Mojang
Minecraft will not go free-to-play: Mojang defends one-time purchase and core game values
Mojang reaffirms its commitment to one-time purchase, defending the integrity and accessibility of its iconic game.
In a market where more and more titles are adopting the free-to-play model to attract players and take on microtransactions, Minecraft has decided to stay as it began. Mojang, the studio behind the game, has made it clear that the game will remain a one-time purchase title.
This has come from Ingela Garneij, executive producer at Mojang, during an interview with IGN. Faced with the possibility of a free-to-play version of Minecraft, she was blunt: “Monetization doesn’t work in that way for us,” she explained. According to Garneij, changing Minecraft’s business model just doesn’t fit with the original vision of the game.
“It’s a purchase of the game and then that’s it. For us it’s important that our game is available for as many people as possible. And so I think that’s a very core value that it should be accessible for everyone. It’s the best deal in the world,” Garneij added.
Maintain values; don’t follow the trend
For them, the Minecraft experience must remain as pure as possible. As other studios look for new ways to monetize, Mojang keeps the original model, although it is part of Xbox Game Pass.
While Garneij insists that their priority is to let the community continue to enjoy the game as it is, Agnes Larsson, Game Director of Minecraft Vanilla, also emphasized this philosophy: “For me, it’s part of the important values of Minecraft. I think it’s become such an important thing of what Minecraft is and the perfect culture and values, and I think we all here can agree on that. It’s a thing for the game and it’s one part of what makes the game strong. It has strong values.”
In a landscape where more and more games are prioritizing monetization over experience, Mojang chooses to stand firm. This decision not only preserves the integrity of the game but also strengthens its connection to its community. After all, Minecraft didn’t need to be free to become one of the most successful and beloved games of all time.
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