Minecraft is the gateway drug for a generation of hackers and makers. And that creative activity is still best done on a real computer, not a gaming console or

Minecraft is the gateway drug for a generation of hackers and makers. And that creative activity is still best done on a real computer, not a gaming console or phone. If Microsoft actually provided a free, first-class development environment for modding Minecraft it would be a big deal, and it would win them a lot of exposure and goodwill among the next generation of programmers. So I don't think it will "save" windows, but I do think it's a potentially smart move that gives them direct access to a self-selected audience of the right people.