In Stockholm on Monday, seven in the evening. Markus Persson is sitting on the balcony of his office, sipping vodka Red Bull c - cocktail, which quickly brings down a man down. Three hours ago, he swore that he would not drink today, because as recently as Thursday, he poured a 12 servings of alcohol, trying to cope with the infection in the ear. Nevertheless, he generously pours a glass of vodka Belvedere, and we see how the people who work in high-rise office centers in the neighborhood, tirelessly knocking on your keyboard.
"He looks worried," - says Persson, pointing to a man in the building opposite, which is the third person helplessly staring at a computer screen. Persson oversees the office worker for a few seconds, then he is bored and switched his attention to us. In the past five years, most of the time the 35-year-old Swede had as a man in the window opposite: he was in constant tension because of his creation, Minecraft - the best-selling game in the history of computer games. However, the word "game" is not enough to describe the essence of this phenomenon. Minecraft, the number of downloads that exceeded 100 million and continues to grow, has become a platform for self-expression of people. Players start in an empty virtual space that can be used bricks and blocks, reminiscent of the designer Lego (which can "produce» - mine), to create anything with one important condition: the other players will also be able to interact with the objects they created. Most of the players - the children who build a simple house or the village, and then arrange them in a party or hidden from robbers zombie.
The word «Minecraft» in Google gaining more often than "Bible", "Harry Potter" and "Justin Bieber".
And this game has brought since the creation of more than $ 700 million in revenue, most of which - net profit.
"It can not be compared with other popular games - said Ian Bogost, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studies video games. - It is on a par with popular events on a larger scale. Minecraft - Lego is in fact the present generation. "
In this virtual world Persson, or rather his online character loudmouthed crank Notch with a hat on his head, has become for millions of gamers godlike figure in establishing and explaining the rules of the game with an authoritative Zeus. In life Persson least similar to the self-confident extrovert. In person, he is polite, honest and hidden (c press it is rare). The expectations and demands of fans of the game who are waiting for Notch that it will develop a virtual world, turned it into a shy eccentric.
So three months ago Persson shoved with all this, the company completed the sale of Minecraft Microsoft for $ 2.5 billion in cash. 71% of the shares in the company behind Minecraft Mojang turned it into a new and very bright member of the World list of billionaires Forbes. And now the man who is left to live for more than half of life, the creator of the whole universe, which became a symbol of his own character, a man, who struck furious anger community, when he decided to leave it, to figure out who he really was.
The results so far are not impressive: his actions resemble hunting dogs at the passing cars. Deciding to buy a house in Beverly Hills, Persson shelled out $ 70 million for the mansion area of over 2,000 square meters. m - the most expensive house in the elite residential area in its history.
He is known as a man who squander more than $ 180,000 at a time in nightclubs in Las Vegas.
Together with Jacob Porserom, another founder of Mojang, he founded a new company Rubberbrain in case they come up with some new game, but can not focus on anything else.
The word «Minecraft» in Google gaining more often than "Bible", "Harry Potter" and "Justin Bieber".
And this game has brought since the creation of more than $ 700 million in revenue, most of which - net profit.
"It can not be compared with other popular games - said Ian Bogost, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studies video games. - It is on a par with popular events on a larger scale. Minecraft - Lego is in fact the present generation. "
In this virtual world Persson, or rather his online character loudmouthed crank Notch with a hat on his head, has become for millions of gamers godlike figure in establishing and explaining the rules of the game with an authoritative Zeus. In life Persson least similar to the self-confident extrovert. In person, he is polite, honest and hidden (c press it is rare). The expectations and demands of fans of the game who are waiting for Notch that it will develop a virtual world, turned it into a shy eccentric.
So three months ago Persson shoved with all this, the company completed the sale of Minecraft Microsoft for $ 2.5 billion in cash. 71% of the shares in the company behind Minecraft Mojang turned it into a new and very bright member of the World list of billionaires Forbes. And now the man who is left to live for more than half of life, the creator of the whole universe, which became a symbol of his own character, a man, who struck furious anger community, when he decided to leave it, to figure out who he really was.
