Minecraft: Difference between revisions
SinexTitan (talk | contribs) →Minecraft post-purchase ownership rights changes: yo dawg I heard you liked commas |
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<!--Note - Add links to Mojang's Twitter admitting to showing only select people certain changes to the EULA and the legal case in an attempt to sue Mojang. --> | <!--Note - Add links to Mojang's Twitter admitting to showing only select people certain changes to the EULA and the legal case in an attempt to sue Mojang. --> | ||
==Consumer impact summary== | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
Under [[Microsoft]]'s ownership, Minecraft has undergone multiple anti-consumer changes in order to acquire more user data and utilizing undisclosed and an ever changing EULA terms to censor user-generated content. These practices are especially concerning since a significant amount of Minecraft players are children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capel |first=Chris J |date=2019-09-25 |title=Believe it or not, the average age of a Minecraft player is 24 |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/player-age |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref> | Under [[Microsoft]]'s ownership, Minecraft has undergone multiple anti-consumer changes in order to acquire more user data and utilizing undisclosed and an ever changing EULA terms to censor user-generated content. These practices are especially concerning since a significant amount of Minecraft players are children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capel |first=Chris J |date=2019-09-25 |title=Believe it or not, the average age of a Minecraft player is 24 |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/player-age |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018082457/https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/player-age |archive-date=2019-10-18 |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref> | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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Before Microsoft's acquisition of Mojang, the sole developer of Minecraft, Markus Persson, advocating for consumer ownership, promised [[Digital rights management|DRM]]-free, free optional software updates, and a free copy of the fully released version for every earlier buyer.<ref name=":22">,{{Cite web |date=2011-09-23 |title=Minecraft - About the game |url=http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923112156/http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |archive-date=2011-09-23 |website=www.minecraft.net}}</ref> | Before Microsoft's acquisition of Mojang, the sole developer of Minecraft, Markus Persson, advocating for consumer ownership, promised [[Digital rights management|DRM]]-free, free optional software updates, and a free copy of the fully released version for every earlier buyer.<ref name=":22">,{{Cite web |date=2011-09-23 |title=Minecraft - About the game |url=http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923112156/http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |archive-date=2011-09-23 |website=www.minecraft.net}}</ref> | ||
Post acquisition of Mojang, all the previous buyers of Minecraft who failed to stop accepting updates in time, had to choose between forfeiting ownership or losing the option to use the software offline.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Minecraft account migration |url=https://consumerrights.wiki/Minecraft_account_migration |url-status=live |access-date= |website=Consumer Rights Wiki}}</ref> Microsoft enacted several EULA changes which turned the game into a license with DRM that can be terminated by the company anytime.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Microsoft Services Agreement |url=https://www.microsoft.com/servicesagreement |url-status= |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=microsoft.com}}</ref> | Post acquisition of Mojang, all the previous buyers of Minecraft who failed to stop accepting updates in time, had to choose between forfeiting ownership or losing the option to use the software offline.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Minecraft account migration |url=https://consumerrights.wiki/Minecraft_account_migration |url-status=live |access-date= |website=Consumer Rights Wiki}}</ref> Microsoft enacted several EULA changes which turned the game into a license with DRM that can be terminated by the company anytime.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Microsoft Services Agreement |url=https://www.microsoft.com/servicesagreement |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930001856/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement |archive-date=2024-09-30 |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=microsoft.com}}</ref> | ||
===Minecraft enforcing undisclosed server EULA terms=== | ===Minecraft enforcing undisclosed server EULA terms=== | ||
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Minecraft began taking action against mod developers and servers in 2023 for using firearms, which was deemed 'adult' by their [[End-user license agreement|EULA]]. When asked for clarification of the changes made to their EULA, Mojang gave little response, and eventually pointed them to a new EULA which had been changed without either informing consumers about the change or asking for permission to change the contract. This information was available only internally, and was later revealed by whistleblowers, since the documents holding the internal changes to their EULA was held under NDA. | Minecraft began taking action against mod developers and servers in 2023 for using firearms, which was deemed 'adult' by their [[End-user license agreement|EULA]]. When asked for clarification of the changes made to their EULA, Mojang gave little response, and eventually pointed them to a new EULA which had been changed without either informing consumers about the change or asking for permission to change the contract. This information was available only internally, and was later revealed by whistleblowers, since the documents holding the internal changes to their EULA was held under NDA. | ||
In addition they selectively ignore their own EULA rules on "gambling" (loot boxes and literally gambling) servers, and even made contract with [[wikipedia:Nerf|Nerf]] to create Minecraft inspired weapons and in game items, while still refusing to allow weapon mods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderca |first=Cristina |date=2023-10-02 |title=NERF World brings blasters into Minecraft |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/nerf-world-brings-blasters-minecraft |access-date=2025-08-19 |work=Minecraft}}</ref> | In addition they selectively ignore their own EULA rules on "gambling" (loot boxes and literally gambling) servers, and even made contract with [[wikipedia:Nerf|Nerf]] to create Minecraft inspired weapons and in game items, while still refusing to allow weapon mods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderca |first=Cristina |date=2023-10-02 |title=NERF World brings blasters into Minecraft |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/nerf-world-brings-blasters-minecraft |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180846/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/nerf-world-brings-blasters-minecraft |archive-date=2023-10-02 |access-date=2025-08-19 |work=Minecraft}}</ref> | ||
===Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers=== | ===Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers=== | ||