EXP Podcast #283: The Minecraft Crackdown

As a relative outsider, I see Notch as an almost-mythical figure.  Here is a being who created a system of divine rules upon which millions have built their own worlds.  Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it seems fair to say that Notch has a sizable following of people who are very invested in the game as well as his public image as a lawyer-trolling, Facebook-hating advocate for independent games.  But what happens when a figure like this becomes the public face of a controversial decision, such as the recent move to crack down on the selling of in-game stat and equipment boosts?  This week we use Richard Cobbett's column as a starting point to talk about celebrity culture, games as platforms, and kids these days.

 

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Show notes:

 

- Runtime: 31 mins 33 secs

- "Ending the Minecraft Fantasy," by Richard Cobbett, via Eurogamer

- Music by Brad Sucks