p>Microsoft pays $2.5bn for Minecraft maker Mojang By Joe Miller Technology reporter, BBC News
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p>Microsoft has bought Mojang the Swedish company behind the wildly popular video game Minecraft for $2.5bn (PS1.5bn).
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p>The title has been sold more than 54 million copies. It allows players to build structures using Lego-style blocks. They can also explore large maps and fight with other players.
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p>Phil Spencer, chief Xbox executive, announced the deal.
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p>Mojang the company, whose three founders will be leaving the company, has assured its customers that "everything will be fine".
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p>Some analysts have speculated that the deal is designed to lure more customers to Microsoft's Windows Phone devices.
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p>This acquisition comes just one year after Microsoft purchased the Finnish mobile phone Nokia's handset and devices division.
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p>Minecraft is one of the most popular games on Apple's iOS store and Android's Google Play, and has recently been made available for the Xbox One and PlayStation? 4, further boosting sales.
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p>In the month of March, it was the third most played console game according to market research firm NPD Group, despite being available for sale for a few days.
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p>Mojang the game's creator was founded in 2009. It made more than $100 million in profits last year and employs around 40 employees.
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p>Microsoft said the Mojang team would join its game studio that is responsible for titles like Halo, Forza and Fable.
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p>The chief executive of the tech giant, Satya Nadella, said: "Minecraft is more than a great game franchise. It is an open-world platform powered by a vibrant community that we cherish and brimming with exciting opportunities for the community as well as for Microsoft."
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p>Opposition to the sale
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p>Mojang's founder, Markus "Notch" Persson has previously criticized Microsoft, and commented to Reuters that the market for Windows phones was "tiny" and not worth developing apps for.
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p>Minecraft has a large and enthusiastic cult following who have reacted angrily to what they see as the corporate takeover of a communally-spirited independent company.
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p>"Makes me sick and sad," wrote one user on a popular Minecraft forum. "It could ruin the gaming community," EvilBatsu? added.
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p>Others expressed concern about whether their skills would be shown by fans.
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p>"It will not just cost more to play the game, but it could also cause people to lose their jobs." Many players play Minecraft and upload it to YouTube as their career however, should Microsoft takes over there will definitely be copyright issues."
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p>Some players made the point that Microsoft could devote larger resources to expanding and upgrading the game.
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p>In a statement, Microsoft said it would maintain Minecraft across all its existing platforms, with a "commitment to nurture and expand it long into the future".
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p>It also stated that the acquisition was expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
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p>In a statement that confirmed the deal on its website, Mojang reassured gamers, declaring: "Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you , the community, are extremely important to everyone involved. https://ealatorre.com/ Let this be the only thing you learn from this post.
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p>With respect to Microsoft, Mojang said: "There are only few potential buyers who have the resources to grow Minecraft on a scale that it is deserved."
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p>The firm also stated that "Notch" had made the decision that he "doesn't want the responsibility of owning a company of such global significance".
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p>Developer Notch on selling Minecraft:
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p>"I've become an image. I don't want to be an object of ridicule. I don't want to be responsible for something that I don't understand. I don't want to do anything about. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a chief executive officer.
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p>You can read the entire statement here.
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p>Why Minecraft?
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p>James McQuivey? of analytics firm Forrester said that "Minecraft is one of the most important gaming properties in the world".
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p>"Not only is it profitable, but it continues to grow in terms of profits even after its release, mostly due to the enthusiastic player base that invests in building out their own Minecraft worlds.
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p>"That helps to explain the reasons Microsoft would like Minecraft and would want to ensure that it's always available on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
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p>Professor Mark Skilton from Warwick Business School said that the acquisition was about building a solid customer base for Microsoft.
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p>"The online gaming industry is rapidly growing from a small group of gamers to mass-market and Minecraft is a natural progression since big business is following the traffic numbers in the digital world."
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p>Amazon bought Twitch last month for $970m (PS597m).
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p>"It's about my sanity."
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p>Microsoft is 'set to buy Minecraft'
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p>Microsoft completes Nokia phone deal
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p>25 April 2014
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p>Microsoft
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p>NPD Group
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