Notch to leave Mojang to work on smaller projects

Posted on Friday, September 19 2014 @ 13:13 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Microsoft logo
Following Microsoft's $2.5 billion acquisition of Mojang, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson announced he will be leaving Mojang to work on smaller projects. Notch isn't the only one leaving Mojang, the company's other two co-founders, Carl Manneh and Jakob Porser, announced they will be pursuing other interests as well.

Notch announced that it was never his goal to create something as big as Minecraft, he thanks all fans and explains he no longer wants to be responsible for huge projects that he doesn't understand and that keep coming back to him.
Notch explains that part of the reasons for his decision to leave was the backlash over clarifications in Minecraft’s EULA statement, which prevented server owners charging for various in-game services, and a fear that his career trajectory would take him to the same places that Fez developer Phil Fish ended up in.

’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,’ said Notch on his blog. ‘I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.’

After the deal closes, Notch wants to go back to smaller Ludum Dare prototypes and small scale projects, going as far to say that if he ever starts accidentally creating something that gets as much traction as Minecraft, he would most likely abandon it straight away.
Source: Bit Tech


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



Loading Comments