We’ve only just begun our descent into another wild fall season of video games and chaos is ensuing on all fronts within the gaming world. The industry’s top players are already shaking things up with billion dollar power moves, Nintendo is banning Smash Bros. players, the madness continues. What are we going to do, guys?

Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. Things are actually quite swell in the gaming world, so let’s get into today’s happenings.

Microsoft makes it Facebook official with Minecraft studio Mojang.

The rumors of Microsoft acquiring Minecraft and its creator Mojang have been confirmed, and everyone’s wondering what’s next for the franchise with it at the mercy of team green. Microsoft already expressed interest in leveraging Minecraft’s user base to aid the Windows Phone platform, and the video above gives more insight to the plans Microsoft has for the Minecraft franchise.

As far as Markus “Notch” Persson, the mastermind behind Minecraft and founder of Mojang, is concerned, he’s trying to fly as far off the radar as possible for a man in his situation:

“I don’t see myself as a real game developer. I make games because it’s fun, and because I love games and I love to program, but I don’t make games with the intention of them becoming huge hits, and I don’t try to change the world. Minecraft certainly became a huge hit, and people are telling me it’s changed games. I never meant for it to do either. It’s certainly flattering, and to gradually get thrust into some kind of public spotlight is interesting.”

Well, congratulations to you, good sir! May your liberation from the public eye be as seamless as possible, and always remember that you have a gigantic pile of money that you can hide in whenever you feel like there are too many eyes beaming in your direction.

[HT: Xbox Wire]

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft hits 20 Million players worldwide.

There’s no slowing down for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft: the free-to-play Warcraft-inspired card game now boast a solid 20 million plus players globally, as announced this morning on the game’s official twitter page. No word on how lucrative the game is, but we do know we’ll be getting Android and iPhone versions of the game sometime later this year. When this does happen, kiss another 20 million people’s attention spans goodbye.

Japanese Super Smash Bros. players get the ban hammer, Nintendo apologizes.

If you weren’t playing Destiny this weekend, chances are you were instead playing the Super Smash Bros. demo on the 3DS. A slew of Japanese players who were in on the action and playing as Princess Peach got a special surprise when a small portion of those Peach players found a game-breaking exploit and began abusing it. After players found a way to use Peach’s turnip throw move in the “For Glory” mode, a mode that bans players from using items, Nintendo swung its mighty ban hammer, perhaps too carelessly, and banned every Peach player from over the weekend.

Yeesh, Nintendo! A little hard on the hammer, are we? The Big N has since went on to apologize, but the finger still has to be aimed at those damn glitchers. Come on guys, you have to stop. Always ruining things for everyone with your shenanigans.

[HT: Kotaku]

Alright folks, that’s your daily dose of gaming goodness. Make sure you stay tuned here on Nerdist for all of your breaking video game news, to talk about our beloved medium, or to just chat on Twitter. I’m only one tweet away: @Malik4play.