Opinions on Microsoft buying Mojang

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ShneekeyTheLost

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Dec 8, 2012
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If Microsoft buys out Mojang, I'm done. Flat out. I will pack up and walk away.

Having started working in the financial industry, however, I can say that more business deals are shot down than accepted. Part of the reason companies don't comment on speculation on big things like this (insider trading violations aside) is that if the deal doesn't go through, no one has egg on their face. Both sides can deny the negotiations ever took place, and the world carries on in blissful ignorance. In many cases, an NDA is slapped down on any and all negotiations which extends into perpetuity in the event they fall through.

But yea, if Microsoft does buy out Mojang... I'm outta here.
 
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Captain_Oats

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Jul 29, 2019
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Without knowing the details, I can't say whether this is such a horrible disaster.

I HIGHLY doubt this will change modding, at least on the currently released versions of Minecraft. Moving forward they might try to find a way to monetize the whole modding scene similar to Steam Workshop, which could actually benefit the players as an actual modding api may be released (could also mean added funding to mod developers).

Worst case I say, is that free semi-annual updates dither away, and are replaced with small fees to upgrade to the newest version. Or like many have said, a Minecraft 2 (but I doubt that).

If it goes through, expect more mainstream MC merchandise, and overall a more structured development moving forward. Again which might not be terrible for the end users. Also more content packages such as that crap they release on the consoles will also likely happen (Mass Effect/Halo in Minecraft crap).

Kids gotta realize, a business' sole purpose is profit. Of course they expect a payout. If you think a company is immoral/evil/greedy/customer-unaware for approaching a buyout with hopes of making profit, you're delusional and naive. That doesn't mean they don't care about the consumer's needs or demands (actually quite the opposite).

Development on other platforms will not halt, as long as they're profitable. If Mohjang is really a $2B business, the views of the original founder who is admittedly not business savvy, matter very little.
 
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Danjal

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Jul 29, 2019
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Assuming ofcourse all of this isn't just a baseless rumor and this deal does indeed go through. Microsoft is threading on thin ice.

A good business plan is not to let a player base buy a game once and play it for YEARS adding free mod based content. A better business plan is to release mod packages for the game that you can sell to your extant player base.

from a financial standpoint many of us have gotten a heck of a deal from our original purchase of vanilla minecraft.
For Mojang, this is probably the best deal they'll ever get. An instant line of cash for $2 billion is much more than they'd make over the course of several years.
They could then pull back from Microsoft and restart on their own (unless signed agreements state otherwise). That said, they have previously mentioned they don't *need* the cash. So while $2 billion is a ton of money, if they already have more money than they need its not going to be much of an incentive.

The better question is, how many of us would've gone as far as buying these mod packages if they were supplied that way.
Its the "better" business decision in theory, but the reality is that not everyone would've been willing or even able to pay for the content.
Part of the success comes from the fact that many of us got such a heck of a deal out of it. Priced higher, and it might never have come to this.
A more expensive or more widely monetized Minecraft would not have reached this large an audience.

Any subsequent changes they might make to try and get a slice of the pie, will likely result in (a part of) the community drawing back from Minecraft.
If the "big personalities" pull away from Minecraft (assuming they can afford to do so), the subsequent widespread fame Minecraft has among the young audience would diminish or even fade entirely.
The "Minecraft is the next Lego"-argument relies on the fact that all of these kids remain interested in the IP.
And thus directly relies on keeping the IP affordable and interesting.

Cutting down on modding to obtain revenue or turning "mods" into "DLC" would also result in losing customers (though they might not care as anyone who doesn't bring cash into their register ultimately isn't a "loss" to them either...)


While Minecraft has a massive target audience spread across many platforms. If a "Minecraft 2" were created, they'd lose out on a lot of initial content.
If they mess with the formula based on "good business decisions", I suspect that a lot of people would suddenly become a LOT less interested in the IP.
An exclusive XBone launch for "Minecraft 2" wouldn't get 50 million people across all platforms to suddenly buy an XBone. Hell, I doubt most of the PC players that are into modding would EVER move to XBone, neither will the mobile audience.

