Wednesday, July 2, 2014

EXP Podcast #283: The Minecraft Crackdown

A picture from Westeros...in Minecraft.
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.

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes
- Find the show on Stitcher
- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 31 mins 33 secs
- "Ending the Minecraft Fantasy," by Richard Cobbett, via Eurogamer
- Music by Brad Sucks