The results so far are not impressive: his actions resemble hunting dogs at the passing cars. Deciding to buy a house in Beverly Hills, Persson shelled out $ 70 million for the mansion area of over 2,000 square meters. m - the most expensive house in the elite residential area in its history.
He is known as a man who squander more than $ 180,000 at a time in nightclubs in Las Vegas.
Together with Jacob Porserom, another founder of Mojang, he founded a new company Rubberbrain in case they come up with some new game, but can not focus on anything else.
Avatar Persson
Minecraft was not the first game in the genre of creative "sandbox" and not for the first time forced the players to collect resources in the virtual world to survive in a hostile environment. (At nightfall, in a virtual world players can attack creatures suddenly appear, called "Creeper.") But for the start of the game was chosen the perfect moment: it came at a time when a new generation of children who are too young for Facebook and Instagram, but old enough to strive to do something on the network began to appear laptops, smartphones and tablets.
By June 2010, PC users bought 400 copies a day, about $ 6 per download. Persson and Porser threw its substantive work. Persson even lured in a startup of his former boss, General Director Carl Manneh Jalbum to the assumed commercial management. They named the newborn company Mojang, which in Swedish means
Any of his appearance on the Minecraft server performance was akin to Elvis.
Notch has become a model for the followers: the sharp-tongued character icons in the hat spoke on behalf of the third-party games. With this alter ego Persson acquired in more than 2 million Twitter followers, who read his sympathy diatribes against the "cynical bastards" from Electronic Arts, who deigned to release a series of independent games, or manufacturer of technical devices for virtual reality Oculus VR, for that he sold "vile» Facebook.
Persson did not spend on marketing a single crown, and Minecraft grew by viral way as Mojang released a version for Android smartphones and iOS, which still remains one of the three most popular downloaded paid applications in the US, according to App Annie. In May 2012, Mojang released a version for the Microsoft Xbox 360, which this week has sold over 1 million copies (as of today sold over 15 million copies). Then came the license agreement. Clothing style Minecraft, promoted marketed by J! NX from San Diego, has become a hit among young fans of the game, and the books Egmont Publishing International, the world dedicated to Minecraft, instantly becomes a bestseller - the company has sold over 7.5 million copies in more than 60 countries. Last year, Warner Bros. Mojang have bought the rights to film the movie.
Mojang, which employs a total of about 30 employees, has been profitable, and it seemed like it would be forever. She completed 2012 with revenues of about $ 230 million and gross profit of more than $ 150 million, of which $ 101 million paid Persson himself in exchange for intellectual property Minecraft. (Soon after he bought the most expensive apartment in Stockholm.)
Investors agitated. Manneh said that, while he talked with hundreds of venture capital firms, including such well-known Silicon Valley sharks as Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners, but no one took the money as Mojang simply do not need them. They even came billionaire Sean Parker, who brought Persson, Porsera Manneh and on his private jet to London, giving them a stormy night entertainment program. And yet they rejected his money.
"We have for the first time in my life had a chance to fly in a private plane," - says Manneh. But not the last. As a privately owned company with no outside investors, growing by leaps and bounds Mojang ordered character portraits oil. Noting the 10 million downloads, they have taken all the staff for three days in Monaco drink champagne and ride on a yacht. And though all the shares in the company owned by three of its founder, Persson in 2012 thanked all the staff group bonus of $ 3 million.
But even when the world lay at his feet, Persson sometimes felt as if he pressed his shoulders. After the official release of Minecraft at the end of 2011 at the first congress of the fans of the game in Las Vegas (MineSon) Persson resigned as chief developer for experiments with new games and living with his girlfriend in the summer of that year, became his wife.
But his happiness was short-lived. Persson's father, continues to abuse drugs and are in a depression, committed suicide on Christmas Eve. This greatly shocked Persson and he is increasingly acted like a man who knows what he wants. He divorced his wife a year after the wedding. "Today I'm Single: # SmeshannyeChuvstva" - he wrote in Twitter. And when Persson returned to work after his brief sabbatical, he felt obliged to recreate the magic of his first hit.
