Microsoft pays $2.5bn for Minecraft maker Mojang By Joe Miller Technology reporter, BBC News
Microsoft has bought Mojang, the Swedish firm behind the popular video game Minecraft for $2.5bn (PS1.5bn).
The game has sold to more than 54 million copies. It allows players to create structures using old-fashioned Lego blocks. They can also explore large maps and fight other players.
Phil Spencer, chief Xbox executive, announced the deal.
Mojang which has three founders who will be leaving the company, assured customers that "everything will be fine".
Analysts believe that the deal intended to boost Microsoft's Windows Phone users.
This acquisition comes one year after Microsoft purchased the Finnish mobile phone company Nokia's handset and devices division.
Minecraft is among the most popular apps on both Apple's iOS store as well as Android's Google Play, and has recently been released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 which has further increased sales.
In the month of March it was the third most-loved console game, according to market research firm NPD Group, despite being available for sale for a few days.
The game's creator, Mojang, which was founded in 2009, has made more than $100 million in profits in the last fiscal year, and employs approximately 40 people.
Microsoft announced that the Mojang team will join its game studio, which is responsible for games such as Halo, Forza and Fable.
The tech giant's chief executive, Satya Nadella, said: "Minecraft is more than an amazing game franchise. It's an open-world platform driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about and brimming with exciting opportunities for this community and for Microsoft."
Opposition to the sale
Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson, has previously criticised Microsoft and has told Reuters that the market for Windows phones was "tiny" and not worth developing apps for.
Minecraft has a large and enthusiastic fan base who have reacted angrily to what they see as an attempt to take over a communally-spirited independent company.
"Makes me sick, and sad," wrote one user on a popular Minecraft forum. "It will end the gaming community," EvilBatsu added.
Others expressed concern about whether fans would be able to show their talents.
"It will not just cost more to play the game, but it could also cost people their jobs." Many people play Minecraft and upload it to YouTube as their career however, if Microsoft is the new owner, there will for sure be copyright issues."
Some players suggested that Microsoft could invest more money on expansions to the game and upgrades.
In a statement, Microsoft said it would keep Minecraft across all its current platforms, with a "commitment to nurture and develop it long into the future".
The company added that the acquisition was expected to be concluded by the end of 2014.
In an announcement confirming the deal on its website, Mojang reassured gamers, declaring: "Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you , the community, are extremely important to everyone involved. Let this be the only thing you take away from this article.
With regard to Microsoft, Mojang said: "There are only a handful of potential buyers who have the capacity to develop Minecraft on a scale that it is deserved."
The company stated that "Notch" was deciding that he did not want to be the person responsible for managing a company of the magnitude of a global company.
Developer Notch on selling Minecraft:
"I've become a symbol. I don't want to be a symbol. I don’t want to be responsible for something that I don't know about. I don't want to tackle. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a chief executive officer.
You can read his entire statement here
Why Minecraft?
James McQuivey of analytics firm Forrester has stated that "Minecraft is among the most important gaming properties in the world".
"Not only is it profitable, but it continues to increase in terms of profits even after its release, mostly due to the enthusiastic community of fans who invest in building out their own Minecraft worlds.
"That helps to explain the reasons Microsoft would like Minecraft and would want to ensure that it's available on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
down with destruction
Professor Mark Skilton from Warwick Business School said that the acquisition was about building a strong customer base for Microsoft.
"The online gaming industry is rapidly growing from a small group of gamers to mass-market and Minecraft is a natural progression as big business follows the growth of traffic in the digital world."
Last month, Amazon bought Twitch, an online platform that allows users to watch other people play video games, for $970m (PS597m).
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