Minecraft (and developer Mojang) was purchased by Microsoft in September 2014 for $2.5 billion, as you probably recall. However, it looks like Microsoft had the chance to make the acquisition up to three years earlier.
CEO Satya Nadella said as much in his new book, Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone, available today via Amazon.
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.
For the record, Phil Spencer's boss at the time was Don Mattrick.
Minecraft recently got the Better Together update, which activated crossplay between Xbox, Windows 10 PC, mobile and VR platforms. The Nintendo Switch will also join the party at some point during Winter 2017, while Sony's Minecraft versions remain secluded until the company changes policy on crossplay with other consoles.
New Features:
- Stained Glass
- Fireworks (with Elytra boost!)
- Parrots
- Banners
- Armor Stands
- Jukebox and music discs
- Recipe Book
- Book & Quill
- Ravines
- Coarse Dirt
- New world start options: Starting Map; Bonus Chest; Trust Players
- New game rules: Show Coordinates; TNT Explodes; Natural Regeneration
- Added '/tickingarea' command to create areas that still update when no players are there
- Player permissions
- Zombie Villager spawn egg
- In-game host options
- Paper doll viewer
- Outline selection toggle
- In-game player names toggle
- HUD opacity toggle
- Expanded Xbox Live multiplayer world settings
- New loading screens with funny and helpful tips
- How to Play screen
- Remix 3D export functionality (Windows 10 only)
- New achievements
- Server Partners
- Realms invite links
- Mash-up Packs and Texture Packs will now decorate the main menu and in-game HUD
Tweaks:
- Rebalanced most of the game sound effects and music, such as rain being much quieter
- It is now much easier to see underwater after drinking a Potion of Water Breathing and Potion of Night Vision
- Blaze Powder is now needed to fuel brewing stands
- Ice blocks are now transparent
- Maps can now be held off-hand and show the heads of players' skins
- Locator maps now track the owner's position, regardless of dimension
- Worlds can now be set to Invite Only, Friends Only, or Friends of Friends
- Various improvements and changes to navigating the user interface
- Redesigned button mapping and added Pick Block for controllers
- Render Clouds and Fancy Leaves can now be toggled in Video Settings
- Skins can now be changed from the pause menu
- Chat messages can now be muted
- Items picked up are now animated on the hotbar
- Stained glass and banners will now spawn on End Cities
- Increased the default player limit on worlds from 5 to 8 on higher-end devices
- Block placement speed now matches the player's movement speed
- Temperature decreases with height and it can now snow at high elevations
- Observer blocks have updated textures and will now blink red when outputting a redstone pulse
- Adjusted the color that flashes when mobs are attacked
- Brick Blocks, Nether Brick Blocks, and Clay Blocks have been renamed to better differentiate from other items
- Underwater particles
- Jungle leaves are now transparent on higher-end devices when Fancy Leaves are enabled
- Changed the sound effects for Creeper explosions
- Added sound effects for placing Eyes of Ender into portal frames and opening The End portal
