Chris Hecker (SpyParty) asks Mojang's Markus Persson about the creation and growth of Minecraft and about his personal and professional growth alongside the game in an intimate, virtual fireside chat from GDC 2012, now free courtesy of the GDC Vault. Over the hour-long Q&A, Persson tackles balancing realism and abstraction in Minecraft, his approach to designing mechanics on a large-scale first, and the importance of maintaining a consistent theme. Persson also addresses piracy, which he views opportunistically. Session Name: A Fireside Chat with Markus 'Notch' Persson Speaker(s): Markus Persson, Chris Hecker Company Name(s): Mojang, definition six, inc. Track / Format: Game Design Overview:Okay, so there won't be a real fire. However, there will be an HDTV on stage showing a video of a fire, along with some in-depth discussion of Minecraft the game, Minecraft the phenomenon, games and game design both indie and not, and any other interesting topics into which we meander. There will be a Q&A throughout, however the Q's are going to be solicited over twitter sometime in February, so we can choose the best and most thought-provoking questions in advance.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent GDC events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers. Those who purchased All Access passes to events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC China already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscriptions via a GDC Vault inquiry form. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can find out more here. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins. Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for even more new content, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from other events like GDC China and GDC 2013. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS. Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech.