Tech giants raise their game as they go on buying binge

The big players are starting to step out of their comfort zones, and Microsoft's purchase of Minecraft is the latest acquisition to raise some eyebrows.

High school students pose as Minecraft game characters at the fifth annual FIRST Robotics event in Washington DC. Picture: Marvin Joseph/Washington Post

Microsoft's €1.9 billion deal to purchase Minecraft last week is the latest in a string of outside-the-box acquisitions by tech giants. Following Google's purchase of home management hardware firm Nest last year and Facebook buying virtual gaming company Oculus VR, Microsoft has splashed out on a business not immediately associated with its core business.

''The acquisition raised some eyebrows but, from a strategic standpoint, I can see what Microsoft is trying to do. ...