1. Minecrafted Success
By K. Greinert
1 What do zombies, pigs, diamonds, cakes, and buckets of lava all
have in common? Give up? The answer is Minecraft, one of the most
popular video games of the 21st
century. Millions enjoy the game on
computers, Xboxes, or handheld devices. The popularity of the game is
staggering, and it has sold almost 20 million copies as of February
2015 and continues to sell approximately 20,000 more a day.
2 But where and how did this successful sandbox platform start?
Grab your pickaxe, shovel, and armor, and let’s dig down to the
bedrock to find out.
Notch: the Man, the Myth
3 The man credited with the creation of
Minecraft is programmer Markus Persson,
better known to fans as Notch, his online
name. Markus was born in Sweden in 1979
and showed interest in programming from
the young age of seven. After he grew up,
he got a job working at a large video game company
called Midasplayer. However, this didn’t make him happy.
4 Markus “Notch” Persson wanted to be more than a cog in
someone else’s machine.
5 So, he quit the big company and decided to go “indie”. He would
be his own boss and make his own games. He worked during the day
and wrote his own video games at night.
courtesy of ZE

2. Created or Copied?
6 Did you know the idea for Minecraft was born from another
game? This game was called Infiniminer. This other game was created
by Zachary Barth. Unfortunately for Barth, hackers changed his
game’s code, so he made it free for anyone to change and play.
Although Persson admits he used Infiniminer to make Minecraft, Barth
isn’t resentful about it. Instead, Barth is happy that he had a part in
developing something so popular. He believes that good game makers
borrow and share creativity.
Stacks of Gold and Diamonds
7 Due to the success of Minecraft, Markus “Notch” Persson is now
worth 1.5 billion dollars. He sold his company, Mojang, to Microsoft in
September of 2014. Persson writes, “I love games and I love to
program, but I don’t make games with the intention of them becoming
huge hits.” He also writes, “I’ve become a symbol. I don’t want to be a
symbol, responsible for something huge that I don’t understand, that I
don’t want to work on.”
8 Markus Persson does not own Minecraft any longer, but he is
living the good life. In December of 2014, he purchased a house in
Infiniminer Minecraft

3. Beverly Hills worth 70 million dollars. This mansion includes a lift that
moves cars up and down from an underground storage area, a candy
room with a wall of M&M’s, a home theater with 18 seats, and an
infinity pool. It has eight bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms.
9 What does Markus Persson say about his new wealth? He thinks
the right thing to do with so much money is give a portion to his
family, spend some on his dreams, and give some to charities to help
others. He says, “For me, this includes charities that help children.”
The End(erman)
10 Minecraft’s success goes beyond the money it has earned its
creator. The game has become a part of modern culture for both
children and adults. Websites like Thinkgeek.com sell
huggable, plush creepers, battery operated torches, and
miniature portals to the Nether. YouTube furthers the
popularity with fan made videos and song parodies. Even
schools use Minecraft to teach math or history concepts.
11 The future of Minecraft looks strong, even with
Markus “Notch” Persson no longer at the helm. As long as
people continue to love to build and explore, people will
continue to love to Minecraft…and Endermen will
continue to move your stuff while you’re not looking.