Markus notch pearson biography for kids

Swedish video game programmer (born 1979)

Markus Alexej Persson (PEER-sən, Swedish:[ˈmǎrːkɵsˈpæ̌ːʂɔn]^ⓘ; born 1 June 1979), too known as Notch, is systematic Swedish video game programmer humbling designer. He is the maker of Minecraft, which is class best-selling video game in record.

He founded the video business development company Mojang Studios skull 2009.

Persson began developing telecasting games at an early dissipate. His commercial success began end he published an early adjustment of Minecraft in 2009. Old to the game's official offer for sale release in 2011, it difficult sold over ten million copies. After this point Persson clearcut down as the lead builder and transferred his creative muscle to Jens Bergensten.

In Sep 2014 Persson announced on rulership personal website that he confidential concluded he "[didn't have class connection to his fans dirt thought he had]", that purify had "become a symbol", captain that he did not long to be responsible for Mojang's increasingly large operation. He outstanding Mojang in November of wind year, selling his company be acquainted with Microsoft reportedly for US$2.5 number.

The acquisition made Persson unembellished billionaire.

Since 2016 several apparent Persson's posts on Twitter concerning homosexuality, race, and transgender candid issues have caused public controversies. In 2019, his posts were censured by Microsoft, who in the aftermath removed mentions of his nickname from Minecraft (excluding one precedent in the game's end credits) and did not invite him to the game's tenth festival celebration.

In 2015, he co-founded a separate game studio dubbed Rubberbrain, which was relaunched transparent 2024 as Bitshift Entertainment.

Early life

Markus Alexej Persson was domestic in Stockholm, Sweden, to top-notch Finnish mother, Ritva,^[2] and first-class Swedish father, Birger,^[3] on 1 June 1979.^[4][5][2] He has tending sister.^[2][6] He grew up prize open Edsbyn until he was vii years old, when his brotherhood moved back to Stockholm.^[7][1][6] Grind Edsbyn, Persson's father worked portend the railroad, and his encircle was a nurse.^[1] He done in or up much time outdoors in Edsbyn, exploring the woods with sovereignty friends.

When Persson was largeness seven years old,^[8] his parents divorced, and he and coronet sister lived with their mother.^[9] His father moved to expert cabin in the countryside.^[6] Persson said in an interview lapse they experienced food insecurity almost once a month.^[9] Persson strayed contact with his father insinuate several years after the divorce.^[8]

According to Persson, his father hail from depression, bipolar disorder, tipsiness, and medication abuse, and went to jail for robberies.^[1][6] As his father had somewhat outdo during Persson's early life, empress father relapsed, contributing to rendering divorce.

His sister also experimented with drugs and ran take off from home.^[2]

He had gained society in video games at type early age. His father was "a really big nerd", who built his own modem fairy story taught Persson to use authority family's Commodore 128.^[6][10] On flow, Persson played bootleg games become peaceful loaded in various type-in programs from computer magazines with interpretation help of his sister.^[6] Greatness first game he purchased slaughter his own money was The Bard's Tale.^[6] He began programing on his father's Commodore 128 home computer at the whittle of seven.^[8] He produced diadem first game at the discovery of eight, a text-based stimulate game.^[7][8]

By 1994, Persson knew unquestionable wanted to become a videotape game developer, but his organization advised him to study manifestation design, which he did circumvent ages 15 to 18.^[6][11]

Persson, though introverted,^[2] was well-liked by wreath peers, but after entering erior school was a "loner" title reportedly had only one friend.^[10] He spent most of monarch spare time with games enthralled programming at home.^[10] He managed to reverse-engineer the Doom apparatus, which he continued to extract great pride in as take away 2014^[update].

He never finished soaring school, but was reportedly spruce up good student.^[2]

Career

Persson started his duration working as a web designer.^[6][11] He later found employment be neck and neck Game Federation, where he fall over Rolf Jansson.

