复古游戏变身另类圈钱机器

    Minecraft的成功在很大程度上应归功于其开发者佩尔松，业内人士认为他是一位机智过人的游戏天才。在加入jAlbum公司之前，佩尔松曾经在国王网（King.com）做了大约4年半的程序员，开发了一些益智休闲类和射击类游戏，比如《搞怪农场》（Funny Farm）和《嘉年华枪战》（Carnival Shootout）。佩尔松从未梦想过自己有朝一日会成为一位百万富翁，更不用说业界明星！依然在网上自称“诺奇（Notch）”的佩尔松已经拥有了巨大的影响力。超过64万人在Twitter上关注他频繁更新的留言，他在Google+上的粉丝亦有11.23万人（佩尔松拒绝接受本文作者的采访）。

    实际上，Minecraft用户喜欢的不仅仅是这款游戏本身，他们同样钟爱佩尔松反正统的人格魅力。他首先是一位出色的程序员，但他从不回避争议话题。去年在接受一家行业性期刊采访时，佩尔松说他或许在吃午饭时就彻底打消了艺电公司（Electronic Arts）老板约翰•里奇蒂耶洛潜在的收购希望。当游戏开发商OMGPOP公司（最近被社交游戏开发商Zynga公司以2.1亿美元的价格收购）CEO因一位员工不愿加入Zynga公司而发表蔑视性言论时，佩尔松站出来替这位员工辩护了一番。他在Twitter上反击称：“你就是一个精神失常的白痴。”当一位粉丝在Twitter上哀叹自己买不起Minecraft，佩尔松公开建议他使用盗版软件。去年，佩尔松没有把近300万美元的分红装入自己口袋，而是将其回赠给Mojang公司的员工，再次提升了他的罗宾汉形象。

    更重要的是，Mojang公司没有遵循游戏业的两大趋势。它既不同于益智休闲游戏开发商Zynga和Rovio——不断推出人们在乘地铁或上班时用来消遣的低成本甚或零成本游戏，也不同于大型游戏开发商EA和Activision——它们的运作手法颇类似于好莱坞电影公司，往往斥资数百万甚至数亿美元开发诸如《使命召唤》（Call of Duty）这样的复杂游戏。Mojang公司独特的开发风格或许最接近于暴雪娱乐公司（Blizzard），这家位于加州尔湾市的小公司开发出了史上最赚钱的游戏之一《魔兽世界》（World of Warcraft）。暴雪娱乐公司最终于2007年与Activision公司合并，这桩价值189亿美元的联姻创造出了世界上最大的游戏开发商。

    Mojang公司正在寻求扩张之道，除了接受收购，该公司愿意尝试一切方式。其中包括下注于一款名为Scrolls、与Minecraft风马牛不相及的全新探险游戏。Mojang公司将在接下来的2个月中，邀请少数玩家对这款游戏进行“封闭内测”。本周早些时候，佩尔森宣布推出另一款多人太空旅行游戏，它有一个听起来雄心勃勃的名字：0×10C。

    视频游戏公司TechSavvy业务咨询总监斯科特•斯坦伯格说，保持Minecraft自身全面增长的关键是探索对这款游戏来说有意义的机会。有人建议Mojang公司把这款游戏开发成一档电视节目或一部电影，但该公司还没有对此作出任何承诺。今年5月，这款游戏的一个版本将进入微软公司（Microsoft）的游戏网络平台Xbox Live。这款游戏的特许经营去年产生了将近100万美元的收入，今年晚些时候，受Minecraft启发的新款乐高（Lego）玩具正式推出之后，特许经营收入海景大幅攀升。但是，这一切对于佩尔森和他的团队而言很可能仅仅只是个开始。

    译者:任文科

    Key to maintaining overall growth of Minecraft itself will be exploring opportunities that make sense for the game, says Scott Steinberg, head of business consulting for the video games firm TechSavvy. Mojang has been approached to develop the game into a TV show or film, although the company hasn't committed to anything yet. A version of the game is headed to Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox Live this May. And merchandise, which generated nearly $1 million last year, will get a big boost later this year when an official Minecraft-inspired Lego set arrives. For Persson and crew, that is likely only to be the beginning.

    Mojang is looking at ways to expand, which includes everything short of being acquired. That includes placing its bets on an all-new unrelated adventure game called Scrolls, which will initially roll out in an invite-only "closed alpha" in the next two months. And earlier this week, Persson announced another game, dubbed 0×10C, an ambitious-sounding multiplayer space travel game.

    More importantly, Minecraft's parent Mojang is bucking two of the biggest trends in games. It is unlike casual game makers Zynga and Rovio, pumping out low- and no-cost titles people play as diversions on the subway or at work. Nor is it like larger game firms EA and Activision (ATVI), which operate much like Hollywood studios, investing tens and sometimes hundreds of millions developing complex titles like Call of Duty. With its idiosyncratic approach, it is most like the old Blizzard, the small Irvine, California studio that wound up creating World of Warcraft, one of the most profitable franchises in history. (It eventually merged with Activision in 2007, an $18.9 billion tie up that created the world's largest game maker.)

    Indeed, just as appealing to fans as Minecraft itself is Persson's anti-establishment persona. He is above all a programmer, but he hasn't shied away from controversy. In an interview with an industry trade publication last year, Persson said he may have quashed Electronic Arts (EA) boss John Riccitello's potential acquisition hopes over lunch. When the CEO of game maker OMGPOP, which was recently acquired for $210 million by Zynga (ZNGA), made disparaging remarks about the one employee who did not make the move, Persson came to his defense. He shot back on Twitter, "You're an insane idiot." And when a fan admitted, also via Twitter, that he couldn't to afford to buy Minecraft, Persson publicly recommended he pirate a copy. Instead of pocketing nearly $3 million in dividends last year, he gave it back to Mojang employees, bolstering his Robin Hood image.

    Minecraft's success is largely due to Persson, its creator, described by industry insiders as bright with a sharp wit. He worked for some four-and-a-half years as a programmer for King.com, developing casual puzzle and shooting games with names like Funny Farm and Carnival Shootout before jAlbum. Persson never anticipated becoming a millionaire, let alone an industry luminary. Still Notch, as he calls himself online, already commands a sizable influence. More than 640,000 people follow his frequent updates on Twitter, while nearly 112,300 track him on Google+. (Persson declined to comment for this story.)