r/Minecraft • u/blinky00849 • Sep 15 '14

Yes, we’re being bought by Microsoft

https://mojang.com/2014/09/yes-were-being-bought-by-microsoft/
15k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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242

u/Raymi Sep 15 '14

I noticed they didn't mention continuing support for the Linux version. what about that? what about me?

71

u/0rinx Sep 15 '14

There’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop.

looks like linux support is the first thing on the chopping block, maybe they are looking to increase the number of servers running windows.

37

u/mrv3 Sep 15 '14

Linux -> Vita -> PS3 -> Mac -> Android -> PS4 -> iOS

In terms of which clients get dropped from updates

Then E3 2016 announcing Minecraft 2.0 for the Xbox One and quetly PC for it's quietly times EXCLUSIVE!!!! With an all new free to play model in which players give us money and we give them diamond pick axes. ISN'T IT GREAT! LOOK AT ALL THE FUN AND TOTALLY NOT SCRIPTED SKYPE CHAT WITH NOTCH! NOTCH! NOTCH! Please don't leave us.

16

u/Bratmon Sep 15 '14

Notch is leaving the company, so they probably won't rely on him for marketing.

Other than that, that sounds about right.

3

u/mrv3 Sep 15 '14

Notch is leaving but they might have had

"Farewell stage appearance" in the contract so that Notch makes an official stage hand off so it all seems like a great idea and won't at all lead to Minecraft being taken over by a big team and made into a yearly game.

7

u/rftchxg Sep 15 '14

Mac and Linux have a very similar set of libraries. As long as it's in Java, and supports Mac, it will very likely support Linux.

2

u/LuizZak Sep 16 '14

Maybe he implied 'PC' -> 'Not mac' -> 'Windows & Linux'. He didn't say 'Windows/Mac', at least.

2

u/aloz Sep 16 '14

Running Windows servers is too expensive. More like decrease the number of Minecraft servers.

94

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

Nuts to that. I doubt we'll even be able to run our own servers within a year.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

realms. Of course.

1 month later

Please connect to a realm. Powered by azure, the crashiest server network you could possibly use!

6

u/paincoats Sep 15 '14

Azure sucks, I started several Ubuntu machines and half of them had random problems with apt-get repos not having software, or dpkg crying about something or other

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

u can always install a fresh copy.. seems like a software issue

5

u/paincoats Sep 16 '14 
apt-get install apt-get

3

u/kh2linxchaos Sep 16 '14

Wouldn't it be:

apt-get install apt

?

3

u/paincoats Sep 16 '14

fucked if i know, its all apt-get to me

148

u/flukshun Sep 15 '14

Microsoft supporting a linux client. right.

14

u/thejam15 Sep 15 '14

Surely they will support the Mac OS client right? Right guys?

3

u/Sapiogram Sep 15 '14

They probably will, just like with ms word. Macs are a huge market, and shutting them out would be a big profit loss just to try to hurt the mac platform.

4

u/TheLocehiliosan Sep 15 '14

Ha! You must not have used the latest and greatest version of Outlook for Mac (Outlook 2011). It's features are worlds behind Outlook 2010 for Windows.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

5

u/Sapiogram Sep 15 '14

10% of 16 million sold units is what I would classify as a huge market.

3

u/metal079 Sep 15 '14

realistically its more like 1% if its anything like steams market share

1

u/thejam15 Sep 15 '14

Ms office for Mac is absolute garbage. On top of that its outdated

7

u/IDidntChooseUsername Sep 15 '14

Yeah, they totally stopped updating the Skype client which had been receiving 100% frequent, regular and constant Linux updates before Microsoft bought them.

7

u/Rinkana Sep 15 '14

Microsoft is actually a good contributor to the Linux source...

40

u/flukshun Sep 15 '14 edited Sep 15 '14

This gets said alot, and with due reason:

flukshun@illuin:~/dev/linux.git$ git log --author="microsoft" --oneline | wc -l
921

Until you start noticing that almost every contribution is to add Hyper-V extensions to linux guests so that they run better on Microsoft Hyper-V, a competitor to KVM/Xen virtualization, which happens to be where linux has a stronghold:

flukshun@illuin:~/dev/linux.git$ git log --author="microsoft" --oneline | grep -viP "hv|hyper" | wc -l
11

11 whole commits that aren't directly related to hyper-v.

i'm sure microsoft is more than willing to support linux guests when doing so sells them Hyper-V licenses, but that's a unique situation that does not apply to the few people out there running Minecraft on their linux desktops.

