• Mojang on Microsoft buyout: “Yes, the deal is real.” Notch and other founders to leave
    23 replies, posted
[url]http://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/mojang-microsoft-buyout-yes-deal-real-notch-and-other-founders-leave[/url]
Notch's own blog (which is being hammered right now so I grabbed this from pastebin): [quote]I'm leaving Mojang 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. A relatively long time ago, I decided to step down from Minecraft development. Jens was the perfect person to take over leading it, and I wanted to try to do new things. At first, I failed by trying to make something big again, but since I decided to just stick to small prototypes and interesting challenges, I’ve had so much fun with work. I wasn’t exactly sure how I fit into Mojang where people did actual work, but since people said I was important for the culture, I stayed. I was at home with a bad cold a couple of weeks ago when the internet exploded with hate against me over some kind of EULA situation that I had nothing to do with. I was confused. I didn’t understand. I tweeted this in frustration. Later on, I watched the This is Phil Fish video on YouTube and started to realize I didn’t have the connection to my fans I thought I had. I’ve become a symbol. I don’t want to be a symbol, responsible for something huge that I don’t understand, that I don’t want to work on, that keeps coming back to me. I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter. As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing Ludum Dares and small web experiments. If I ever accidentally make something that seems to gain traction, I’ll probably abandon it immediately. Considering the public image of me already is a bit skewed, I don’t expect to get away from negative comments by doing this, but at least now I won’t feel a responsibility to read them. I’m aware this goes against a lot of what I’ve said in public. I have no good response to that. I’m also aware a lot of you were using me as a symbol of some perceived struggle. I’m not. I’m a person, and I’m right there struggling with you. I love you. All of you. Thank you for turning Minecraft into what it has become, but there are too many of you, and I can’t be responsible for something this big. In one sense, it belongs to Microsoft now. In a much bigger sense, it’s belonged to all of you for a long time, and that will never change. It’s not about the money. It’s about my sanity.[/quote]
Ads in the launcher, I'm calling it
Jens will remain MC's lead developer: [url]https://twitter.com/jeb_/status/511513294612738048[/url] For Minecraft itself not a lot might change. But I worry about MS' plans for the future.
Kinda figured this would go through. I'm not really disappointed so much, but I am definitely wary. I'm still worried about them pushing updates back for any platforms they don't own to give themselves some exclusivity, but if they keep the game the same as it is - just with a bigger company backing it and offering more help when they need it - then I'm okay with this. Hopefully they'll get some extra coders to help them iron out code reworks to make the mod API easier to get running.
[QUOTE=Clavus;45985482]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 I don’t want to be a symbol, responsible for something huge that I don’t understand, that I don’t want to work on, that keeps coming back to me. I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter. [/quote] Should have stayed developing Wurm Online then.
[QUOTE=Clavus;45985482]Notch's own blog (which is being hammered right now so I grabbed this from pastebin):[/QUOTE] [quote] 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. [/quote] This bit sounds pretty insulting to game developers.
[QUOTE=Novangel;45985577]This bit sounds pretty insulting to game developers.[/QUOTE] Only if you continuously assume the worst of people. Which I really wish everyone would stop doing. It has led to so many pointless arguments.
I remember the old Minecraft IRC chat. Notch would regularly come and simply talk with the few fans of the game at the time, back in 2009 or early 2010, I don't remember. It wasn't much different from talking with developers of your favorite game's mod or such. He would release almost daily updates to Minecraft back then, but he slowed down almost to halt a few months before the game exploded. Everyone could tell he was burnt out and just wanted move on. That made it difficult to me to watch the internet go haywire over how Notch is a lazy fuck and a crybaby and shit. Must have been a bag of mixed feelings, on one hand you are one of the heroes of the present day, and a rich one at that, on the other you don't know how and don't want to have anything to do with it, and masses of random strangers are calling you out for it and yelling at you for every misstep you make. Not something for an average Joe like Notch.
Notch is [IMG]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/winner.png[/IMG]
[quote="Notch"]I don’t see myself as a real game developer.[/quote] That was pretty obvious years ago.
I'd sell out for that amount as well. Of course, I am someone who would not mind not working at all. Remember playing the alpha though, it was pretty fun at the time.
[QUOTE=Drury;45985664] That made it difficult to me to watch the internet go haywire over how Notch is a lazy fuck and a crybaby and shit. Must have been a bag of mixed feelings, on one hand you are one of the heroes of the present day, and a rich one at that, on the other you don't know how and don't want to have anything to do with it, and masses of random strangers [B]are calling you out for it and yelling at you for every misstep you make. Not something for an average Joe like Notch[/B].[/QUOTE] Boo fucking hoo. When you design a game, Your expected to take some flak no matter who you are. Nobody is special and that includes Notch.
[QUOTE=Novangel;45985577]This bit sounds pretty insulting to game developers.[/QUOTE] The implication that you have to make games with the intention of them being huge hits or changing the world is pretty bogus.
You know that having his every word analyzed for "hidden implications" is exactly the kind of dumb shit he's trying to avoid. Maybe he just wrote his actual opinion and desires and not some backhanded insult to all other game developers. Jesus christ.
R.I.P minecraft. It came so far.
[QUOTE=Galen;45986185]R.I.P minecraft. It came so far.[/QUOTE] But in the end, it never mattered.
[QUOTE=timothy80;45986107]Boo fucking hoo. When you design a game, Your expected to take some flak no matter who you are. Nobody is special and that includes Notch.[/QUOTE] Flak comes because folks like you exist who have the empathic ability of a barnacle. Don't treat it like it's supposed to be standard.
[quote]I watched the This is Phil Fish video on YouTube and started to realize I didn’t have the connection to my fans I thought I had.[/quote] uhhhhhh...
If it wasn't about money and becoming big why did Mojang not stay truly independent and instead went for shareholders?
From a post on Reddit, not sure how true it is but: "Markus “Notch” Persson owned 71% and walks away with $1,775,000,000 Porsér owns 21% and walks with $525,000,000 and CEO Manneh controls 8% and that poor bastard only walks with $200,000,000" $1.775B for a little blocky java game holy shit that's amazing
[QUOTE=Dr.C;45986299]uhhhhhh...[/QUOTE] Have you watched the video? It's quite interesting and not at all about Phil Fish.
[QUOTE=Zege;45986394]From a post on Reddit, not sure how true it is but: "Markus “Notch” Persson owned 71% and walks away with $1,775,000,000 Porsér owns 21% and walks with $525,000,000 and CEO Manneh controls 8% and that poor bastard only walks with $200,000,000" $1.775B for a little blocky java game holy shit that's amazing[/QUOTE] Don't forget taxes. Notch is amongst Sweden's biggest tax payers, for a large part because he doesn't use any loopholes to avoid taxes.
Notch is one hell of a lucky guy.
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