Microsoft Buys Minecraft's Parent Company For $2.5 Billion

This week has started off with a shake-up in the gaming world. Today we learned that Microsoft has bought the company behind Minecraft for $2.5 billion. In case you didn't know, Minecraft is the simple but incredibly popular computer game that revolves around building blocks.

Minecraft was first released in 2009 through the publishing company Mojang; its founders have said they are not joining Microsoft. In a blog post, Minecraft's creator Markus "Notch" Persson explained why. "Thank you for turning Minecraft into what it has become, but there are too many of you, and I can't be responsible for something this big," he wrote. "In one sense, it belongs to Microsoft now. In a much bigger sense, it's belonged to all of you for a long time, and that will never change. It's not about the money. It's about my sanity."

Microsoft also released a statement about the acquisition. "The Minecraft community is passionate and diverse, ranging across all ages and demographics. We respect the brand and independent spirit that has made Minecraft great, and we'll carry on the tradition of innovation to move the franchise forward."

Watch the Xbox announcement of the news below.

Source: Mojang