Even a PC release of an upgraded Minecraft would likely mean an increased pricetag and subsequent monetization. Aswell as stricter rules around modding and streaming/recording.
Microsoft doesn't have a habit of letting their consumers have free reign with their IP's.
So unless that stance changes... There will be consequences for us as players.


I think the most interesting turn of events would be the Playstation release and any deals made with Sony.
I'd imagine that it'd be a great marketing move for Microsoft to get a title as popular as Minecraft out on Sony's devices, and then get a cut out of EVERY sale that Sony makes.
Microsoft would suddenly benefit from sales made on their competitors platform(s). Between that and merchandising, there's a lot of potential for Microsoft.
I just wonder if all of that will be enough for them not to want to tamper with the PC formula.
Or if they'd even continue to generate content for vanilla Minecraft on PC.
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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what is up today?? first gid, now you??
I trust Microsoft precisely as far as I can through their Corporate HQ. I approve of their corporate practices about as much as I approve of slave trade, since both business practices require massive blatant exploitation of people who are seen as valueless to the people in charge. I feel that the company is a canker sore on the technological industry by using code so horribly layered, by actually RELYING on coding bugs and errors to make the OS function as intended, and by leveraging their enormous pull to block attempts to use any other OS in the end-user environment.

If they buy Mojang, I walk. Flat out.

The $2B dollar tag for Mojang itself tells me that they're wanting more than just minecraft, they're wanting the IP and possibly the programmers. Which means they've got a project in mind using the skills and/or IP that is currently the property of Mojang. Which terrifies me.
 

Qazplm601

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Sep 21, 2013
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This is the one thing I could not tolerate. Microsoft would end the modded community - we aren't the majority in any way. I can take drama, and shitfests, and transphobic pricks, but this would be too much.
I trust Microsoft precisely as far as I can through their Corporate HQ. I approve of their corporate practices about as much as I approve of slave trade, since both business practices require massive blatant exploitation of people who are seen as valueless to the people in charge. I feel that the company is a canker sore on the technological industry by using code so horribly layered, by actually RELYING on coding bugs and errors to make the OS function as intended, and by leveraging their enormous pull to block attempts to use any other OS in the end-user environment.

If they buy Mojang, I walk. Flat out.

The $2B dollar tag for Mojang itself tells me that they're wanting more than just minecraft, they're wanting the IP and possibly the programmers. Which means they've got a project in mind using the skills and/or IP that is currently the property of Mojang. Which terrifies me.
:/
But yea, if Minecraft does buy out Mojang... I'm outta here.
 

Bigpak

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Jul 29, 2019
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Am I the only one that is actually freaking out about this? I've been spamming f5 on about 20 different websites.

I am a 17 year old male and I do online schooling. Other than that Minecraft is where I am at until I'm finished with high school. I've stuck through it thick and thin and will probably attempt to do so but it can get to a point where it is to painful and saddening to look at what its become. Within the past 2-3 weeks shits been going downhill FAST. I honestly hope this does not happen and seeing how Notch is a major shareholder in Mojang has some integrity and does what he thought was right and is not overwhelmed by money. I know 2 billion is a lot but imagine how many kids and adults and just people in general he has made happy. All of the artwork and films and videos.

I really hope this is going to be alright if it is even some ACTUAL news. I'd be laughing my ass off though if it is all a hoax.

I have just been reading up on this for the past 2-3 hours or so across so many different websites and forums and all that time I am just remembering the memories of everything, when I first started playing Minecraft while Skyping with my cousin. I was learning how to place blocks down and then I started making a dirt hut as the sun set. 1 minute later I almost had a heart attack and my house is a crater. Then comes when my cousin was talking about something called Tekkit and that nonsense and I thought it was idiotic and was something stupid. I tried it and I loved it and then I found about FTB. It's just something magical about this game and I don't know if any other game will ever quite get it as right as this.

(I really hope I don't get my anus torn apart by mentioning tekkit if that's even a thing)
 
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Zenthon_127

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Jul 29, 2019
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IF this goes through, I can see four possible outcomes:
  1. Microsoft doesn't really change much. Nothing serious happens. Life continues as normal.
  2. Microsoft ruins the product and this community largely dies or is severely damaged.
  3. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It becomes a mild success and although the community isn't huge we get enough people from DW20 and the like to make it pretty large.
  4. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It steals the popular Minecraft YouTubers and becomes a massive success, possibly spawning a genre. In other words, a repeat of DotA.
The first option is possible and would be ok. The second terrifies me. The third and fourth might actually be cool, though I hope it doesn't have to come to that.
 

