Microsoft Passed on Acquiring Mojang and Minecraft Before 2014 Deal - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 26 September 2017 / 4,848 Views
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has released a new book, Hit Refresh, and it reveals the company had passed on acquiring Minecraft creator Mojang before the $2.5 billion deal in 2014.
"Early in Microsoft's relationship with Mojang, before I was CEO, Phil presented an opportunity to purchase Minecraft, but Phil's boss at the time chose not to move forward," writes Nadella.
It is possible if the deal had gone through Microsoft could have acquired Mojang for far less than the $2.5 billion it paid in 2014.
"For some, such a visible, high-level rejection could have been withering, but Phil didn't give up," writes Nadella.
"Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, who were still on the board when the deal was presented, later laughed and said they had initially scratched their heads, failing to understand the wisdom of the move," added Nadella. "Now they get it."
Thanks Yahoo Finance.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Probably for the best, a project like this might have failed in the hands of a major company. It wouldn't have even been multiplat.
It's a shame Mojang let their game get into the hands of Microsoft. It's a shell of it's former self imo... and this is coming from a massive Minecraft fan.
Explain the difference after MS took over.. what changed?
Looking from the outside in, I don't get the impression MS is having much input outside of more ports and crossplay. They haven't even updated it with AAA graphics.
