Microsoft Buys Minecraft for Education
Microsoft announced this morning its acquisition of MinecraftEdu, a version of the blockbuster game Minecraft that is built for the classroom, for an undisclosed sum. The plan is to deliver Minecraft: Education Edition this summer in partnership with educators. "The Minecraft: Education Edition experience is being shaped in the coming months by an advisory board of educators and a free trial will be available globally this summer, in time for the new school year," a Microsoft representative told me. "It will also be accompanied by a new community site , which will offer resources such as lesson plans and a new program called Minecraft Mentors that connects experienced Minecraft educators with those introducing the title to their classroom for the first time." Microsoft of course purchased Minecraft creator Mojang for an astonishing $2.5 billion in September 2014. But MinecraftEdu is a separate entity that was created by teachers for use in the classroom an...