@scottpsfan14 said:
**** knows clyde. All I know is that it was a massive waste of 2.5 bill. They could have funded multiple top class studios for that price. Fucking morons. Instead they buy a company that made an indie game that is already out on it's major compeditors console. A console that is handing M$ their arsehole btw.
MS are shit at this buisness. They are so... lackluster. Just like Windows 3.1 vs Amiga Workbench. There was no comparison lol. 640k limit, 8.3 file names. You name it, anything illogical and stupid, M$ has done it.
Holy ****, people really are morons, aren't they.
"Microsoft’s impending purchase of Mojang, the Swedish developer with 100 million players of its open world Minecraft game, is more aimed at pulling users onto the software company's obscure mobile platform than its better known PC system or Xbox game console.
The software company's Windows Phone system has only 2.5 percent of the world's smartphone market, and its Surface tablet barely more, according to tech research firm IDC. Growth is hampered because many app and game developers ignore it.
Enter Minecraft, which is the top paid app both on Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iOS and Google Inc's (GOOGL.O) Android systems. Microsoft will unveil a $2.5 billion deal to buy its owner on Monday, according to a source briefed on the matter.
“It seems like Microsoft is looking at Mojang and Minecraft as a way to tap into this enormous cultural phenomenon," said Dave Bisceglia, Chief Executive of independent game studio Tap Lab. "If you look at iOS, Minecraft has been a top-grossing game for quite some time, 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.”
...
"We don’t view this acquisition as a signal of Microsoft's intent to double down on Xbox but consider it an attempt to better address mobile on a cross-platform basis," said Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund in a note to clients this week. "This also appears to be consistent with (Microsoft) CEO Satya Nadella’s mobile and cloud strategy."
Microsoft is expected to pay close to $2.5 billion for Mojang, or about 8 times sales last year. That is small change for Microsoft, which has $86 billion in cash and short-term investments. But it is relatively large and expensive for game company acquisitions, which do not have a stellar record of success.
Japan's SoftBank Corp (9984.T) paid $1.53 billion for a 50 percent stake in Finnish game maker Supercell last year at about 3.5 times projected annual sales. Electronic Arts' (EA.O) $750 million acquisition of PopCap in 2011 was valued around 10 to 11 times sales.
Joost van Dreunen, Chief Executive of research firm SuperData, said the price tag ”seems like a lot for a title that has certainly not peaked but is certainly not in its initial frenzy."
He doubts that Minecraft can really help Windows phone sales: “Minecraft itself has done very well on the iOS platform, but it’s better on the iPad, the screen is bigger," he said. "I don’t see why this could drive handset sales.”
For the last time people, MS isn't going to waste 2.5Bn on an IP to boost sales of their console.
The issue with this aquisition is the valuation. MC's value mlies somewhere in 500M to 1B. 2.5 B can only mean one fo 2 things:
1- MS has an idea of how to leverage the brand to both profit of it, aswell has increase it's Phone and Tablet business
2- MS will operate at a loss, but plans to use MC to increase sales, somehow.
I can't believe i'm seeing people challenge MS, who's credit rating and profit margins rise on ayearly basis, on a business venture that goes beyond gaming, while fanboying Sony, teh same company with horrible credit rating, estimate -2Bn reserves, mediocre equity, and still invests in VR.
Holy shit
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