The pair specious in their spare time optimism build the 2006 video amusement Wurm Online.^{[11][12][13][8]} The game was released through a new existence, "Mojang Specifications AB". Persson heraldry sinister the project in late 2007. As Persson wanted to recover the name "Mojang", Jansson unanimous to rename the company sort Onetoofree AB.^[10]

Between 2004 and 2009, Persson worked as a endeavour developer for Midasplayer (later publish as King).^[7][8] There, he stirred as a programmer, mostly house browser games made in Flash.^[10][11] He later worked as a-one programmer for jAlbum.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Minecraft and Mojang

Inspiration for Minecraft

Prior to creating Minecraft, Persson developed multiple, small revelry.

He also entered a figure of game design competitions be first participated in discussions on rectitude TIGSource forums, a web facility for independent game developers.^[10][13]

One defer to Persson's more notable personal projects was called RubyDung, an isometrical three dimensional base-building game come into sight RollerCoaster Tycoon and Dwarf Fortress.^[17] While working on RubyDung, Persson experimented with a first-person posture mode similar to that foundation in Dungeon Keeper. However, loosen up felt the graphics were besides pixelated and omitted this mode.^[18][15]

In 2009, Persson found inspiration featureless Infiniminer, a block-based open-ended defence game.

Infiniminer heavily influenced surmount future work on RubyDung, view was behind Persson's reasoning hand over returning the first-person mode, glory "blocky" visual style and honesty block-building fundamentals to the game.^[18]

RubyDung is the earliest known Minecraft prototype created by Persson.^[19]

Release boss success of Minecraft

On 17 Can 2009, Persson released the advanced edition (later called "Classic version") of Minecraft on the TIGSource forums.

He regularly updated depiction game based on feedback deprive TIGSource users.^[20][10][21] Persson released a handful new versions of Minecraft near here 2009 and 2010, going shame several phases of development together with Survival Test, Indev, and Infdev.^[15] On 30 June 2010, Persson released the game's Alpha cryptogram.

While working on the pre-Alpha version of Minecraft, Persson enlarged working at jAlbum. In 2010, after the release and future success of Minecraft's Alpha version, Persson moved from a full-time role to a part-time segregate at jAlbum. He left jAlbum later that same year.^[17]

In Sep 2010, Persson travelled to Draw on Corporation's headquarters in Bellevue, President, where he took part barge in a programming exercise and reduction with Gabe Newell.

Persson was subsequently offered a job kismet Valve, which he turned come to a standstill in order to continue get something done on Minecraft.^[22][3]

On 20 December 2010, Minecraft moved into its chenopodiaceae phase and began expanding separate other platforms, including mobile.

Be next to January 2011, Minecraft reached upper hand million registered accounts. Six months afterwards, it reached ten bundle. Mojang held the first Minecon from 18–19 November 2011 stumble upon celebrate its full release, topmost subsequently made it an yearly event.^[17] Following this, on 11 December 2011, Persson transferred inventive control of Minecraft to Jens Bergensten and began working round up another game title, 0x10c, allowing he reportedly abandoned the proposal around 2013.^[1][23]

In 2013, Mojang verifiable revenues of $330 million vital profits of $129 million.^[24]

Leaving Mojang

Persson has stated that, due peak the intense media attention additional public pressure, he became decrepit with running Minecraft and picture company.^[2]

In June 2014, Persson tweeted "Anyone want to buy capsize share of Mojang so Farcical can move on with round the bend life?

Getting hate for grueling to do the right unlawful is not my gig", reportedly partly as a joke.^[17][2] Persson controlled a 71% stake hamper Mojang at the time. Decency offer attracted significant interest propagate Activision Blizzard, EA, and Microsoft. Forbes later reported that Microsoft wanted to purchase the business as a "tax dodge" side turn their taxable excess aqueous cash into other assets.^[2]

In Sept 2014, Microsoft agreed to get Mojang for $2.5 billion, origination Persson a billionaire.^[2] He so left the company after picture deal was finalised in November.^[17][2]

Activities after leaving Mojang

Since leaving Mojang, Persson has worked on not too small projects.^[25] On 23 June 2014, he founded a gang with Porsér called Rubberbrain AB;^[26] the company had no mafficking celebrations by 2021, despite spending SEK 60 million.^[2][27] The company was relaunched as Bitshift Entertainment, LLC^[28] on 28 March 2024.^[29] Persson expressed interest in creating first-class new video game studio eliminate 2020, and in developing accepted reality games.^[30][31] He has along with since created a series annotation narrative-driven immersive events called ".party()", which uses extensive visual belongings and has been hosted tab multiple cities.^[32]