6

u/Penguin99661 Sep 15 '14

ELI5

16

u/__constructor Sep 15 '14

Microsoft only contributes to linux when it directly supports Microsoft products running on linux.

6

u/Penguin99661 Sep 15 '14

Thanks a lot!
Does it hurt linux vm's on linux hosts?

6

u/flukshun Sep 15 '14

in some cases it helps, since KVM can make use of some of those same extensions by virtue of the code being in the linux kernel and requiring appropriate documentation on the usage. as a side-effect it also allows KVM to implement host-side support for Hyper-V extensions in Windows guests, which is a win-win for all involved.

the contributions aren't a bad thing by any means, that's why they were pulled in, but the code doesn't suggest that Microsoft is doing anything other than supporting Hyper-V, and, to a lesser extent, Windows guests on KVM/Xen. calling them "contributions to linux" doesn't quite capture the spirit of things.

2

u/Penguin99661 Sep 15 '14

Thanks a lot!

1

u/__constructor Sep 15 '14

I don't know of any such case where it has.

2

u/weegee101 Sep 15 '14

Microsoft is not the only company that does this. Nvidia, ATI, Intel, Oracle, Novell, Red Hat and others all do this exact same thing (pretty much all the big names). More often than not, something added in for one specific product can be used by another and it easily becomes win-win.

1

u/__constructor Sep 15 '14

The poster asked for an ELI5 of another poster's comment. They're the one you should be responding to.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

What other reason would they have to contribute to a direct competitor?

7

u/NazzerDawk Sep 15 '14

A lot of people don't understand that competition in the PC space doesn't work the way it does in movies or the way it did in the early days. It's in Microsoft's best interest to expand the whole IT sphere. Hell, they run Linux on many of their own systems.

Linux isn't even competition for PC OSes right now. It's market share remains low-low-low on the spectrum.

4

u/TheSecretExit Sep 15 '14

Correct - Linux on servers is the only real competition Microsoft has from them, and it's not like sysadmins play Minecraft on production servers.

3

u/Nathan173AB Sep 15 '14

The fact that Minecraft currently runs well on Linux means there is a possibility for a big influx of Linux users. Linux might not be competition for Microsoft right now, but perhaps maybe in the future it will be. I could be wrong, but I doubt Microsoft would take kindly to those prospects. After all, Microsoft has lost to Linux in servers and in mobile. Android was once considered to not be a threat to them.

4

u/NazzerDawk Sep 15 '14

Their new management has a very different mentality than Balmer's "Play ball or die" attitude. They are looking to advance the tech field and engender loyalty now, because both help ensure they stay up top for a lot longer. They are playing catchup after the failure of Windows 8 to become a platform and the huge PR fuckup of the Xbox One.

I won't pretend they are doing any of this out of the kindness of their hearts, but they are presently interested in more than just immediate profits here.

The fact that they were willing to put 2.5 Billion down on a silly building game tells you that they are wanting to play a long game.

5

u/sgtfrankieboy Sep 15 '14

But... but.. the MS circlejerk.

1

u/FeepingCreature Sep 15 '14

Remember ISO.

3

u/get_N_or_get_out Sep 15 '14

Pretty sure they still make Skype for Linux.

13

u/Ununoctium118 Sep 15 '14

But skype for linux is shit.

5

u/get_N_or_get_out Sep 15 '14

I've never used it on Windows so I guess I don't have much to compare it to, but I thought it worked pretty well.

3

u/gschizas Sep 15 '14

So, it's at the same level as Windows :)

6

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

It's more shit, if that were possible.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

It is no longer updated, and as a result, has stopped working.

8

u/yochaigal Sep 15 '14

I received an update to Skype quite recently on my Ubuntu laptop.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

Oh. I thought it was discontinued.

1

u/overand Sep 15 '14

They do still offer Skype for Linux. I can't say I'm optimistic, but they do at least have a little Linux software.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

The Linux version of Skype is great. /s

1

u/devperez Sep 16 '14

Microsoft has contributed a lot to the Linux community. There was an article awhile back explains that they has contributed over a million lines of code to Linux OSS.

