Mojang Studios
History
Mojang Studios, originally Mojang AB, is a Swedish video game developer and publisher founded in May 2009 under the name Mojang Specifications by game programmer Markus "Notch" Persson. The company was created as a vehicle for Persson to distribute his latest creation, a sandbox video game titled Minecraft. The game quickly gained popularity and by 2011, Mojang had expanded to include a team of developers.
In September 2014, Mojang was acquired by Microsoft Corporation for US$2.5 billion. Following the acquisition, Persson left the company, and Jens Bergensten took over as the lead designer of Minecraft. The company was rebranded as Mojang Studios in 2020, on the 11th anniversary of Minecraft.
Products
Mojang Studios is best known for creating Minecraft, a sandbox video game that has become one of the best-selling video games of all time. Minecraft allows players to build and explore virtual worlds made up of block-like elements. The game has been praised for its creative potential and has spawned a vast community of players who create and share their own in-game creations.
In addition to Minecraft, Mojang Studios has developed and published several other video games. These include Scrolls, a digital collectible card game, and Cobalt, a side-scrolling action game. The studio has also released various spin-offs of Minecraft, such as Minecraft: Story Mode, a narrative-driven game developed in collaboration with Telltale Games, and Minecraft Dungeons, a dungeon crawler game.
Development Philosophy
Mojang Studios follows a development philosophy that emphasizes creativity, community involvement, and transparency. The studio is known for its iterative development process, where games are developed in stages and players are often involved in testing and providing feedback. This approach was first used in the development of Minecraft, which was released in an early access version before its official launch.
The studio also places a strong emphasis on community engagement. It regularly hosts events and competitions for its player community, and has a dedicated team that interacts with players through social media and forums. Mojang Studios also supports the modding community by providing tools and resources for players to create their own content for its games.
Impact and Influence
Mojang Studios has had a significant impact on the video game industry. Minecraft, in particular, has been influential in popularizing the sandbox genre and the use of voxel-based graphics. The game's success has also led to a resurgence in indie game development and has shown that indie games can achieve mainstream success.
The studio's development philosophy has also influenced the industry. Its iterative development process and emphasis on community involvement have been adopted by many other game developers. Mojang Studios' support for modding has also contributed to the growth of the modding community and the recognition of modding as a form of creative expression.