Markus Persson, the creator of Minecraft, has never been shy about sharing his controversial views, especially when it comes to the games industry. Over the years, Persson, or ‘Notch’ as he’s widely known, has sparked debates with his outspoken remarks. One of the most notable incidents occurred in 2012 when he gave a Minecraft fan permission to pirate the game if they couldn’t afford it at the time. Persson’s casual approach to piracy was: ‘Just pirate it. If you still like it when you can afford it, buy it then. Also, don’t forget to feel bad.
😉’
At the 2011 Game Developers Conference, he took a more direct stance, claiming that piracy wasn’t theft. He argued that stealing a car reduces the number of cars in the world, but pirating a game simply adds another copy, potentially bringing a new fan to the game. This unique perspective on piracy has continued to make waves, especially now with the growing ‘Stop Killing Games’ initiative.
The Stop Killing Games movement, which is gaining significant traction, is urging UK and European parliaments to introduce legislation preventing game developers from shutting down servers permanently, effectively ‘killing’ games. The petition, which is nearing 1.3 million signatures, was inspired by cases like Electronic Arts’ announcement that BioWare’s Anthem will cease all services on January 12, 2026, making the game unplayable after that date.
Persson, once again, has weighed in on this issue, linking his past comments on piracy to the present discussion about game preservation. His argument is simple: ‘If buying a game is not a purchase, then pirating it is not theft.’ He suggests that instead of shutting down games, developers could allow players to host their own servers, much like older games used to do. This would keep the game alive even after official servers are turned off.
With the growing demand for digital preservation of games and their communities, Persson’s ideas about piracy and game shutdowns are more relevant than ever. Whether or not you agree with his stance on piracy, his points about game preservation are undoubtedly thought-provoking. Do you think developers should do more to keep older games alive, or is it fair for them to shut down servers once the game’s lifecycle is over?