-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Microsoft announces purchase of Minecraft creator Mojang
- Thread starter Quentyn
- Start date
That graphic also shows why MS would probably be ok forgoing Playstation for an eventual MC2. After being out for all this time it's only sold 3 million on PS3 with a userbase of over 80 million. If MS thought that they would roughly make up the difference from losing the PS userbase with the new users who would pick up an Xbox for MC2, it would make sense to make it exclusive to Xbox on console.
They could have revived every franchise you ever loved
they could have localised everything that ever went unlocalised
they could have made hundreds of games, new IPs and old
such a waste
First hypothetical would either break even or lose money. Sure it would get lots of goodwill with old gamers.
Second would lose money for sure.
Third would likely break even, with a mild success like TF as the best case scenario.
Minecraft's potential is limitless and will easily make money for them. It's a proven quantity which is more than can be said with either of your three hypotheticals. MS wants big profits, not to break even, make a bit of money, or at worst, lose money.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I believe that MS would be more gung ho about getting Minecraft on the Japanese 3DS than Nintendo, yes.
2spooky4me
Member
I agree with you there.
Mojang doesn't really have anything on it's list of upcoming products that will rival minecraft. Notch is keenly aware that he was in the right place at the right time and it's outrageous success may not be replicable. That awareness will probably give him a happier life than John Romero or George Broussard.
Where do they go from here? 2.5 billion for mechanizing rights? Sounds extremely high.
Notch is being brilliant, sell while the market price is super high and retire to a private island somewhere.
MS is making a questionable acquisition. It's hard to say if they'll ever get 2.5b of value out of mojang and minecraft. They have a poor history of running studios and they tend to cause talent flights (Rare) because they have a pretty narrow vision of what their studios will do. Mojang itself isn't super sound. It maintains one super successful product but has nothing on the horizon. It's a massive speculative bet that the minecraft brand will continue to pay off.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
Uh, no, you are very wrong in that assumption. You might not still play Minecraft, but tens of millions of adults and children still do.
Actually, Sony Computer Entertainment has the publishing rights to Minecraft on PS3, PS4, and Vita and those versions as well as the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions are developed by 4J Studios. Supposedly, Microsoft would have to continue the contractual obligations of Mojang as far as Minecraft goes which means allowing Sony and 4J Studios to continue with their version of Minecraft until, supposedly, the publishing rights revert to MS. It is possible that Mojang gave Sony the publishing rights to the PS4 and Vita versions of Minecraft and there's nothing Microsoft can legally do to remove those versions without being sued by Sony and 4J Studios for breaking the contract Mojang made. Something like this has happened back in the 8-Bit era concerning Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. in that Atari had the publishing and development rights to those games for the Atari 7800, so you had Nintendo games available for a competitor to the NES because of past licensing agreements between Nintendo and Atari. However, Atari did not get future Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. because they only had the rights to Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. Contractual obligations is also why Sony and Fox can continue to make Marvel movies despite Disney now owning Marvel.
Quadraphonic
Member
360 release date:
Digital: May 9th, 2012
Disc: June 4th, 2013
PS3 release date:
Digital: December 17th, 2013
Disc: May 14, 2014
Microsoft had exclusivity locked up on it at the peak of popularity.
That's why I said I don't even know how it's possible to play that game on a phone.
People are weird or are willing to play with ANY kind of controls if they are willing to play with touch controls for Minecraft. XD
Leyasu
Banned
Microsoft will sit back and watch the sales from minecraft continue unabated on many platforms.
Then I think that they will either make minecraft exclusive to xbox one/windows or they will launch it exclusively day one when they launch a real successor to the 360... I dont think that they will let this gen last long, and see them planning for the longterm.
Imagine a new xbox in november 2017 launching with halo 3 anniversary AND minecraft 2!!
Then I think that they will either make minecraft exclusive to xbox one/windows or they will launch it exclusively day one when they launch a real successor to the 360... I dont think that they will let this gen last long, and see them planning for the longterm.
Imagine a new xbox in november 2017 launching with halo 3 anniversary AND minecraft 2!!
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
SEGAvangelist
Member
4 year cycle would be terrible. It'll be at least 5.
CharmingCharlie
Member
The android version of Minecraft has been on sale numerous times. Hell I bought it for 10p now I am a huge minecraft nut on the PC my domed cities are legendary on the Neogaf server but even I will freely admit that Minecraft PE is the biggest steaming pile of shit I have ever used. I honestly felt ripped off that it cost me 10p.
They could have revived every franchise you ever loved
they could have localised everything that ever went unlocalised
they could have made hundreds of games, new IPs and old
such a waste
Such a strawman argument. They can still do that at anytime they want. It was never a ethier or situation.