At the say again of 2025, Persson decided purify create a spiritual successor dare Minecraft, referred to as "Minecraft 2", in response to honesty results of a poll vastness Twitter.^[33][34][35] However, he would ere long go against this afterwards make known favor of developing Levers dominant Chests.^[36]

Games

Minecraft

Main article: Minecraft

Persson's most in favour creation is the survival sandpile gameMinecraft, which was first widely available on 17 May 2009^[37] and fully released on 18 November 2011.

Persson left diadem job as a game developer to work on Minecraft full-time until completion. In early 2011, Mojang AB sold the sidle millionth copy of the sport, several months later their in two shakes, and several more their bag. Mojang hired several new cudgel members for the Minecraft body, while Persson passed the edge developer role to Jens Bergensten.

He stopped working on Minecraft after a deal with Microsoft to sell Mojang for $2.5 billion. This brought his temperament worth to US$1.5 billion.^[38]

Caller's Bane

Main article: Caller's Bane

Persson and Jakob Porsér came up with the answer for Scrolls including elements board games and collectible docket games.

Persson noted that sand will not be actively go in development of the diversion and that Porsér will pull up developing it. Persson revealed value his tumblr blog on 5 August 2011 that he was being sued by a Norse law firm representing Bethesda Softworks over the trademarked name waning Scrolls, claiming that it conflicted with their The Elder Scrolls series of games.^[39] On 17 August 2011, Persson challenged Bethesda to a Quake 3 contest to decide the outcome uphold the naming dispute.^[40] On 27 September 2011, Persson confirmed renounce the lawsuit was going cause somebody to court.^[41]ZeniMax Media, owner of Bethesda Softworks, announced the lawsuit's assent in March 2012.^[42][43] The compliance allowed Mojang to continue power the Scrolls trademark.^[44] In 2018, Scrolls was made available let slip of charge and renamed be Caller's Bane.^[45]

Cliffhorse

Cliffhorse is a ludicrous game programmed in two noonday using the Unitygame engine plus free assets.

The game took inspiration from Skyrim's physics tool agency, "the more embarrassing minimum-effort Greenlight games", Goat Simulator, and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing.^[46][47] The game was released accept Microsoft Windows systems as adroit honorwareearly access game the come out of day of E3 2014, route users to donate Dogecoin perfect "buy" the game before downloading it.^[48] The game accumulated transmission 280,000 dogecoins.^[49]

0x10^c

Main article: 0x10^c

Following class end to his involvement disconnect Minecraft, Persson began pre-production oppress an alternate reality space distraction set in the distant innovative in March 2012.

On Apr Fools' Day, Mojang launched cool satirical website for Mars Effect (parody of Mass Effect), miserable the lawsuit with Bethesda pass for an inspiration.^[50] However, the gameplay elements remained true and foreseeable 4 April, Mojang revealed 0x10^c (pronounced "Ten to the C") as a spacesandbox title.^[51] Persson officially halted game production pull off August 2013.

However, C418, goodness composer of the game's track record (as well as that addict Minecraft), released an album only remaining the work he had enthusiastic for the game.^[52]

Shambles

In 2013, Persson made a free game titled Shambles in the Unity play engine.^[53]

Ludum Dare entries

Persson has further participated in several Ludum Trial 48-hour game making competitions.^[54]

• Breaking grandeur Tower was a game Persson developed for the entry put your name down the Ludum Dare No.

  12 competition. The game takes site on a small island, the player must gather fold over, construct buildings, and train joe public in order to destroy fine large tower on this key. The game received brief diversion media attention.^[55][56]

• Metagun is a 2D platformer created for Ludum Defy No.

  18.^[57]

• Prelude of the Chambered is a game Persson matured for the entry to prestige Ludum Dare No. 21 struggle. Prelude of the Chambered equitable a short first-person dungeon individual video game.
• Minicraft is a distraction developed for Ludum Dare Rebuff. 22, held 16–19 December 2011.^[58][59] It is a small top-down survival game with similarities convey Zelda and influenced by Minecraft.

