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>Microsoft's video games revenue has been climbing steadily since the Minecraft acquisition, and it increased by $367 million in the 2015 financial year "mainly
by davidiach 10y ago
>Microsoft's video games revenue has been climbing steadily since the Minecraft acquisition, and it increased by $367 million in the 2015 financial year "mainly due to sales of Minecraft."
Is that really a lot? How much more do they need to sell to get their money back from what they spent to buy Minecraft in the first place?
- noir_lord 10y agoThey paid 2bn for Minecraft, not sure if 367m is just software sales or merchandising as well but the merchandise is everywhere here in the UK and it seems to sell well.
- NDizzle 10y agoThe merchandising is awesome too. I see kids with creeper backpacks and I wish I had things like that when I was that age.
- emddudley 10y agoNot sure when or where you grew up, but at least in US in the 80s and 90s there were tons of television and video-game branded merchandise...
- glandium 10y agoIn the 80s and 90s, it tended to be the opposite, though: tons of merchandise for which "advertising" television shows were created (things that come to mind are GI Joe, M.A.S.K. ...).
- cwyers 10y agoIt's a tax dodge, is what it is. Mojang is based in Sweden, so Microsoft could buy it with the big hoard of foreign cash they're avoiding repatriating to avoid paying tax on it a second time. Then, all the domestic sales of Minecraft are money that's on American shores already.
- jonknee 10y agoAnd they'll pay tax on the profit of those US sales... It's not a dodge.
- whamlastxmas 10y agoThe alternative is using that same money in the US to generate sales, meaning there is sales tax eventually on it anyway. It is still saving hundreds of millions in tax by not repatriating it.