Though he's compiled a clear record of aversion to Microsoft's software and policies, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson is said to have approached the software company with an offer to sell his indie studio and, according to experts, bolster Windows Phone's followers.
Details remain sparse surrounding Microsoft's $2.5 billion alleged purchase of Mojang AB, the indie Swedish studio Notch and Carl Manneh created off the success of Minecraft. The hugely successful sandbox game has served as a canvas for tens of millions of hardcore and casual gamers, who've used blocks to construct everything from night defenses from the game's nocturnal creatures to the entire country of Denmark.
Official news of the agreement between Microsoft and Mojang is expected to break Sept. 15, according to the sources that alerted the Wall Street Journal to alleged deal.
The acquisition of Mojang would finally clear the way for a port of the game to arrive on Microsoft's oft-overlooked mobile platform, Windows Phone. Minecraft has driven millions of sales with its ports to iOS and Android, while the recently released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions have been projected to enjoy comparable profits.
Though the latest rumors surrounding the deal indicate that it wasn't Microsoft who initiated the acquisition talks, several experts have indicated that the tech company may have been thrilled to have the opportunity to use Minecraft to draw new loyalists to Windows Phone. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been building his legacy at Microsoft on a strategy that centers around the cloud and mobile devices.
Dave Bisceglia, chief executive of independent game studio Tap Lab, says it appears Microsoft is attempting to take advantage of the cultural phenomenon Mojang and Minecraft have created.
"If you look at iOS, Minecraft has been a top-grossing game for quite some time," says Bisceglia. "If Microsoft could, on Windows phones, give players a unique and compelling experience that you can't get on the other platforms, that could be a driver to sell devices to existing Minecraft fans."
It's unclear how much control Mojang would surrender in its alleged deal with Microsoft, but Notch has shown his distaste for tech corporations on Twitter and in posts on his personal blog.
In September 2012, Notch stated that keeping Minecraft support away from Windows 8 could encourage people to avoid the operating sytem. When Microsoft asked Notch to format Minecraft for Windows 8, the dogmatic developer, who has been against the operating system since its release, tweeted that he told Microsoft "stop trying to ruin the PC as an open platform."
Minecraft is referred to as a sandbox game, which means players have few limits and can roam and choose tasks, rather than be in segmented levels. The game is popular on iOS and Android systems, and in February 2014 passed 100 million registered users for the original PC version of the game, according to Notch's announcement on Twitter. With what Notch figured as a 14.3 percent conversion rate to paid accounts, Gamespot said that's more than 14.3 million copies sold on PC alone, plus the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
