Microsoft is on the verge of making a monster $2-billion bid for Minecraft studio Mojang AB, according to a report by Bloomberg. The news site quotes sources with "knowledge of the talks" who say the deal has been underway for several months and could close either this week or the next.
Reportedly, it was Minecraft creator Marcus "notch" Persson himself who approached Microsoft about a buyout. Microsoft and Mojang AB "quickly agreed on a framework and approximate price and have been working out the details since." The software giant apparently seeks to increase sales of Minecraft and to cash in on "licensing for things like toys and movies."
Persson himself may not stick around after the acquisition goes through, however. Bloomberg says one of its sources expects the developer will "help out with the transition" but is "unlikely to remain beyond that."
$2 billion may sound like a lot for an indie studio with only one full game under its belt, but Minecraft's success may well justify it. In a tweet earlier this summer, Mojang's Patrick Geuder announced that the game had sold 54 million copies across all platforms thus far. At €15-20 a copy, that works out to over a billion bucks in sales.