The incredible tale of a little game that shook the international gaming world--now with new material including a behind-the-scenes look at the sale to Microsoft.
For this second edition, the story has been enriched with more Minecraft than ever--a new section describes Minecraft's sale to Microsoft, Notch's less than heartwarming last day in the office, and Mojang's final days of independence.
His whole life, all Markus Persson wanted to do was create his own games. Create his own games and get rich. Then in 2009 a strange little project of his quickly grew into a worldwide phenomenon and, in just a few short years, turned its maker into an international icon.
Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the Game that Changed Everything is a Cinderella story for the Internet age—improbable success, fast money, and the power of digital technology to shake up a rock-solid industry. It's a story about being lost and finding your way, of breaking the rules and swimming against the current. It's about how the indie gaming scene rattled the foundations of corporate empires. But, above all, this is the story of how a creative genius chased down a crazy dream: the evolution of a shy amateur programmer into a video game god.
LINUS LARSSON and DANIEL GOLDBERG are two of Sweden’s best-known writers on new technology and the internet. They have been published in the Washington Post and American Computer World, among other places, and quoted by BBC News, the New York Times, and the Sydney Morning Herald. Their first book, Swedish Hackers, was published in 2011 in Sweden. Minecraft, their bestselling English language debut, followed that same year.
"You may find this book as addictive as Minecraft."
—Slate"At the core of the story of Minecraft is the lesson that success is possible, if you have a good idea and the passion and skill to pursue it. Minecraft is indeed an unlikely tale. That’s what makes it so great, and that’s why this little book will make a terrific holiday gift for the gamer in your life.”
—Andrew Leonard, Salon"
Minecraft is a beautifully human story...it's well worth a read and offers, at the very least, inspiration, and at the very most, hope."
—TechCrunch"This book takes his story and gives you a closer look. You learn about the man behind the game. His childhood, his family, the growth of his company and the lives of the people who work there. It doesn’t just give you the big enormous, glamour-filled cut scenes that you read about on the Internet. This book gives you the pixels, the details."
—Book Riot"Suspenseful, grounded, and startlingly relatable. I expected a book about Minecraft; what I got was a compelling story about personal struggle and accomplishment. A perfect gift for Minecraft players, parents of younger players, or anyone interested in indie games."
—GameSkinny"Pulls itself along with the narrative compulsion of a tech biography...outlines a cultural phenomenon in ways that even those who've missed out up 'til now can understand."
—The Stranger"I have been following Minecraft closely for over three years, and yet this book consistently surprised me with new insights into the game's development. It focuses on the human story behind all those pixelated blocks. I have a new respect for Notch's accomplishments with Minecraft and for all the hard work that the Mojang'ers have devoted to making the game such a phenomenon. This book offers a fascinating and honest peek into the mind of the man who made Minecraft a reality."
—Joel Levin, co-creator, MinecraftEdu "This book explores the man behind the game to a depth that you won't, and that you can't, find anywhere else. In this work, Markus "Notch" Persson has revealed everything about the events that led to an international super-phenomenon. The resulting story will fascinate and inspire."
—Sethbling, Minecraft video maker
