Mojang, Microsoft and Notch!~
If you've been living under a newsless rock for the past little bit, then you wouldn't have heard the news that Microsoft is set to buy out Mojang for 2.5 billion dollars. I'd like to preface this entire post by saying anybody claiming they wouldn't have sold for that amount is nuts. I can't even imagine that much money being in my possession. I took some time to dig deeper into the topic and here's what I have to say.
1. I'm glad Microsoft is the company buying Mojang. WHY? Simply because it has the resources to continue developing Minecraft, bring it to higher levels and improve on ideas originally implemented. Some people are saying Microsoft will load the game with Micro transactions, and honestly no one knows what the future holds. But I'm sure Microsoft will receive enormous backlash for doing that.
2. I'm not sure what Notch expects for the future. I understand him not really wanting to deal with the stress and business aspect of being a CEO, I don't think he can simply return to being some unknown Indy Developer. He claims he's going to continue making titles, and if they become huge he's going to just stop development in its tracks. Ultimately that's his decision, I feel that he's going to get a lot of hate, which will cause frustration and stress on his part, resulting in another Phil Fish situation.
3. They won't remove production or support for other platforms. Which, again in my opinion, is a very smart move. I understand that Microsoft is all about exclusivity but they have a much larger fan base if they try to please all users on all currently supported platforms. Four for you Microsoft... you go Microsoft.
4. What's to happen with Scrolls and future projects? So far, there's no word on what's going to happen to the other video game Mojang develops, Scrolls. And that only leaves us to wonder, what else is going to come out of the company now that Microsoft has taken over, project wise. I mean, are they going to take advantage of the well known name to release indy type up and comers? Again, only time will tell.
I feel that a vast majority of people online view this change as Minecraft going from what it is now to some kind of cookie cutter RPG such as Call of Duty: Minecraft. Funny right? But if you look at past experiences with large companies buying the things we love, generally they sink money into improving the service and continuing to offer services we love. There are some exceptions, obviously.
In summary, I'm going to continue to love and support Minecraft despite its three creators stepping down. Everyone has a reason to what they do day to day, and in the long run, we have no say in their decisions. I only wish the best for Notch, Carl and Jakob in their future endeavors. I hope the shit storm doesn't hit them too hard.
What do you guys think about the whole deal? Don't forget to comment below with your opinions or even tweet me!
Until next time!~
