Topic: I am Markus Persson aka Notch, Creator of Minecraft - Ask me Anything!
Anonymous A started this discussion 14 years ago #21,148
Hi! I'm the guy who created the first version of Minecraft in June 2009. I worked on it alone up until late 2010 when we started Mojang, and I finally left the lead developer position in December of 2011. I enjoy house music and programming, and my favorite color is purple. Ask me anything!
If you happen to have some money, you can donate it to the EFF and help make the world a better place!
If you happen to have some money, you can donate it to the EFF and help make the world a better place!
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 23 minutes later[^] [v] #338,369
Coke or Pepsi?
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 34 minutes later, 58 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #338,373
looks legit
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,376
do you lift
Kathryn !TGirlYJKXM joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 45 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,386
http://www.minecraftforum.net/news/565-ask-notch-anything-july-31st-2012/
http://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/rq1nb/
https://twitter.com/MinecraftAPIBot
http://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/rq1nb/
https://twitter.com/MinecraftAPIBot
Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 4 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,390
Falco !VYDDrUD3gc joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 1 hour later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,401
timestamp plx
Notch (OP) replied with this 14 years ago, 20 minutes later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,410
@previous (Falco !VYDDrUD3gc)pic related
@338,376 (D)
pic related
@338,369 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
Enbärsdricka
Notch (OP) double-posted this 14 years ago, 8 minutes later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,412
[Keep in mind I am no longer the lead developer on Minecraft, Jens is. This post is about what I thought about back when I was making it]
If it wasn’t for the fact that the default Minecraft character is referred to as “Minecraft Guy†and that I once jokingly answered “Steve?†when asked what his* name was, Minecraft would be a game where gender isn’t a gameplay element.
The human model is intended to represent a Human Being. Not a male Human Being or a female Human Being, but simply a Human Being. The blocky shape gives it a bit of a traditional masculine look, but adding a separate female mesh would just make it worse by having one specific model for female Human Beings and male ones. That would force players to make a decisions about gender in a game where gender doesn’t even exist.
All the other mobs in the game are genderless and usually exhibit the most prominent traits of both genders. Cows have horns and udders (even if I’ve later learned that there are some cows where the females do have horns), and the chicken/duck/whatevers have heads that look like roosters, but still lay eggs. For breeding, any animal can breed with any other animal of the same species.
Obviously, I’m not saying this is a good way to deal with gender in all games, as the better your graphics are, and because of how quickly the human mind tries to identify the gender of other humans, you are going to have to make a decision as a developer about gender, but I felt we could get away with it in Minecraft.
There’s no point to this post. I just wanted to clarify, so there’s an official word on it.
Also, as a fun side fact, it means every character and animal in Minecraft is homosexual because there’s only one gender to choose from. Take THAT, homophobes!
* I do regret using masculine terms to talk about the default character. These days I try to use the up-and-coming use of “they†as a genderless pronoun.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the default Minecraft character is referred to as “Minecraft Guy†and that I once jokingly answered “Steve?†when asked what his* name was, Minecraft would be a game where gender isn’t a gameplay element.
The human model is intended to represent a Human Being. Not a male Human Being or a female Human Being, but simply a Human Being. The blocky shape gives it a bit of a traditional masculine look, but adding a separate female mesh would just make it worse by having one specific model for female Human Beings and male ones. That would force players to make a decisions about gender in a game where gender doesn’t even exist.
All the other mobs in the game are genderless and usually exhibit the most prominent traits of both genders. Cows have horns and udders (even if I’ve later learned that there are some cows where the females do have horns), and the chicken/duck/whatevers have heads that look like roosters, but still lay eggs. For breeding, any animal can breed with any other animal of the same species.
Obviously, I’m not saying this is a good way to deal with gender in all games, as the better your graphics are, and because of how quickly the human mind tries to identify the gender of other humans, you are going to have to make a decision as a developer about gender, but I felt we could get away with it in Minecraft.
There’s no point to this post. I just wanted to clarify, so there’s an official word on it.
Also, as a fun side fact, it means every character and animal in Minecraft is homosexual because there’s only one gender to choose from. Take THAT, homophobes!
* I do regret using masculine terms to talk about the default character. These days I try to use the up-and-coming use of “they†as a genderless pronoun.
Anonymous H joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 15 hours later, 20 hours after the original post[^] [v] #338,505
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 6 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #338,579
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 14 years ago, 4 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #338,611
Anonymous I replied with this 14 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #338,626
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
Yes, but I wonder where it came from. I don't really know the guy's face too well, but that's him, yeah?
Yes, but I wonder where it came from. I don't really know the guy's face too well, but that's him, yeah?