The Story Of How Notch Turned Down A Job At Valve

Minecraft is one of the biggest games on the planet. Valve is perhaps the most beloved video game developer around. Imagine, for a moment, if the two had somehow joined forces. Finished? OK, now remember: it could actually have happened.

All Things D is running an excerpt from Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus ‘Notch’ Persson and the Game that Changed Everything, a book originally written in Swedish in 2011 but whose English version has only just hit shelves. The chapter up on the site details a visit Minecraft’s creator, Markus “Notch” Persson, paid to Valve in 2010. One which could have had a massive impact on the gaming world.

It’s not news; YouTube videos andstudio tours said much the same thing a few years back. But it is the first time we’ve got some more substantial details on the trip.

At the time, Minecraft was just starting to blow up, and after getting a call from Valve, Persson – who demanded first-class tickets – was flown to the company’s offices for a tour. Which quickly turned into a job interview.

While told that he was “not used to working in a group”, a Valve HR rep told Persson that he was a “gifted programmer”, and offered him a position with the company.

Describing it “as one of the hardest decisions of his life”, Persson said no.

“Somehow”, he says, “I felt that Minecraft was maybe my chance to create a Valve, rather than work at Valve.”

You should read the full thing, if only because it also tells the story of how he first picked out his trademark hat.

How Minecraft Creator Markus Persson Almost Took a Job at Valve [All Things D, Image: Machinima]