I understand that you’ve bought Minecraft. Not just the game, or even a development license, but the entire development studio, lock, stock and barrel, minus the guy who came up with it in the first place.
Now, I can see why you think it’s a good move. It’s a really popular game. Although I’m seeing a lot of people saying it’s passed its peak, it still seems to be going pretty strong in this house. And that’s what I’m writing to you about.
You see, I’m a little bit worried. We go back a long way, you and me, Microsoft. I remember Windows 3.1. Word, before the irritating clippy thing. (I *think* there was a Word before the irritating clippy thing, wasn’t there?) I also remember some of the OS incarnations that I think we’d all rather forget.
I don’t ever remember you being very good at letting people explore your software. Modify it. Extend it. And that’s one of the amazing things about Minecraft, the fact that children playing it are inspired to learn to code so that they can extend the game. My own son is breaking into java (he’s 11, by the way, not terribly old) so that he can explore making his own mods. It’s a central feature of his home education plan this year.
So you can understand that I’m a bit worried about what your plans are for the whole Minecraft universe. I don’t really know what you want out of the deal. And I’d appreciate if you’d remember that a whole load of the people playing minecraft, loving it, talking about it, writing about it, learning to code because of it, are children. And it’s really really important to them.
Really important. For so many of our children, it’s a central feature of their lives. They learn so much from it, and not just coding. Not just game stuff. It gives them common ground, when they come together from different schools, or no school. It’s an interest that so many of them share. It’s a common language and I’m not talking about java here. It’s so much more than just a game, Microsoft, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d respect what you’ve got.
Please don’t mess it up.
Thanks.
Jax
Dear Microsoft
Please please please listen to what Jax said.
It’s so important I’m going to shout along with her, just to make sure you hear. My children are very afraid of what you owning this world of theirs will do. Please don’t let them down.
Love,
Minecraft-fans-since-Beta
x
Great post Had
We are just discovering Minecraft here and you are so right…My son follows Stampycat and another who teach him what he can do with minecraft..his ability to build a virtual world has so many benefits for his imagination and computer skills.
When I saw the news I did wonder how this will affect the millions of little people (AJ tells me stampycat has over a million subscribers on YouTube, alone) who use this game app for free. What will happen to minecraft?
Carol
I truly Believe Mojang is making a very big mistake by selling this game to Microsoft. They WILL mess it up juts how they messed up their own systems!
I love this post, everything about this post. My kids also love Minecraft and I worry that Microsoft will just destroy it for cash.
I hope not, but I fear they will.
I think that’s what we’re all afraid of 🙁
My 12 year old is also horrified by this purchase. She is dreading what Microsoft might do to her favourite pastime.