At the same time, Persson remained face and voice of Minecraft. Despite the fact that he has ceased to be engaged in the daily development of the game, Notch was still a figure which players wrote letters about the new versions of code or leave messages on Twitter, when it seemed that the game is something wrong. In response to minor changes in the mechanics of the virtual ships burst into poisonous messaging users Notch, which had to these changes is not the slightest relationship. Look at the answers Persson on Twitter or any video on YouTube, in which figures created Minecraft, and you are likely to stumble upon comments like "I'm always amazed how Notch fiction nerd" or "Notch - a fat loser."
"I could not understand why people in the network so spiteful - says Persson. - You see the evil comments, and it seems that they are always written in a larger font. " The man identified himself with its network character, he was trapped in the face of negativity, which provoked such an identification. Persson and began to think about how to leave the game.
His exodus began with a simple message on Twitter. Sixteenth June 2014 Persson was in his penthouse with a cold. In the meantime, users Minecraft ganged up on the company for the decision to apply the stricter licensing agreement, which does not allow players to sell each other virtual items, such as more powerful swords.
When Twitter started receiving hundreds of messages per hour, Persson, is in feverish excitement because of a cold, he broke out the answer, there are only 129 characters, and this answer is forever changed his life.
"Somebody wants to buy out my share of Mojang, so I could do with your life? - He asked. - Aroused widespread hatred by trying to do the right thing, not my thing. "
Director General Mojang Carl Manneh was at home with his family when he saw the record. After 30 seconds, after he read it, the phone rang. One of the leaders of Microsoft, responsible for cooperation with Mojang, wanted to know how seriously the statement Persson. "I do not know, let me talk to him," - said Manneh.
Although Persson wrote it half-jokingly, the idea that he might part with Mojang, took possession of them. The man who once publicly vowed that will not sell evil corporations, changed his mind.
For the next week at the torn Manneh phone. Interest in the transaction proved Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard and others. The negotiations with Activision stalled immediately. Persson did not want to discuss the incident with Electronic Arts, but mysteriously stated that Mojang exclude potential buyers, "who go to games as we do not like." But Microsoft clearly was selected.
Ultimately, the main motive for Microsoft in the deal had the opportunity to save on taxes. Giant, which produces software amassed huge foreign reserves of $ 93 billion in cash and may not transfer them to the United States without paying Uncle Sam his share.
As a result, sales conditions dictated Manneh: Persson and Porser would withdraw from the case outright, to sever all ties with the company. Moreover, given the massive cuts in Microsoft after the acquisition Nokia, stipulated that the business should be no layoffs (in the company of just 47 employees, so such a condition does not threaten serious material costs to the buyer).
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox at Microsoft, dealt exclusively with Manneh. Persson and Porser refused to participate in the negotiations, although Spencer still spent some time at the Swedish herbal tincture, arguing about the direction of development of the gaming industry. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appearing in Stockholm, despite the fact that it was the biggest deal during his tenure. He called only twice Manneh to accelerate negotiations.
While lawyers worked around the clock to close the multi-billion dollar deal, leaked to the press only indirect evidence. Microsoft behaved quite discreetly, in a July letter to the employees of Nadella said only that invests in the game, calling them "the biggest phenomenon of the digital life in the world of mobile devices."
Usually loquacious Persson also remained silent. He sought out small ideas for new games and learn a programming language. Eleventh of September he published a post that describes his work with the language Dart, which rewrote the first version of the classic shooter Doom, and hinted at the impending sale, - Doom served as a metaphor for his Mojang. "If I'll do something new, I'm sure someone more patient than I would be able to take over supervision of the project, - he wrote. - I can not always be attached to him. "
Fifteenth September, Microsoft announced that it was ready to pay for Mojang $ 2,5 млрд cash. A few hours after this announcement Persson wrote his final blog post explaining the details of leaving the company he created.
