The acquisition of Mojang and Minecraft by Microsoft for $2.5 billion continues to be a big deal, especially since creator Markus “Notch” Persson has left the studio for his own reasons. Facepunch Studios founder Garry Newman, who is responsible for creating Garry’s Mod and Rust, weighed in on the whole thing and revealed that given the chance, he would’ve done the same thing. And no, not just for the money.
“Once you start hiring people your whole attitude changes. You’re not just f**king about with your life anymore…you’re f**king about with other people’s lives – and the lives of their families. You can’t just sell out and f**k everyone over.
“Companies like Blitz that go bust, don’t pay people what they were owed, let 175 staff go, then started up under another name almost straight away. Those are the guys you don’t want to be. I am sure more than the top guys at Mojang became very financially rich due to this deal and that’s something that should be admired–not seen as a bad thing.
“Long story short. I’d have done the same thing. The money is enough to very much take care of all the staff. The game is in relatively safe hands. Mojang’s legacy is as a huge success story instead of a one-hit wonder. Everyone wins. Can you seriously say you’d have done it differently?”
As for whether Microsoft will ruin the franchise or not, Newman stated that, “I’m sure Microsoft didn’t just buy it because they’re struggling desperately to stay relevant and some of their kids play it a lot. But even if they did it really isn’t in their favor to pay a shitload of money for it and then completely f**k it up. That wouldn’t make any sense.”
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