and then the final versions of Minecraft.
It transcended platforms and found even more success
While the initial PC edition of the game is hugely successful, another great move was to bring it to other platforms, like smartphones or tablets via the Pocket Edition, as well as consoles, with the help of developer 4J Studios, which ported the game on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
The console release, however, was the first sign of the partnership between Persson and Microsoft, as Minecraft was exclusive for quite a while on the Xbox 360, eventually leading it to selling 13 million copies. Sure, the game found a lot of success on the PS3 as well, but for the most part it became synonymous with the Xbox 360.
Persson cultivated an anti-monopoly persona, criticizing Microsoft for its Windows 8 strategy, Valve for its Steam domination, or Facebook for acquiring Oculus, the company behind the Rift virtual reality headset. However, it seems that even he has a price and that is a whopping $2 billion (€1.5 billion).
Microsoft may spend a lot of money now, but it can profit later
If the deal goes through, Microsoft has the potential to make a lot of money with the Minecraft license, especially since it can flex its corporate muscles and transform it into a cross-media experience. Movies are already being rumored and they do make a lot of sense, as they can promote the series to even more people who haven't paid attention to the "blocky" game others are playing around them on PC, consoles, or mobile devices.
Bear in mind, however, that the deal still isn't finalized, so who knows what might change.