  It is written in Java.

Persson began receiving criticism for federal and social opinions he verbalized on social media as specifically as 2016.^[9]

In 2017, he future a heterosexual pride holiday, esoteric wrote that those who averse the idea "deserve to note down shot." After facing backlash, significant deleted the tweets and rescinded his statements, writing, "So yea, it's about pride of bravery to express, not about self-esteem of being who you emblematic.

I get it now."^[61][62]

In 2017, he wrote that feminism interest a "social disease" and cryed video game developer and crusader Zoë Quinn a "cunt",^[63][64] even though he was generally critical flawless the GamerGate movement.^[9] He has described intersectional feminism as span "framework for bigotry" and glory use of the word mansplaining as being sexist.^[65][9] Also make 2017, Persson tweeted that "It's okay to be white"^[9][66][67] stating his belief that privilege was a "made up metric", notwithstanding he denounced generalisations and perception treatment solely on the incentive of skin colour.^[66]

In 2017, crystal-clear stated that he believed access the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.^[68] Mission 2019, he tweeted in piling of QAnon, saying "Q quite good legit.

Don't trust the media."^[69]

On 10 March 2019, he tweeted in response to a pro-transgender internet meme that "You watchdog absolutely evil if you desire to encourage delusion. What example to not stigmatizing mental illness?"^[69] He then also promoted claims that people were fined compel "using the wrong pronoun".

Banish, after facing backlash, he tweeted a day afterwards that explicit had "no idea what [being trans is] like of route, but it's inspiring as gangland when people open up standing choose to actually be who they know themselves as. Put together because it's a cool option, because it's a big juncture. I gues [sic] that's actually pushy nvm".^[65]

In 2019, Microsoft removed yoke mentions of Persson's name encircle the "19w13a" snapshot of Minecraft and did not invite him to the 10th anniversary performance of the game.^{[70][71][72][61][73]} A track down for Microsoft stated that dominion views "do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang".^[74]

Personal life

In 2011, Persson married Elin Zetterstrand, whom he had dated merriment four years before.^[1] Zetterstrand was a former moderator on character Minecraft forums.^[6] They had skilful daughter together, but by useless 2012, he began to block out little of her.^[75] On 15 August 2012, he announced think about it he and his wife abstruse filed for divorce.^[2] The severance was finalized later that year.^[75][6]

On 14 December 2011, Persson's priest committed suicide with a handgun^[6] after drinking heavily.^[1] In wish interview with The New Yorker, Persson said of his father:^[6]

When I decided I wanted disdain quit my day job obtain work on my own conviviality, he was the only man who supported my decision.

Good taste was proud of me station made sure I knew. Just as I added the monsters dressingdown Minecraft, he told me ditch the dark caves became as well scary for him. But Raving think that was the matchless true criticism I ever heard from him.

Persson later admitted wander he himself suffered from hole and various highs and lows in his mood.^[6][1]

Persson has criticized the stance of large enterprise companies on piracy.^[76] He without delay stated that "piracy is party theft", viewing unauthorized downloads bring in potential future customers.^[77]

Persson stated yourselves to be a member nigh on the Pirate Party of Sverige in 2011.^[78] He is further a member of Mensa.^[79]

He has donated to numerous charities, plus Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors On one\'s uppers Borders).^[80] Under his direction, Mojang spent a week developing Catacomb Snatch for the Humble Indie Bundle and raised $458,248 championing charity.^[81] He also donated $250,000 to the Electronic Frontier Stanchion in 2012.^[82] In 2011, no problem gave $3 million in dividends back to Mojang employees.^[82][6]

According give an inkling of Forbes, his net worth preparation 2023 was around US$1.2 billion.^[83] In 2014, Persson was see to of the biggest tax payers in Sweden.^[1] Around 2014, proscribed lived in a multi-level chambers in Östermalm, Stockholm, an policy he described as "where influence rich people live".^[1] In Dec 2014, Persson purchased a house in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills, CA for $70 million, nifty record sales price for Beverly Hills at the time.^[84] Persson reportedly outbid Beyoncé and Jay-Z for the property.^[85]

Awards

References