"It's not about the money - he said. - The thing is maintaining my sanity. "
Looking back, Persson said he expected a more severe reaction Minecraft fans to the announcement of the sale of the game. "On that day, when we announced the deal, I was going to close his Twitter, fear not cope with it, - he said. - But people reacted to the news surprisingly calm. They read my explanation, and said, "Okay, I hope you'll be all right. '"
What about his previous promises not to sell, the more corporations? Persson shrugs and says that the contradiction price of $ 2.5 billion does not prevent it.
"We certainly have to answer for his words - he admits - but, honestly, I do not feel a big shame because I had changed the view."
Mojang employees understand the abrupt change of the position of his former boss was more difficult. Although they receive a bonus from the amount owed Persson (share Porsera after taxes amounted to more than $ 300 million, the share of Manneh - more than $ 100 million), many felt "disappointed" and "devastated" when they heard about the finale of his game, says one of the employees who requested anonymity. Some still hostile to Persson.
"We have to disappoint them, and their reaction hurt me," - said Persson. But no matter what, he would move on. In November, when the transaction is closed, Persson, Porser, Manneh and the twin brother of Manneh fly to Miami and Saint Barthelemy, to celebrate it. Persson calling this a short trip "corrupt tour."
Real life
Now Persson pays less attention to the scathing comments on Twitter and more - insults at him from close friends in the group of WhatsApp, which they rudely called "farting."
Break free, Persson started sliding to teenage level.
In temporary offices Rubberbrain jokes on topics below the waist cause of laughter, which is shaking the ceiling and upstairs neighbor knocks on the floor in exasperation.
Persson ignore an angry knock on the head, as before, he did not notice the internet trolls. He admits that he loves the button at Twitter, which allows it to turn off unpleasant people without telling them that they are blocked. However, sometimes curiosity takes over and he responds. He recently posted his haters animated figure of Woody Harrelson in the film "Welcome to the Zombilend" wipe the tears bundle of money. "I know what to say on Twitter using the picture a bit silly," - he shrugs. It is equally embarrassing and drawn with those he loves, when is reporting on his vacation on a chartered plane to photo service Snapchat. What about the girls? "I tried to use Tinder (application for Me. - Forbes), but it did not help. In Sweden, it works badly: they are four people. " Hence the accounts in nightclubs for $ 180,000.
"I'm kind of making up for that miss when sitting and programmed in 20 years with a little - he admits. - Hang is not the most sensible way to spend money, but it's fun. When we were young, we had no money, so I thought that if I ever get rich, you will never become one of those boring rich, who do not spend money. "
Now he spends it on his new company. Her office - a teenage fantasy where there is a full-service bar and DJ booth (he learns he put wheels), and secret rooms hidden behind bookshelves. And despite the fact that Rubberbrain - it's just the name of the company, which is waiting to be visited by the founders of any idea.
It seems that the inspiration will certainly come. Persson spends a lot of time in the office, stay tuned to Twitter and Reddit, and Porser scours forums fans of the hockey team of his childhood and playing mindless multiplayer game, where you have to click the mouse, exploding beetles and other animals of the coin.
"It's like a kindergarten for us, a kindergarten for adults - utters Persson. - Whenever there is any idea, we feel it a couple of days, and then return to the games. "
Perhaps this too shall pass. But there is still a lot of Markus Persson younger, less jaded and are more sensitive to what they want the next generation of children. When asked about it, the creator of Minecraft replies that feels quite well and the author of one hit. These trumps as insane wealth and status of the person, the retired, able to block the stress of responsibility for the population of the virtual world, which is something you read, it despises.
"People are beginning to see in an ideal notch - he argues, by analyzing two of his incarnation. - I remember how I met their own idols and realize that these are real people. And that was the difference for me is very clear. I have my fans not developed those relationships that I had imagined. "
Leaving the office Rubberbrain, Assistant Persson gives him a note of one of his American fans. The letter, written by a diligent handwriting rounded student of the fourth or fifth grade, pinned dollar bill, and its author he asks Persson added to his Minecraft several new elements.
"Today we have given a bribe," - joked Persson, before he read the note and frown.
Then he turned it over in his hand dollar: "We should probably send him back?"
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