Microsoft buy Minecraft for 15.9 billion – Aftenposten

Swedish Markus Persson knew hardly what would happen when he released the first version of the Minecraft in May 2009

Persson, an introvert video game enthusiast who loves to program, thrives best in front of a screen. He worked as a programmer for King.com where he made simple web-based mini-games during working hours while he made his own games in their spare time.

The dream was to live on to create their own games

Many Millionaire

The dream has come true. Five years later, Minecraft one of the biggest gaming success stories ever.

Mojang, the company Persson started with his friends after the Minecraft The success began to take off, had a profit of nearly 800 million in 2013 thanks to the Minecraft -sales and Minecraft Licenses.

Persson is already a multi-millionaire thanks Minecraft and are now taking the step up in billionaire club when Microsoft scroll up 15.9 billion to acquire Mojang and Minecraft . It has gotten fans to despair.

Idealistic games

Primarily because Minecraft has been both a unique gameplay and a unique entertainment product.

Idealistic Persson has resisted the temptation to make money on micro transactions, downloadable content and sequels to Minecraft . Instead, because the game had a relatively low fixed price and content that have been released have subsequently been free for anyone who owns the base game.

Persson also left the game in the fully open so that hobby developers have been able to program and create their own extra content to the game that they then spread on the Internet.

This has resulted in the Minecraft can now be played on thousands of different ways with numerous configuration options and additional content.

Such idealistic and inclusive attitude has given Persson many fans.

While the game industry in recent years increasingly have embraced the free-to-play model where be giving away games for free and manipulates gaming experience to try to get players to pay further in the game has Persson Minecraft has been a kind of counterpoint to the games industry’s greed.

Persson has always been on the players’ side, a gamer who create games for other gamers with fair business models.

When Microsoft takes over Minecraft fear the fans that there is an end to the idealism of the game.

They fear a game that is going to be locked into Microsoft’s own operating systems and platforms overladiske sequels and extras that cost money and less freedom to develop content for the game on their own.

There is legitimate concerns altogether.

Tired of success

Markus Persson their part, it’s probably best that he is tired.

PC Games enthusiast Persson has always dreamed of a life where he can sit in peace and quiet in front of a screen and program experimental games. He never dreamed of running one of the largest gaming companies with all the responsibility, meeting activities and work that this entailed.

When Persson now sells Minecraft and Mojang to Microsoft, he seriously cut umbilical cord to the game that has made him a billionaire and go back to his bedroom where it all started.

He can sit in the dark in front of the screen and do what he likes best: programming new games.

He will most likely never to recreate Minecraft The success but it does not matter. For Persson, it’s about having the freedom to experiment and express themselves through video games without the responsibility that comes with owning one of the world’s greatest game.

Published: 15.sep. 2,014 3:55 p.m.