Microsoft seems to have a love of investing huge amounts of money into dead companies and IPs (see also: Rare & the Gears of War franchise). Considering Microsoft outright refuses to invest money into developing their own studios, and instead just throws money at their problems, I'm quite content to see them become even more irrelevant by throwing even more money at a franchise doomed to die without its creator (Notch has been rumored as saying he's leaving the studio if Microsoft purchases them).
One of these days, Microsoft, you'll actually learn how to be a competent 1st party developer. Or you'll be forced to sell off the Xbox division. Whichever comes first.
What makes Rare a dead company and Gears of War a dead IP.
Anyway your wrong on both counts, first off my friend as for new studios
Team Dakota- founded in 2012
Kids and life style entertainment - founded in 2012
Soho productions- founded in 2010
Black Tusk Studios- founded 2012
Lift London - founded last year
(Fun)ction studios - founded this year
Sota Studios- founded this year
LXP Studios - founded this year
Platform next- founded this year
Np studios- founded this year
Twisted Pixel acquired in 2011
Press Play was acquired in 2012
Gears of War was acquired earlier this year, it made sense for both parties, the IP is still popular and has life in it, but Epic has gotten out of traditional game development.
Microsoft announced a mulit year partnership with undead labs over the state of decay IP which microsoft owns. The first one was the fastest selling xbox live arcade game of all time and was pretty rad.
If Microsoft wouldn't have stepped in to fund Titanfall EA was going to cancel the game since the project had went over bugdet according to the post mortem EA and Gametrailers did.
Microsoft was also ready to fund Ryse 2 after being happy with the sales of the first but neogations shut down when Crytek despite being on its deathbed didn't want to give up the IP in exchange for a way to pay its employees.
On may 31st Microsoft aquired the Rise of IP.
First party games on the xbox one that are new or revived IP
Killer Instinct
Zoo Tycoon
Project Spark
Sunset Overdrive
Phantom Dust
Quantum Break
Scalebound
Screamride
Crimson Dragon
Lococycle
Powerstar Gold
Xbox Fitness
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die
Ori and the Blind Forest
But yes no investments at all. Minecraft is a big get becuase no matter what a potential Minecraft 2 would sale gangbusters and probably put the xbox one into second place in console sales. Not only that but the licensing and merchandising revenue are unparalleled as well as getting the IP rights to interesting looks games like scrolls and cobalt.
Remember microsoft has over 90 billion in untaxed money sitting off shores that can be spent, and buying Mojang as cynical as it is gives them another off shore company to fill with cash.
http://www.ibtimes.com/microsoft-admits-keeping-92-billion-offshore-avoid-paying-29-billion-us-taxes-1665938