Microsoft buys Minecraft maker Mojang
Microsoft has announced it is acquiring Minecraft software maker Mojang. Though neither side is confirming, Reuters previously suggested the deal could be worth $2.5 billion.
According to Microsoft:
At Microsoft, we believe in the power of content to unite people. Minecraft adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms. Gaming is the top activity across devices and we see great potential to continue to grow the Minecraft community and nurture the franchise. That is why we plan to continue to make Minecraft available across platforms – including iOS, Android and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC.
Aldrin Calimlim previously noted:
On its own, Mojang is unlikely to develop a Windows Phone version of Minecraft – Pocket Edition, the mobile port currently available on iOS and Android whose download count makes up 40 percent of the 50 million copies of Minecraft sold so far across its supported platforms.
But under Microsoft, Mojang is bound to finally bring the popular sandbox game to Windows Phone, a move that’s likely to result in increased sales of Windows Phone smartphones.
We’ll continue to follow this story.
See also: Microsoft redesigns MSN portal with rebranding of Bing mobile apps coming soon, Microsoft’s Office suite for the iPad now supports monthly in-app subscriptions, and New Microsoft ad features Cortana on HTC One (M8) face to face with Siri on iPhone 5s.