Leyasu
Banned
They did it with the OG xbox, and they wont drag this gen out with the thumping that sony is going to give them!
This gen will be over quick for the xbone
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
Again, judging by the PC sales, there doesn't seem to be any signs of any "peak"...at least not during May of 2012.
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
Bravo to all those involved. It's nice to hear they will support the other platforms, for now. I just wonder how long that will last and if the next inevitable Minecraft will be console exclusive to the Xbox One, PC and mobile.
KernelPanic
Member
It will probably be Microtransactioncraft.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
Yeah, I know a few kids who play the PE version all the time, and whenever I get the chance to play their games I'm always amazed at just how inferior it is to the PC version. I mean wow, so much is missing, and the controls are so difficult to use. To them though it's bliss, but they just don't know any better, LOL.
Omnipunctual Godot
Gold Member
All this time? It's been out since last December on PS3. By comparison, it's been out on Xbox 360 since May of 2012.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Got it on PS4 the other day encase this went through and for some reason they pulled it.
There's more money in NOT making it exclusive.
mysteriousmage09
Member
Well Notch is laughing all the way to the bank.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
One could argue that what is the point of cutting off an existing customer base? People are buying the game on iOS, Android and PS3/4, the versions of the game are already developed and you have infrastructure to support them, why not simply let the engine run and collect the money?
I fully expected Microsoft to announce Minecraft going Xbox / PC / Winmobile exclusive, but it seems like they have chosen the smarter path instead. It slightly impressed me actually.
Megatron
Member
Well, Minecraft 1 will be. Im not sure id hold my breath waiting for sequals and spinoffs.
I can't possibly imagine how making it an exclusive would make them more money. There are 53 million people who have bought the game. Minecraft would have to shift a hell of a lot of products to make up for the smaller potential buyers. Can't imagine they would make more money with the increase in X1 and windows phone sales that would happen with the Minecraft exclusivity.
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
Yeah, I don't see the next Mincraft coming to the Sony platforms. Not that that wil mean much. I mean, what's the percentage of people that play the game exclusivly on a Sony platform?
Chezzymann
Member
TimeEffect
Member
It would be pretty awesome if MS updated the console versions, at least the XONE to have PC parity. Why is this not already a thing?
NoMoreTrolls
Banned
That changes the story a bit though.
Could businessGAF explain how this makes financial sense? I know only a bit about how accounting works, but I'm pretty sure that the people who are looking at this deal on a revenue basis alone (i.e. looking at the $180 Mojang made and extrapolating that to a 15 year payout) are doing it wrong. Is there some sort of special amortization that this international deal has that could lead to a relatively quick payout? Is debt cheap?
To make the Xbox One more enticing?
Minecraft fans are crazy and would buy a console just for it (I think).
Twin Tails
Member
not Windows, not Office, MINECRAFT is key to survival
Megatron
Member
Well obviously you dont cut out the PC market or even the mobile phone market. minecraft 2 will come to PC and xb1 simultaneously, and come to windows phone first as a timed exclusive, but probably never to Sony consoles again.
eddfromtheriver
Banned
But i am sure that they will not do the same with MC2 though.
Infinite Xero
Member
Microsoft is rumored to be getting rid of the Windows Phone brand and just calling the devices Windows.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
For some reason all I see is the end of Red Dead Redemption looking at this
Also, can Sony now claim Microsoft has gone third party on PS4?
To be clear, their mobile device will still be called Lumia. The OS will be called Windows instead of Windows Phone to further the idea that Windows is a unified platform across devices, coinciding with their push of Universal Windows Apps.
Holographix
Banned
Does anybody else see Minecraft as one title wonder? As in nobody cares for a sequel as the first game IS the franchise? All this talk about Minecraft 2 etc. I'm not seeing a sequel being very successful, especially under Microsoft.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
You also have to take into account that the PlayStation versions were really late so the software sell through would be higher on the exclusive platforms. PS releases were simply later. 3m is still great but there are plenty like me who already own it on other platforms. So, for me buy the PlayStation versions is already an extra investment. One which I've done since I own the ps3, ps4 & I will own it on Vita. I own it on PC and Android.
It's a one title wonder, but it's distinguished from other one title wonders like angry birds. This game actually has staying power and has been selling just as strongly now as it ever has.
Not really a one title wonder, I could see them doing more of the Digital Lego approach with different "sets" approach. But certain things like different size cubes/voxels I would imagine would come with a sequel.
Now we wait to see when Universal gets the the theme park rights.
Console version might be exclusive to Xbox, but I don't see them going Windows Phone exclusive with the MC2 Pocket Edition.