Notch Snubs Microsoft, Refuses to Certify Minecraft for Windows 8

Microsoft’s Windows 8 is proving to be a problem for game developers, who apart from finding the interface completely unwieldy are concerned with the way the operating system’s built-in app store is turning into a bottleneck for games distribution. Valve’s Gabe Newell calls it “a catastrophe.” Blizzard doesn’t like it either. Now, Mojang founder and Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson is joining the anti-Windows 8 ranks by refusing certification for the game on the platform.

While Windows certification is not new, and is not compulsory, it tends to act as a stamp of approval from Microsoft that the software you’re trying to run is safe and fully functional with your operating system. So by choosing not to certify Minecraft for Windows 8, Notch has elected to “go rogue” with his software.

Got an email from microsoft, wanting to help “certify” minecraft for win 8. I told them to stop trying to ruin the pc as an open platform.

— Markus Persson (@notch) September 27, 2012

I’d rather have minecraft not run on win 8 at all than to play along. Maybe we can convince a few people not to switch to win 8 that way..

— Markus Persson (@notch) September 27, 2012

What do you think? Risky venture or a smart move on Mojang’s part? Tell us in the comments below.

Thanks VG247 and PCGamesN.

Header credit: unsterblicher at deviantArt.