In a move that not many did see coming, Minecraft creator, Mojang, is making an initiative that sees its entire player base migrating over to Microsoft to play its games—all PC versions of them.
Mojang was not upfront in telling the reason for the move. Alluding the action to be merely a case of “moving house,” with the prospect of transitioning to a “bigger room.”
Some changes for the better
Some existing Mojang account owners might find the step to be an unnecessary hassle. However, the game company guarantees the player base some benefits to come with the shift.
One is enhanced security due to the introduction of two-factor authentication. A feature that will prevent others from illicitly accessing someone’s account.
Another major advantage boils down to the attribution of multiple games to a single account. Meaning, players who will opt for the proposed move will be able to play any or all of Minecraft games on PC using a single account.
For parents who have concerns with their children playing Minecraft online, the system will then allow them privilege for parental control. Essentially making the game more secure for players of young age, especially when playing in an online environment.
Last, but not the least, the system will also enable chat and invitation blocking if the user is so inclined.
Punitive move
Making the change to be more of a requirement than an option, Mojang claims that those who will not abide by the imposed transition might see themselves cut off from the game. The issue drawing from Mojang’s planned disabling of users’ Mojang credentials by 2021. Subsequently, playing the role as an impetus for users to migrate to a Microsoft account.
Not to confuse the non-techies among the user base, Minecraft developer “Dinnerbone” clarifies that the Java edition is not going away. Rather, only the information that players leave behind in an already planned wipeout of a database.
Benevolent approach
If the fear of not being able to play the game as part of not complying is not driving others to make the switch, Mojang is instead incentivizing the need to do so. As such, those who will indeed follow the instructions for the shift over to a Microsoft account will receive an exclusive Minecraft equipment—a cape. That same iconic item that Superman wears as part of his costume.
Yet, if that single item still is not doing the trick, Mojang is hinting at another freebie after all the transition is made.
Image used courtesy of Minecraft/YouTube Screenshot