Minecraft creator publicly criticizes EA over indie game bundle

[Shawn Knight]

Well-known game developer Markus “Notch” Persson has caused quite a stir on Twitter today. The outspoken Minecraft creator tweeted his thoughts regarding Electronic Arts releasing an “indie bundle” of games on Steam, telling the company in no short order that they aren’t an indie developer and they should stop trying to ruin everything.

In follow-up tweets, Persson says that indies are saving gaming while EA is methodically destroying it and that he doesn’t even consider his own studio (Mojang) an indie anymore. He doesn't have a problem with the titles in the bundle, calling them good, he's simply questioning EA.

As news of his messages has spread, Persson has since tweeted that Twitter quotes are not news and that the platform shouldn’t be considered a news source. He seems to be a bit perturbed by all of the media attention, but when you are a public figure with nearly 680,000 followers, people listen to what you have to say.

CNET compares the gaming industry to that of the music industry where there are a handful of major labels and a multitude of independent firms. The publication says that most games created for mobile or console-based services like Xbox Live Arcade are considered independent while big name studios like Activision Blizzard, Take-Two and EA are typically classified as major publishers.

The indie bundle from EA contains six games: DeathSpank, DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, Gatling Gears, Shank, Shank 2 and Warp. The titles were developed by independent studios and are published by EA. The studio is offering a 70 percent off promotion through May 9 for anyone purchasing the bundle.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/48448-minecraft-creator-publicly-criticizes-ea-over-indie-game-bundle.html

 

[Mister_K]

Lawsuit incoming.

 

[ramonsterns]

Lawsuit incoming.

You can't sue someone's freedom of speech.

Also, he's right, as much as I hate his lazy ***.

 

[TomSEA]

Good for him - he's calling it like it is.

 

[Guest]

Are you joking, Lawsuit over something that has no grounds for a lawsuit is this the mentality of people today that we are lemmings and follow on the heels of corporations who just throw frivolous lawsuits around.

Like notch has said Tweeting articles shouldn't be news but I guess that is asking too much of some ppl, having an opinion is not slander or news it is what it is.. An opinion.

 

[captainawesome]

haha "lemmings"

 

[Tygerstrike]

Yup EA can piss and moan about it but there is nothing they can do. Its not liableus nor slanderus. Its one mans opinion on a social web service. Now if he had said something like that on CNN or any other news group they would have some grounds.
I do agree with him tho EA has become the giant evil hydra that they themselves were fighting against when they got started. I think EA has forgotten its own roots. The all mighty sway of cash has corupted them so completly that they can no longer function.

 

[Mister_K]

Why so serious, some people ...

 

[Guest]

Am I missing something here? Or is he really hating the indie bundle just because it's published by EA? I mean, I get that EA sucks for many other reasons, but hating everything that EA sells just by virtue of the fact that it's by EA is childish at best.

 

[tengeta]

i actually did laugh pretty hard when i opened steam and saw the words "EA and Indie" next to each other.

 

[Guest]

EA releases "indie" bundle. ON STEAM.

*Hulks out and overturns table*

 

[Night Hacker]

Having an opinion is fine, but sending your opinion out to 680,000 people, is publishing it and can be considered slander. How is it not public when he's posting it in what is a public forum?? It's no different than printing it on 680,000 leaflets and passing them out to people.

As for EA, I think it's good that they are providing a means for indie developers to sell their product. We need more big corporations to support indie developers like that. I don't see the problem. Koodo's to EA.

 

[Guest]

It's no different than printing it on 680,000 leaflets and passing them out to people.

Actually, I think it's more akin to leaving 680,000 leaflets on his kitchen table while various individuals saunter by and pick one up.

 

[ramonsterns]

Having an opinion is fine, but sending your opinion out to 680,000 people, is publishing it and can be considered slander. How is it not public when he's posting it in what is a public forum?? It's no different than printing it on 680,000 leaflets and passing them out to people.

As for EA, I think it's good that they are providing a means for indie developers to sell their product. We need more big corporations to support indie developers like that. I don't see the problem. Koodo's to EA.

I could probably tell you what's wrong with your entire comment, but I'd have an easier time telling you what's right.

Nothing.

 

[TekGun]

Having an opinion is fine, but sending your opinion out to 680,000 people, is publishing it and can be considered slander. How is it not public when he's posting it in what is a public forum?? It's no different than printing it on 680,000 leaflets and passing them out to people.

.

It's not slander if it's true, and EA are a bunch of cynical bastards. Anyway why are they selling this on Steam, what's wrong with Origin? oh wait...

 

[Darkshadoe]

Wow..its like Humble Bumble only both sides of the money distribution slider say "EA"

 

[Guest]

This guy has courage!

 

[Guest]

It is not slander it is not lawsuit material it is an opinion and since when is the land of the free with freedom of speech (being that twitter is located there in the USA and is a USA based co') I find it odd that pundits (critics*) wish to be cynical themself about such an opinion the irony is thick coming fromt hose who say such.

EA are a publisher they are not an indie co' this is what notch was getting at if you don't see that then re read his "opinion" again, they are essentially branding themself via games they sell made by indie developers which is what one could say borders on misleading. I find this also ironic don't you?

 

[Guest]

This is exactly what EA needs. More public attention to what they are actually doing... taking money and forgetting any level of "art" whatsoever.

 

[Guest]

The problem here is that EA is not an "indie" or independent studio, but a collosal powerhouse of AAA titles. Hence, in selling an Indie Bundle, they are essentially using the indie buzzword to sell games. It's dishonest, and says that they don't think people know what indie actually is.

 

[Guest]

Pathetic. It's like if McDonald's started to sell "organic" HappyMeals...

 

[PinothyJ]

Pathetic. It's like if McDonald's started to sell "organic" HappyMeals...

Pull your head out of your arse for a moment and face the facts. all of the games in the EA Indie Bundle are from INDEPENDENT developers who received NO funding from EA at all during the development process as they simply took the finished product and published it. I am curious: what is the definition for an Indie game? "[Game] created by individuals or small teams without video game publisher financial support" Oh gee, will you look at that!

Still not convinced? Than why has some of those games featured in Humble Bundle/Indie Gala/ Indie Royals (cannot remember which for which ones)? So it is okay for them to be Indie then (when they still had EA as a publisher) but now that EA wants to ensure that the world really knows about the games it is suddenly a crime against gaming?


Diaf...

 

[Night Hacker]

It is not slander it is not lawsuit material it is an opinion and since when is the land of the free with freedom of speech (being that twitter is located there in the USA and is a USA based co') I find it odd that pundits (critics*) wish to be cynical themself about such an opinion the irony is thick coming fromt hose who say such.

"You're right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose." Freedom of speech and other rights are not unlimited.

EA are a publisher they are not an indie co' this is what notch was getting at if you don't see that then re read his "opinion" again, they are essentially branding themself via games they sell made by indie developers which is what one could say borders on misleading. I find this also ironic don't you?

EA isn't hiding the fact that they're selling an indie bundle, there's nothing misleading at all there. They're a publisher after all, why can't they publish indie games? It gives indie developers a greater chance to sell their product.

If you don't like EA, don't buy from them, simple.