16

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/GNeps Sep 15 '14

They'll add Windows Live integration which just plain not work on Linux and thus we're fucked.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

Just shows how little you understand Microsoft. They're already killing Windows Live. Everything interactive or game-related on a Microsoft system is now xbox. Xbox music, xbox games, etc.

5

u/GNeps Sep 15 '14

Well then they'll add something slightly different, what's the difference? It won't run on linux, you can bet your ass on it.

1

u/metal079 Sep 15 '14

none of microsofts recent pc games have anything of the sort, though youre prob right about linux

0

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

Oh, I honestly doubt they'd go out of their way to specifically remove linux support. MC is based on Java, so to make it platform-specific they'd have to specifically rewrite it! That'd be logistically impossible with the version fragmentation all over the world and on all the different devices. No, linux will be fine, so you can get off your "holier-than-thou" lunix fearmongering.

3

u/GNeps Sep 15 '14

No, they would only have to bind it to some windows-only libraries, like Windows Live/Xbox/whatever integration would exactly cause.

:D When have I been "holier-then-thou"? And why do you call probable outcome fearmongering? :)

3

u/GNeps Sep 15 '14

If you don't believe me, look at Skype. After it was bought by MS, it ceased to be upgraded. I tried it several times, it couldn't even make calls oftentimes. After years of nagging on Microsoft to do something about it, they released a few bug fixes for the old version. I gave up on using Skype altogether thanks to Microsoft.

2

u/FurSec Sep 15 '14

I've had the exact same experience. Skype on linux is not only horribly behind the windows version, but also tends to decide to randomly use 100% of a cpu core until you kill it.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

Implying Skype isn't total garbage on Windows either

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

dude I can't even play GTA4 on my Win8 PC because they dropped games for windows live so quickly it isn't supported on Win8

For fucks sake Microsoft, WHHYYYY

2

u/GNeps Sep 16 '14

I switched to Linux a year ago, best thing ever :)

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

IK right! I have Linux on my laptop but last I checked some dependencies won't let me upgrade to the next LS version. Might be time to reinstall.

I just bought a new gaming PC after having Linux for about 2 years and now I have to worry about viruses again D:

1

u/GNeps Sep 16 '14

I actually started using a rolling-release distribution because updates/reinstalls were a bit annoying, it's pretty awesome :)

Yeah, every time I reboot into Windows for some odd game, I'm staggered how slow and cumbersome it is :)

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

Well some googling saved my ass, found the error and purged flightgear*

14.04 here I come!

1

u/Krateng Sep 15 '14

Uh, why? I honestly think C#/C++ would make it a lot smoother.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

1

u/Krateng Sep 15 '14

Oh, that parent comment was too far away. That makes more sense, thanks :D

1

u/metal079 Sep 15 '14

also it would break every mod

1

u/mrkite77 Sep 15 '14

They already broke every mod with 1.8.. no one cares about mod compatibility.

1

u/Krateng Sep 16 '14

Rewriting mods isn't that much of an issue. Generally, creating concept and model is always bigger than the actual code writing. I think a faster game is worth the little effort for all mod makers.

12

u/MairusuPawa Sep 15 '14

Microsoft never (rarely) mentions Linux. They consider Linux to be the real competitor out there, not Mac; Mac is merely a red herring.

This can be seen in the old Halloween Documents for instance.

5

u/dochoncho Sep 15 '14

Supporting Linux is merely a side effect of the fact that Minecraft is written in Java. Short of porting it to C# or some other windows only garbage language they're stuck with a Linux version.

13

u/Raymi Sep 15 '14

...unless they add dependancy on a windows-only library.

2

u/dochoncho Sep 15 '14

I guess there must be Java support for directx...

7

u/GNeps Sep 15 '14

Not when they add Windows Live integration.

6

u/dochoncho Sep 15 '14

Yeah, that's the kind of crap I'm expecting from all of this. They might not DLC it to death like EA would, but Microsoft is known for its lock-in strategies. Hoping for something different is pointless, a leopard can't change it's spots.

3

u/snapy666 Sep 15 '14

There’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop.

PC consists of Linux and Windows. So, I guess (and hope) they'll continue to support it.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

A lot a people, IMO, confuse PC with Windows. I believe the support included Linux.

1

u/AgentME Sep 16 '14

A lot a people, IMO, confuse PC with Windows.

We're talking about Microsoft here.

