Microsoft near deal to buy 'Minecraft' maker Mojang

Microsoft is in talks to acquire Swedish game company Mojang. If the $2 billion deal for the maker of "Minecraft" goes through, the company's customer base of more than 50 million would give Microsoft access to a young, hip demographic it has struggled to attract.

A person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal the deal could be signed as early as this week.

A sale would be a surprising turn for closely held Mojang, whose 35-year-old founder, Markus Persson, has shunned outside investment and is revered in the video game community for railing publicly against big firms, including Microsoft.

The popularity of "Minecraft" rests in large part on its open-ended possibilities, letting players build just about anything in a blocky, Lego-style world filled with dangers such as zombies and giant spiders. The game has struck a chord with children and hardcore gamers alike despite pixilated graphics that are a far cry from polished, action-based blockbusters like Microsoft's own "Halo" franchise.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal.