"why is there a nepo baby doubling down over there?": Minecraft creator Notch calls out Pirate Software for his opinion on Stop Killing Games

Minecraft players might be aware of the Stop Killing Games initiative that has been making rounds on the internet. Many online creators have come together in support of the initiative, which aims to prevent the planned obsolescence of videogames after a few years by shutting down servers and other functionality. Interestingly, Minecraft's creator Markus "Notch" Persson, has given his take on the whole thing, and it's quite a sharp one.

Here's what Notch said on X:

"Hey guys, just got back to Gaming after a brief break...wait, why is there a nepo baby doubling down over there?"

For those who are unaware, Persson is referring to Jason Hall, a game developer who runs streams using the alias Pirate Software. Hall had spoken against the Stop Killing Games initiative, which reportedly led to a reduced traction toward the movement. When Hall was called out for it, he again stood his ground, which is what Persson refers to as "doubling down.”

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Minecraft creator Notch speaks about Stop Killing Games

In a retweet by @DanielTSumpton which mentioned that Persson was talking about Pirate Software about his stance on the Stop Killing Games, Notch replied by confirming he was indeed referring to Jason Hall.

He also mentioned the phrase that has become the unofficial slogan of people who are pushing for the complete ownership of a game after purchase. Notch explained that since paying for a game is not considered a purchase as game companies can shut it down, pirating games shouldn't be considered theft.

As the creator of the highest selling video game of all time, Persson’s take on this movement is huge. It also shows how big Stop Killing Games has gotten. The initiative has amassed more than a million signatures in the European Citizen’s Initiative so that EU lawmakers take a look at this issue and pass a law to preserve games and prevent companies from shutting them down.

For a game like Minecraft, which regularly gets new updates, the chances of a complete shutdown aren't high. However, many single-player games rely on functional servers to run.

When the playerbase becomes scant, developers decide to shut down the servers to reduce cost of operations. In some cases, this can lead to the game becoming obsolete.