November 25, 2013
Goldberg and Larsson chronicle the rise of Swedish video game developer Markus Persson from a shy kid glued to his legendary status as creator of the immensely popular Minecraft. They trace Persson's career from Midasplayer where he met Jakob Porser, to Jalbum where he worked under CEO Carl Manneh, and later as they join together to form the company Mojang. The authors note the efforts of by all three men to keep Mojang grounded through its success, trying to "become a big company without becoming a big company." Persson is particularly well-known for his attentiveness to player feedback from within the Minecraft community using group forums and Twitter as modes of communication, while subsequently redefining "the traditional concepts of producer and consumer." The authors shed light on Minecraft's allure discussing the game's aesthetics, tactics, and major characters. Images of players submitted creations help to illuminate the appeal and leads way to the discussion of Mincraft fan culture involvingYoutube stars, who upload videos of their Minecraft personas, most notably Lydia Winters, who Majong later hired as "the company's public face." Analysis also touches on the psychology of video gaming and the unique phenomenon and billion dollar industry of Scandinavian tech from Goliaths like DICE to No More Sweden expo, a contest for independent game developers. Finally, the authors discuss Persson's surprising decision to quit Majong and hint at his potential future plans. Persson's story is moving and should prove inspirational for any creative entrepreneurs hoping to do things their own way.