Microsoft Buys Mojang!
So, let me begin with a brief intro. Firstly, I apologize after being absent for so long. I just did have the inspiration to write or speak my mind. So yea.... But anyway, onto the main topic for today! Microsoft buys Mojang!
If you don't know by now (because you are most likely living under a rock) Minecraft is one of the biggest Video Games of all time, selling millions upon millions of copies world wide, across all sorts of platforms. It started as Markus (Notch) Persson, a Swedish man, working on a small Indie game, if that at all. He had no plans of it becoming the global-phenomenon it is today. So to be brief, this is the man who started it all, both Minecraft, and Mojang (The company for all you rock-dwellers).
Now that that history lesson is out of the way, as of September 15, 2014... Mojang now belongs to Microsoft. By that I mean, the company itself, the employees, the games made and developed by Mojang, and in a bigger perspective, an ENTIRE community. For 2.5 billion dollars to be exact.
Now, let's just say... a lot of people are angry. And you can't really blame them. Hell, I'm pretty angry myself. Microsoft, one of the worlds largest corporations, just bought, Minecraft... one of the worlds largest Video Game titles. Now let me explain it like this. There is a lot more to the community, then a bunch of fans who love the game and play it... oh no, there is MUCH more to it. The community of Minecraft is composed of all sorts of people. And to many, Minecraft is a way of life now. A large reason Minecraft is so big, and well maybe the only reason, is the community itself sharing the game throughout our so beloved Internet.
Let me break it down for you. Minecraft has one of the biggest Communities out there. And with a huge community, comes huge opportunity. With the help of YouTube, Minecraft is like I said, a literal way of life. Hundreds, maybe even thousands make a living off this game. Think about it, these people are making a LIVING off playing Minecraft. How, well they get paid for putting ads in their videos, blah blah blah, etc. That isn't important. What is important is that besides the thousands already making a living. Hundreds of thousands make money off of uploading footage of the game already. Myself for example, am partnered to the Fullscreen network. And even though I do not make a lot of money off YouTube, I did make money from producing Minecraft videos. So yes, it is NOT a living for the majority of people making videos on this game, but MANY, MANY, people are making money off this game.
That brings me to my point, if Microsoft does happen to flip the switch and decide that a percentage of the money people make from Minecraft videos, goes directly to Microsoft themselves, or hell, they just don't allow people to put footage of it online, it will be a disaster for many people. Hundreds will lose jobs, thousands will be crushed and disheartened, and more importantly, a large community, slowly being shattered and crumbled away. BUT, there is a bright light to this dark situation. I believe, Microsoft is smarter than this. I do NOT think they will flip the switch with not allowing video of Minecraft. Because i think they know, and they better damn know, that if they do, they will be hurting themselves. They will loose large amounts of fans, Minecraft as a community will plummet, and let's face it, Minecraft is still alive because of the community. Without the community, well then, Minecraft just isn't Minecraft.
On a more personal level, I think the community is the most important aspect. If you haven't seen what the community has done, well then your missing out. People have created everything from other video games themselves inside Minecraft, to even functioning Computers inside the game. The limits are infinite. Minecraft is being used to teach children. And more recently, Google themselves have realized the importance of Minecraft and potential of it as a learning tool, with them developing a mod to help teach people about Quantum Physics. Yea, it is pretty confusing though. Besides that though, there are hundreds of thousands of people who develop Mods for the game, which add new things and change the game itself, to even more people, who make insane adventure maps, and re-creations inside the game. Think of something, and there is most likely a way to have it done in Minecraft. So for me, who has made mods, and has made maps, I absolutely LOVE the community, and think that if it changes. Minecraft is screwed.
So to wrap up my point, I'll say one thing. You better not screw up Microsoft.
So to wrap up my point, I'll say one thing. You better not screw up Microsoft.
