“Minecraft” creator Mark “Notch” Persson explained his decision to sell Mojang to Microsoft in a $2.5 billion deal.
Persson shared a post on his official blog revealing he never wanted to change the way games were developed. The programmer claimed he didn't saw himself as a figurehead for a gaming studio and has always made games because he loves them.
“I don’t see myself as a real game developer,” Persson wrote. “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.”
Persson claimed the “Minecraft” development became too big for him to continue on. He felt obligated to keep Mojang out of loyalty for those who loved his game, but he no longer wanted to deal with the hate that came with his popularity.
“I’ve become a symbol,” Persson wrote. “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.”
Persson ended his post claiming he is aware selling Mojang goes against everything he’s stated in the past about big gaming publishers. Persson has been vocal about his hatred against companies like EA and Oculus VR sale to Facebook.
However, Persson claims his deal with Microsoft isn’t about the “money” and more about his own “sanity.” You can read Persson’s full statement on his blog here.
