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I'm Leaving Mojang

notch.net

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Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#361

Post by deciplex »

krelian wrote: post #29

This whole Minecraft thing has been very interesting to follow. I tried the game a few times and it's not really for me but everything around Notch's story is interesting (I bet their going to make a movie about this at some point). Not everyone can be an entrepreneur and I feel that in this case (on a different scale of course), we basically watched a plausible version of how Apple could have gotten started if there…

Woz doesn't stir up drama on Twitter every time someone in his industry does something he doesn't like. Notch sorta does (cf. "I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.").

(For the record, I think most of his opinions are great opinions.)

I'm open to the idea that people can change their minds, or that the circumstances might be different, or that he felt he couldn't do the job anymore, or didn't fit in, or whatever else. But the fact remains that this sale runs in direct opposition to basically everything he's ever said in public. Now, maybe he doesn't want to live a life where what he says "in public" has some kind of significance apart from what he just says in general. That seems to be the case - it's his prerogative and if he thinks that's what best for him I'm sure he's right. But people are still going to call him a hypocrite, and that's the price he's going to have to pay.

And that's the part that makes me a little sad. I like Minecraft, but not so much that I'm going to be heartbroken when Microsoft inevitably ruins it. But I did find myself in agreement with Notch on a lot of things, and I was glad that he was able to do what he did and be outspoken about things he thought were important, etc etc. And with this sale, we also lose that. Oh well.

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#362

Post by ryan-allen »

I say good luck to him I say. Everyone has the right to make their own choices, and I hope he has a good time post-mojang.

A lot of people have thoroughly enjoyed Minecraft, it's a true phenomenon. Hopefully Microsoft do a good job keeping it going (and more importantly, improving it, of which I suspect they'll do a pretty ace job).

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#363

Post by CatMtKing »

jere wrote: post #5

>As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing Ludum Dares and small web experiments. It has always amazed me how down to earth Notch is. Now, he's going to be a billionaire doing little game jams. It's hard to believe and quite awesome. It's like Bruce Wayne deciding to spend the rest of his life playing with legos.

I think that's exactly why he's not going to get what he wants. He's not going to have a normal life with the comforting blanket of anonymity again.

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#364

Post by CatMtKing »

mikeash wrote: post #327
reledi wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly makes you think he's not talented? Because I on the other hand think he's extremely talented. That's the opinion I have based on occasionally watching his streams and reading his writings, not even considering the huge success that Minecraft is.

The fact that he hasn't followed up Minecraft with anything noteworthy despite having plenty of time and way more than enough money, and apparently wanting to build something new and successful with 0x10c.

Is the definition of talent that one does something noteworthy on a regular basis?

I think that Phil Fish video that he linked really hit the nail on the head.

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#365

Post by voltagex_ »

iamleppert wrote: post #9

He should donate some of that money to some good causes if he's really a simple man like he says he is. Of course he doesn't have to do anything, and fully deserves to take the money and run, and build some giant evil castle or something.

I see this all the time on HN, I'm probably guilty of saying it myself sometimes too. Why should he donate $X?

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#366

Post by Udo »

shurcooL wrote: post #165
willvarfar wrote: post #102

For the interested, Notch didn't enter the current Ludum Dare but thousands of mortal coders did, and they'd love you to go play their games! http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/

If only there was an OnLive-like roulette-like way going from one game to another without download and install times, that'd be neat.

If you participated, the rating UI kind of works like that. You can just stick to browser-based games (which is more than 50% of all entries).

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#367

Post by gbog »

xiaoma wrote: post #271
jrochkind1 wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, it being a big hit is what gives him enough money that he now can live comfortably while working on whatever the hell he wants without worrying about making money. I'm not critisizing him, I'm glad he has that opportunity, and I'm glad he's recognized what opportunity he wants (which is apparently NOT the opportunity to try and make even more money). But it's a bit more complicated than "success is shit",…

He's Swedish. He didn't need to strike it rich to escape worries about a roof over his head and health care.

Yes. Other commentators here assume he was starving and is now rich, which should be an improvement. But maybe he was not starving, maybe he already had a roof and some food, either from some previous work, or from goverment, or from his family.

Maybe, probably, he was already able to hack things he liked without worrying too much about survival: he actually did I guess, when he started Minecraft.

The problem is that he got an offer he could not refuse (as in The Godfather)...

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#368

Post by rkda »

dasil003 wrote: post #331
clarkevans wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps it's that Notch invited the entitlement with an explicit promise ? http://web.archive.org/web/20100301103851/http://www.minecra... Included there is a dedication to (eventually) make the work open-source or public domain, and to contribute to it so long as people are paying. Those promises drove MindCraft praise, good will, and adoption. Do you think asking someone to keep these promises, the ones that drove…

Yes, yes I do. The fact that you see his future plans as some kind of ironclad contract is precisely the problem. Minecraft did not explode because of these promises, it succeeded because of the reality on the ground as a fun game. Notch gave the world a fun game, you gave him a small purchase price in order to enjoy it, end of transaction. The fact that he published thoughts and future plans does indenture him as yo…

Or as Neil Gaiman would have said it:

Notch isn't your bitch.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.htm...

Re: I'm Leaving Mojang

#369

Post by mosheroperandi »

petercooper wrote: post #22

I think there are some interesting parallels with J K Rowling. If he releases anything now, it's big news (even Cliffhorse ). He might have to start "writing" under a pseudonym just to get any sense of doing something fresh without intense public scrutiny.

Technically, Markus "Notch" Persson would need to write under a new pseudonym
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