There’s been very little “will they-won’t they” talk surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Mojang, the company responsible for Minecraft.
Six days ago it was rumored that Microsoft was looking into buying Mojang, and on Monday the $2.5 billion deal was announced. But what does it mean for Minecraft?
Minecraft is one of the most powerful gaming franchises in the world today, with 54 million copies sold. It’s on our consoles, on our PCs, on our phones—and in the kids’ clothing section of Target.
It’s pretty clear it won’t be going away. What’s in question is how much Microsoft will mess with Minecraft’s winning formula.
The real value here is the vibrant gaming community that Microsoft will become the caretaker of. The sale could potentially be a good thing for the Minecraft community. Mojang, despite the success of Minecraft, was still an independent developer without the resources of a global corporation.
On the other hand, this means that yet another independent effort has been folded into a corporate identity.
There’s no surefire way to say what the long-term effects of this are.
For parents, it’s helpful to remember that a game that was already a commercial powerhouse now has even more marketing power behind it. As Ben Kuchera points out in his Polygon op-ed about the buy, “Microsoft bought mindshare with your children, who are likely already playing Minecraft on their consoles at home, their computers at school and their phones when they’re out and about.”
We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any changes to Minecraft, especially ones that will affect the online community that so many kids enjoy.
