Microsoft is reportedly in final talks to buy Minecraft creator Mojang, a source tells the Wall Street Journal, for more than $2 billion. (About the price Facebook paid for Oculus Rift!) That would be an epic rise for Mojang founder Markus Persson who I interviewed almost exactly four years ago, back when Minecraft was still an obscure online sandbox building game, and Persson was cobbling it together with a four person team.
Also almost exactly four years ago, it's worth noting: Microsoft was rumored to be making "overtures" to purchase Linden Lab, creator of that other online sandbox building game, Second Life. (The rumor was never officially confirmed, but many months after the fact, some insiders confirmed to me a Microsoft overture of some kind had been made.)
Why did Microsoft pass on Second Life but looks to be buying Minecraft? Short version of the likeliest factors:
A revenue model that was unable to scale, plateauing user growth, lawsuits from users and systemic propensity to provoke even more lawsuits, and porn, lots and lots and lots of porn. In any case, you have to think Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg, an old Microsoft hand (he had a leadership role with a 3D graphic studios while at Microsoft) has some unique insights on both offers.
That aside, this is a great affirmation for user-generated content, which has made Mincraft the mass market phenomenon it is, and is soon to make it one of the most valuable games in the world. Making this a new world indeed.
Minecraft Machinima from Brett, who I inteiveewed here.
Please share this post:
Funny! The mashup Ace of Spades out-performs Minecraft
Mashups & Clones > Steam: Jagex mashes up Minecraft & Team Fortress 2
http://www.pcgamesn.com/indie/jagex-announce-ace-spades-steam-competitive-fps-combines-minecraft-and-team-fortress-2
Posted by: RULosingHair | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 02:43 AM
Methinks the first person to hybridize Minecraft and Second Life (think voxels) is gunna make a buttload of cash.
Posted by: Issa Heckroth | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 04:41 AM
I'm predicting the deal won't happen, but it is ironic that Notch responded to the 2Bil Oculus acquisition with "We've refused bigger."
Posted by: Adeon Writer | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 06:36 AM
@Issa The mashup of Second Life and Minecraft has also already happened..
Second Life has a capability to mashup with Minecraft, see Minecraft Revelation Hud (and more in Marketplace search)
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Minecraft-Revelation-Hud/4121590
But Desura and Linden Lab do NOT offer Interactive Television / 3D TV capability like Steam does for the mashup of Garry's Mod and Ace of Spades!
Posted by: RULosingHair | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 06:44 AM
Explain why this would have been good for Second Life? Admittedly, it would be good for the investors, but for the population?
Posted by: Wizard Gynoid | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 07:11 AM
Hard to believe Notch would sell out, but hard to turn down 2 bil. Not sure why this makes sense for Microsoft though.
Posted by: Metacam Oh | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 07:26 AM
@Wizard > User Growth versus User Decline
1. Backpacking on enhanced user interest, which Minecraft has proven to generate
2. Easy and low-complexity newbie learning curve, no newbie abusers
3. Better newbie retention
Posted by: RULosingHair | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 08:01 AM
Microsoft realized LL is run by morons led by a board of even bigger morons. LL hires Eggbert to facilitate a new, potential sale to MS and, guess what? he fails.
I give Eggbert another month before getting his walking papers.
Posted by: joe | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 08:22 AM
Pffft. Microsoft is where good ideas go to die.
Posted by: Arcadia Codesmith | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 12:08 PM
********** Also worth mentioning **********
Several years ago when Dusan Writer had his blog Dusan wrote about how a placeholder for Microsoft Xbox had leaked on the SecondLife website. In 2009 Linden Lab must have had a deal or agreement with Microsoft which they suddenly lost for unknown reasons. Rosedale was CEO then, it is fair to say that Second Life could have enjoyed the success with Microsoft that Minecraft is getting today. I think Linden Lab management skills got in the way of that.
I think I hear facepalming sounds coming from Battery Street SF
Posted by: Pallita | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 12:58 PM
Porn is only a problem when people are looking for an excuse. When a company see value they ignore porn. See Tumblr for an example of this, Yahoo knew what it was and still paid a princely sum.
Posted by: Ciaran Laval | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 03:08 PM
Most companies looking for lucrative entertainment properties will not touch Linden Lab/Second Life with a 100-meter pole. They're radioactive... And even an old carrion eater like myself wouldn't touch that dying and soon to be stinking corpse... I'm just not that hungry... Or that desperate... No one is... Rawwwkkkk lmao!! ;)
Posted by: cathartes aura | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 04:01 PM
"Porn is only a problem when people are looking for an excuse. When a company see value they ignore porn. See Tumblr for an example of this, Yahoo knew what it was and still paid a princely sum."
Yes, but Tumblr has tens of millions of users, versus SL's 1 million at best (and not growing). It's much easier for a big company to ignore the porn if it's a small slice of a much larger pie.
Posted by: Wagner James Au | Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 09:29 PM
To be hoest i think the percentages are about the same.
Posted by: Adeon Writer | Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 06:41 AM
@Wizard > Check How Newbie Interest Is Balking SL
Google Trends Interest for Virtual Worlds, Second Life, Opensim, Minecraft http://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=virtual+worlds%2C+second+life%2C+opensim#q=virtual%20worlds%2C%20second%20life%2C%20opensim%2C%20minecraft&cmpt=q
Posted by: RULosingHair | Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 08:19 AM
Pallita, Minecraft enjoyed its massive success before going to XBOX. Simply going to XBOX doesn't guarantee anything, and there is no way SL was ever being ported to a console, they can't even get the stuff working on everyone's PCs let alone on a console.
Posted by: Metacam Oh | Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 08:26 AM
This is press related from 2007
http://www.webpronews.com/second-life-on-xbox-live-2007-05
http://spong.com/article/12555/Microsoft-Second-Life-On-XBox-Live
and later at the mentioned timeframe this took place: http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/327/86/268011/1.html
I suspect a lot of effort has been made by many large gaming companies during the hype period which has led to nothing.
as for: "Pallita, Minecraft enjoyed its massive success before going to XBOX. Simply going to XBOX doesn't guarantee anything."
No it does not guarantee, it is confirmation of the success and takes the product further mainstream. The same can be said about Second Life should this have happened to Second Life instead. Second Life did have its success and massive influx before being adopted by consoles and mobile devices.
Unless some insider publishes a book one day a lot is not known. I do think that Xbox live would have been capable to run Second Life as it was the first console that did have an actual computer inside of it if I am correct.
Posted by: Pallita | Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 03:56 PM
Microsoft is interested in the audience. Is a lot of kids play Minecraft. A whole lot
+
when chat to a person about 12-14yo who plays Minecraft (and similar sandbox games) then they prefer to play/build on a PC. bc is more features available than on a tablet. UI access-wise
for them aged under then they prefer to play on the tablet. bc more easy to do the limited number of things they want to do at that age
+
if Microsoft do buy Minecraft then I think they maybe have Surface as the target device for the teen/tween builder/creators. Console/tablet more for the players and juniors
Posted by: irihapeti | Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 04:28 PM
Oh well. Microsoft chose to lose billions on Minecraft instead of SL. I cannot say I blame them.
Now watch as the game gets monetized to death and new draconian rules are laid down by MS. People will abandon their former world of freedom in minutes, now that it is no longer a place they can do what they want in. This killed SL and it'll kill Minecraft too.
Posted by: Shockwave Yareach | Monday, September 15, 2014 at 11:49 AM