Minecraft creator on Microsoft deal: 'It's about my sanity' Just after Microsoft announced it would buy Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5bn, (PS1.5bn), Markus Persson, the Swedish developer behind Markus Persson - also known as Notch posted his personal statement about the acquisition. We have reproduced it in full below: I'm leaving Mojang I don't consider myself to be a game developer. I create games to have enjoyment and because I enjoy programming. But I don't want to create huge hits. I also don't want to make a mark on the world. Minecraft was a huge success. People claim that it has changed their lives. It wasn't an accidental. It's certainly flattering, and to gradually get thrust into some kind of public spotlight is fascinating. It was quite a while back that I decided to stop Minecraft development. Jens was the perfect person to lead the project, and I wanted new ideas. While I tried to grow it initially I failed. However, since I chose to stick to small prototypes, intriguing challengeshave come up, and I've enjoyed so much doing my work. I wasn't exactly sure how I would fit in Mojang where people did actual work, but because people said I was important to the culture, I stayed. I was home with a cold a couple of weeks ago when the internet went wild with rage against me due to some kind of EULA situation which I had nothing to have anything to do with. I was confused. I didn't understand. Minecraft I tweeted this in frustration. Then, I went through the This is Phil Fish YouTube video and realized that I didn't feel as connected I thought I did to my fans. I have become a symbol. I do not want to be a symbol with a responsibility for something massive that I don't understand and do not want to tackle, that constantly comes back to me. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a chief executive officer. I'm a geeky computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter. When the deal is concluded, I will leave Mojang and return to Ludum Dares and other small web-based experiments. If I make a mistake and it gains traction, I'll probably drop it right away. In light of the fact that my public image already is a bit skewed I don't think I'll avoid negative feedback through this, but at least now I don't feel the need to read them. I'm aware of this going against the majority of what I've spoken about in public. I don't have a good answer to this. I'm also aware a lot of you used me as a symbol of the struggle you felt. I'm not. I'm a human being and I'm struggling with you. You are my best friend. Everyone of you. Thank you for making Minecraft into what it is today, but there are too many of you, and I can't be responsible for something this big. In one sense, it belongs to Microsoft currently. In a more broad sense, it's been a part of everyone for a long time, and that won't change. It's not about the money. It's about my mental health.
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