I'm no naif, but wtf with the negativity folks? When did we become so thin skinned that the success of someone whose game we like becomes the basis for questioning integrity, and the best we can do is offer grudging congratulations tinged with sour-grapes bitterness? Goddamn.
There was a guy, he made a game. It was simple, it was fun, and he put it out there for the world to play for a pittance. And lo! People came, and played and it was cool for many years. Later, he gets offered crazy-pants money by a corporation and thought that sounded like a pretty good deal.
Anyone who's an aspiring programmer ought to read this as straight up inspiration. Not because getting crazy-pants money is a reason to make games but because he completed a project, and people liked it, and he made a living doing what he enjoyed. What about this is not cool?
So bravo, Notch, Carl, Jakob, and anyone else I might be missing. I hope you continue to have good fortune and enjoy life. Make more neat stuff.
As for Microsoft - a corporation sees something innovative and successful and buys it. What about this is surprising? It's what they do. Yeah, they'll probably change things. And it's ok for them to do it, too, because they bought the thing. They're not a museum.
If you're really unhappy about this, go make stuff. Minecraft was made by a guy, not handed down from the gods. You can do better, the same way humanity has always done better, by standing on the shoulders of those who came before them.
The king is dead. Long live the king.
Go be that king.