The quintessential sandbox game, Minecraft, is already available on just about every platform under the sun, be it PC, smartphones, or any console branded with Xbox or PlayStation (and if it's not there yet, it will be soon enough). But there's one company console that's missing from the line up to offer the game that put Mojang on the map - the Wii U, and don't count on that changing anytime soon.
Earlier this month, it was rumored that Mojang, the company responsible for the console ports of Minecraft, was working on a version of the game for the Wii U. However, the game's creator, Markus "Notch" Persson tweeted over the weekend that he wasn't aware of any such plans, and later followed up with: "I agree a Wii U version would make sense, btw. The only reason for no current plans is we've got too much work already. I <3 Nintendo."
The "too much work" Notch is referencing are Scrolls and Minecraft Realms, both of which are still works in progress.
The initial source of the rumor was an unnamed retailer, which should've been the first cause for concern. Similarly, the source also claimed that Mojang had gotten a hold of Wii U dev kits so they could work on a port. It may sound nitpicky, but Mojang isn't responsible for console versions of Minecraft, so the developer would have no use for them. 4J is the company that's been responsible for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft, and will be behind the PS4 and Xbox One versions as well. It's possible that the retailer meant 4J, but we have to go with what was stated.
While no doubt unfortunate for Nintendo fans, Minecraft for the Wii U was a dubious proposition from the very beginning. The first indication was previous statements from Jens Bergensten, Minecraft's lead designer and developer. Back in March, Bergensten was asked about the future of the game once the exclusivity period with the Xbox 360 ran out. At the time, Bergensten said that developing a version of the game for PS3 was under consideration, but a version for the Wii U was "very unlikely."