Danjal

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Jul 29, 2019
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While I understand your sentiment, I don't think it'll really be that bad.
We all knew Minecraft wouldn't be a permanent thing, so even if this DOES go through and Microsoft does things that will vastly change the current situation.
It doesn't mean that thats it.

And those are two pretty big IF's, as Mojang stated earlier this year that they don't "need" the money. Yes, $2 billion is a lot, but if you already have more money than you can spend, what is another $2b?

A bigger thing to keep in mind is that the community is large, and skilled.
Even if the Mojang team doesn't, I would not be surprised if some of these skilled hands would take action to get a more active role in securing their own livelyhood.
Afterall, the youtube personalities, the modmakers and a ton of other people are actually making a living off of this. Its in their best interest to sustain that income somehow.


All we can do for now is wait. We simply lack the information to be sure of everything.
 

Qazplm601

Lord of the Tumbleweeds
Sep 21, 2013
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IF this goes through, I can see four possible outcomes:
  1. Microsoft doesn't really change much. Nothing serious happens. Life continues as normal.
  2. Microsoft ruins the product and this community largely dies or is severely damaged.
  3. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It becomes a mild success and although the community isn't huge we get enough people from DW20 and the like to make it pretty large.
  4. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It steals the popular Minecraft YouTubers and becomes a massive success, possibly spawning a genre. In other words, a repeat of DotA.
The first option is possible and would be ok. The second terrifies me. The third and fourth might actually be cool, though I hope it doesn't have to come to that.
5.microsoft makes it better

unlikely, but it may happen.
 

GreenZombie

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Jul 29, 2019
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On the one hand, we can't know yet if this is a horrible idea. On the other hand, this is a horrible horrible idea.
 

ShneekeyTheLost

Too Much Free Time
Dec 8, 2012
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IF this goes through, I can see four possible outcomes:
  1. Microsoft doesn't really change much. Nothing serious happens. Life continues as normal.
  2. Microsoft ruins the product and this community largely dies or is severely damaged.
  3. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It becomes a mild success and although the community isn't huge we get enough people from DW20 and the like to make it pretty large.
  4. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is released by the modding community. It steals the popular Minecraft YouTubers and becomes a massive success, possibly spawning a genre. In other words, a repeat of DotA.
The first option is possible and would be ok. The second terrifies me. The third and fourth might actually be cool, though I hope it doesn't have to come to that.
5. Microsoft ruins the product and a Minecraft-type game is attempted to be released by the modding community, which gets hit with all kinds of lawsuits, DCMA's, and C&D's from Microsoft to prevent competition.
 
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tgame14

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Jul 29, 2019
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Announcement from me: If Microsoft does end up purchasing Mojang, I will walk on to other places. Won't spend my time modding anymore as i don't trust microsoft to be fair as much as mojang is.
 
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TheMechEngineer

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Announcement from me: If Microsoft does end up purchasing Mojang, I will walk on to other places. Won't spend my time modding anymore as i don't trust microsoft to be fair as much as mojang is.

I'm already weaning myself away from Minecraft, and I'm finished with playing vanilla. It just doesn't interest me anymore. I still play hardcore technical modpacks though because they're proper games designed for adult gamers who like to use their brains. Games that require real skills are where it's at.
 

McJty

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How about this. If Microsoft goes off and buys Minecraft and If they ban mods, then we make our own minecraft. All the mod makers collaborate and build our own minecraft. That would not be too bad, right?

*If* this rumor is true and *if* this turns out bad for modded Minecraft then I will gladly support such a project. In fact I already created a C++/python hybrid Minecraft like engine some time ago so I have some experience in this matter.
 

Tylor

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Nov 24, 2012
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If this deal goes through, which I doubt, I'm sure several people would make a look-alike in more intuitive & moddable java or another language, and I would sure as hell be in that with them.
It's already being done and it's called Terasology. It's not Minecraft yet, but...