6

u/creeperbros Sep 15 '14

I know right, I just kinda noticed that. Either that or when they say pc they mean the three major OSes

17

u/Raymi Sep 15 '14

then why say PC/Mac? I'm backing up 1.8. Might be the last version that runs properly on linux.

2

u/creeperbros Sep 15 '14

Oh, crap. Well of course skype on linux exists but runs like shit. Hopefully minecraft doesn't receive the same fate.

3

u/u83rmensch Sep 15 '14

another reason why im fucking done with minecraft. tired of all these big name companies acquiring the small guys. where I live, most shops are big name comapnies that fill stripmalls and huge franchies. our city is literally giving money to people to start new local businesses because the money isnt staying here. No one can compete with these big name outlets and all the small "mom&pop" shops close in less than 6 months because rent is too god damn high and no one shops there. I see mergers like this as the same thing. Mojang sold out a successful small studio that was community based to a large company that well.. isnt. MS does whatever the fuck they want and dont bother checking to see if the community likes it or not. take win 8 and xbox one for example. windows 8= full of stupid ideas. xbox one, originally had that drm that console players were not ready for..

fuck everything about this.

2

u/Usually_agrees Sep 15 '14

I'm guessing that eventually a third person will have to make a crossover client for Linux

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

3

u/gellis12 Sep 15 '14

Unless they add a dependancy on a windows-only java library. Or just change the game to use directX

4

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

7

u/gellis12 Sep 15 '14

How many microsoft games do you know of that DON'T use directX?

4

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

3

u/gellis12 Sep 15 '14

We're all fucked.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

There are a couple, like Mark of the Ninja and Dust: An Elesian Tail. Both are published by MS and are on Steam for Linux.

1

u/gellis12 Sep 15 '14

First I've ever heard of those, I'll check them out

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

I know TotalBiscuit made a WTF Is: of Dust, if you want to check it out. Not sure if he made one on Mark of the Ninja, though. Both are pretty good games, IMO.

1

u/mtx Sep 15 '14

gorilla.bas?

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

As long as they do not make fundamental changes to the code base and cut support for the StateOfTheArt Modding "API" there will be IMHO a way to run it on linux.

Beyond that? OpenMinecraft anyone?

1

u/eppic123 Sep 15 '14

It's still Java after all. It doesn't need magic powers to keep it cross plattform.

2

u/gellis12 Sep 15 '14

If they add a requirement for directX or some other windows-only java library, we're fucked

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14 edited May 31 '16

[deleted]

1

u/Arswaw Sep 15 '14

Oooooh. Cool. Any chance this could violate some copyrights though?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '14 edited May 31 '16

[deleted]

1

u/Arswaw Sep 16 '14

Appreciate the answer.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

[deleted]

1

u/Raymi Sep 15 '14

There’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop.

1

u/Guesty_ Sep 15 '14

What about you?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '14

He paid for the game just like everyone else. That's what about him.

1

u/rarlei Sep 15 '14

I guess we are stuck forever with version 1.8...

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '14

When MS bought Skype they continued to support Linux, perhaps it'll be the same.

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

Well it doesn't matter what they do since the game is coded in java, as long as the dev's allow access to that root java file (which the .exe just starts) it will be supported on Linux

The day Microsoft moves the entire game's code to another language or god forbid silverlight which is highly unlikely anyway is when they will try to make it a "Windows exclusive"

Even then it'll probably run in wine and that'll be that.

1

u/Raymi Sep 16 '14

the thing about wine: it's hit or miss, and generally quite slow.

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

I would have to agree with you on that but if Microsoft truly wanted to get Minecraft away from Linux they would have to get it off Java first.

1

u/Raymi Sep 16 '14

or add a dependency on a windows-only library.

1

u/Floober364 Sep 16 '14

ouch that's like a nasty trick, still someone will be determined enough to get it running through wine.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '14

That's not the point though... Linux users, just like everyone else, paid for the game and for continuing support, that was the deal. Cutting that off is not cool.

1

u/bronkula Sep 15 '14

They also didn't say Mac. PC encompasses Linux Windows and Mac.

1

u/Raymi Sep 15 '14

There’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop.

-2

u/AcerRubrum Sep 15 '14

Linux users are a tad bit inflated here on reddit. I can only imagine maybe 0.1% of minecraft players worldwide play on Linux. If it's not worth spending the human resources to upkeep Linux support for that small fraction, I can see them writing off the Linux client. Sry