Microsoft set to buy Minecraft maker
Months after closing its $7 billion deal for Nokia’s handset business, Microsoft is eyeing another major acquisition.
According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, the company is near a deal to scoop up video game studio Mojang AB, creator of the hit game Minecraft, for $2 billion.
Microsoft and Mojang CEO Carl Manneh declined comment on the Journal report.
The deal would be the first under Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who took over the company’s top role in February.
Minecraft first launched for PCs in 2009. The retro-looking video game is a Lego-like experience where players build things using virtual blocks. The franchise has blossomed into one of the video game industry’s biggest franchises, expanding to mobile and home consoles. In June, Mojang business developer Patrick Geuder revealed combined sales of the game topped 54 million.
Source: Usatoday
