When Minecraft was first created, Markus “Notch” Persson, probably didn’t know what he was in for.
His game started off as a small project with a big concept and goal. Create a true sandbox game where you can do whatever you want, build whatever you want, and interact with the world however you want. (Plus, everything’s’ in blocks).
Then, once his game got past the testing phases, it was quickly consumed by a younger audience than he probably intended.
Now, when most people hear Minecraft they mostly think it’s a kid’s game (and they’re not exactly wrong).
So, what does it sound like when the creator of a hugely popular and successful kid’s game tells the world that if you don’t support Heterosexual Pride, “you’re a complete fucking cunt and deserve to be shot … by a photographer … with a gun.”
That’s right, Markus Persson tweeted that out to the world, and of course the world wasn’t happy.
That then followed, like most trending tweets, with a long thread of disputes and arguments. Several of which included Persson’s admitting that the original tweet was just a very bad joke.
The result eventually being Persson tweeting out that his original post was misguided.
But at the end of the day Persson said what he said. That may be forgiven by some, but that won’t be forgotten. And that’s even worse knowing that he has a platform that can easily reach children.
Persson has been known for having erratic behavior (and a love of the word "cunt").
Last month, he called fellow game developer Zoe Quinn a “fucking cunt when she openly stated she refused to forgive game developers who supported the abusive anti-LGBTQ gamer movement.
Then last year, he tweeted in protest of the term “mansplaining” by saying that women were “cuntfusing the issue” and “shaming” his gender.
Thankfully, Persson sold Minecraft to Microsoft back in 2014 for $2.5 billion, but that doesn’t stop him from having power with his words and outreach to younger gamers.
If only he’d use it wisely.
