Mojang Reassures Minecraft Fans about Microsoft Deal

Mojang reassures Minecraft fans about Microsoft deal

The boss of Minecraft-maker Mojang has reassured those who are worried about what will occur when Microsoft assumes control.

In September, in the middle of September, Microsoft announced a $2.5bn (PS1.5bn), deal to buy Mojang.

But Vu Bui the chief operating officer of Mojang said there was no plan to change the game, or to change what players could do with it.

Feedback from players would be crucial in helping to develop the game, he said.

"Nothing's likely to change," stated Mr Bui. We don't have plans for any change and, of course I'm not able discuss the situation and I don't know everything but we're here, the game's here and it's business as usual."

Open view

Mojang said that he's always been trying to preserve the original enthusiasm that made the game well-known.

He added, "Maintaining the original culture is really hard." "It's a culture which respects the community and allows that community to be free to play as they please with the game and to make it their own.

"It is the goal, as it has always been, to continue with this," he said to the BBC during an BBC interview at London's Olympia exhibition center, where he was giving an address to the Brand Licensing Europe trade fair.

Mr Bui acknowledged that the deal was "still in the making" however, he said that Mojang's goal was to continue to work closely with its large community of players.

Many fans of block-building have expressed their concern about what will occur if Microsoft takes complete control.

Markus Persson (aka Notch) is the Minecraft creator. He wrote about the reasons he was approaching Microsoft. He said that it was too for him to handle and that it was becoming an burden.

He wrote, "I can't take responsibility for something like this," shortly after details of the deal were revealed.

He said, "It's about my sanity. It's not about money." "It's all about my mental health."

Mr. Bui said there would undoubtedly be some changes in the near future, but these would still be done with the input, feedback and comments of fans.

The current system in which Minecraft developers share their work long before they add it to the site is expected to be maintained.

He added, "We don't keep our characteristics secret."

This transparency would also be evident in the same way as Mojang began to showcase the latest titles developers were working on even though the studio was not yet ready to talk specifics, he said.

When they were ready, said Mr. Bui, Mojang would let players play early versions of the game, and then help the creators refine it , and make it a commercial property.

Similar strategies were utilized with Minecraft. Mojang wanted the same process to be repeated because it proved to benefit developers as they worked on a project.

It was not about replicating the success of Minecraft to create a game that was as well-liked. It was more about faith in the overall approach, said Mr. Bui.
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"We believe in that model," he said. "Regardless of their chosen art form individuals should invest their time and energy into whatever they believe in, no matter what the outcome.

He said, "That's a noble endeavor."

Mojang also declared that it was a mistake to attempt to manage the Minecraft community or determine what can be done in the game.

Far better, he said, was to just get out of the way.

"People are at their most creative sometimes when you let them be creative and do whatever they want to," said Mr Bui. "You have to give them guidelines, but for the most part when you let people be creative they will come up with cooler things than we could ever imagine ourselves."

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