Notch Planning Goblin Football and Space Trading Sims

[Tom Goldman]

Notch Planning Goblin Football and Space Trading Sims

The creator of Minecraft has detailed a few potential future projects that have absolutely nothing to do with creepers.

The second project coming out of Minecraft studio Mojang is a card/board game called Scrolls [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108156-Minecraft-Studio-Unveils-New-Title-Called-Scrolls], but what about the third, fourth, fifth, and beyond? Minecraft creator Marcus "Notch" Persson recently talked about his ideas for these future titles and they're probably not what you might have expected.

Persson told Rock, Paper, Shotgun that he isn't sure exactly what will come next, but he has "many games in mind." One is a "space trading simulator" born out of Persson's annoyance from previous games in the genre that "miss the point." He says that he has a strong desire to make a better space trading simulator, but that it'd be a lot of work and probably wouldn't sell many copies.

A second idea is for another sim, but a "weird town" sim. Players take on the role of a single character in a city, sort of like The Sims [http://www.amazon.com/Sims-3-Pc/dp/B00166N6SA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299516560&sr=8-1]. It wouldn't be "a super-realistic city simulator," Persson says, but a game that expressed his own view on real life.

Finally, Persson talked about a third idea that he was reluctant to discuss lest someone steal it. "It's like a football manager, but it's for fantasy heroes," he said. "If you have a troll and a goblin in the same team, the troll might eat the goblin. Stuff like that." If you steal his idea, may a zombie pig [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104842-Zombie-Pigs-Trotting-Into-Minecraft] haunt your dreams for eternity.

The overall development philosophy of these games seems to stem from Persson's frustration with other games and the arbitrary rules they enforce. Mojang wants to create games with mechanics that make more sense. I don't think all that Minecraft money could be in a better place.

Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/07/a-day-in-the-life-of-minecraft-creator-mojang/]


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[Slangeveld]

That last idea sounds a little bit like the Majesty games. xD

 

[Baby Tea]

I wouldn't mind a space-trading sim!
Are we talking, like, A modern 'Space Bucks'? Because that would be awesome!
Sign me up, please.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Minecraft is barely out of Alpha, and he's already talking about other games? Look Notch, we love you, but please stay focussed on Minecraft for now. We'd all rather have 1 or 2 fully released game than a bunch of projects that never made it out of beta.

 

[findler]

I'm definitely going to try out scrolls, these other ones though I'm not too sure about. Although I'm sure they look awesome in his head, it isn't striking me as interesting just yet.

 

[findler]

Minecraft is barely out of Alpha, and he's already talking about other games? Look Notch, we love you, but please stay focussed on Minecraft for now. We'd all rather have 1 or 2 fully released game than a bunch of projects that never made it out of beta.

Yea I'm with you. We need a lot more content and some resemblance of a plot before I'll be satisfied.

 

[Ruairi iliffe]

"It's like a football manager, but it's for fantasy heroes," he said. "If you have a troll and a goblin in the same team, the troll might eat the goblin. Stuff like that."

So its Something along the lines of Blood Bowl?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Bowl

 

[TilMorrow]

Wait Goblin/Fantasy Heroes football? Anyone reminded of the Warhammer Blood Bowl game?

Edit: Damn ninja'd just two seconds before I posted.

 

[Ayjona]

Finally, Persson talked about a third idea that he was reluctant to discuss lest someone steal it.

Yes, gods forbid someone'd steal an idea Games Workshop "stole" a long time ago, and that has been used in at least one computer game since

That said, Notch's Blood Bowl management sim would probably be a nice addition to a very sparse genre.

 

[Korten12]

I wouldn't mind a space-trading sim!
Are we talking, like, A modern 'Space Bucks'? Because that would be awesome!
Sign me up, please.

I agree, it could be sort of cool .

 

[ntw3001]

Blood Bowl Football Manager? I've always wanted that.

 

[Coalhada]

If they make a space trading sim, I'll die happy.

 

[boar69]

Finally, Persson talked about a third idea that he was reluctant to discuss lest someone steal it.

Yes, gods forbid someone'd steal an idea Games Workshop "stole" a long time ago, and that has been used in at least one computer game since

That said, Notch's Blood Bowl management sim would probably be a nice addition to a very sparse genre.

Ye, but I think notch should probably take a look at how cyanide did after they tried to copy the idea. Management might be cool as I never felt Blood Bowl worked outside of a tabletop system, never had the same feel on pc. As long as he distances it enough should work and has potential.

 

[Baldr]

Notch is European, I'm pretty sure he means soccer as soccer manager simulators are popular. American Football would be so much cooler though.

 

[JordanMillward_1]

I guess Notch has never heard of Blood Bowl or Elite/X then. Both of those pretty much corner their respective genres.

I'd much prefer more and continued support of Minecraft to new games that will also never make it out of Beta.

 

[SpcyhknBC]

A space trading sim, so kind of like Privateer but MMO, so like Eve online? I'm not sure how he plans on executing that, but power to him if he succeeds. I love minecraft and have been playing it every chance I get. I'm intrigued by his space trading sim idea, but can't really say yes or no until some game play actually surfaces.

 

[lacktheknack]

Minecraft is barely out of Alpha, and he's already talking about other games? Look Notch, we love you, but please stay focussed on Minecraft for now. We'd all rather have 1 or 2 fully released game than a bunch of projects that never made it out of beta.

He's got six or seven employees now, and growing. We're safe from vaporware right now.

 

[GiantRaven]

Yea I'm with you. We need a lot more content and some resemblance of a plot before I'll be satisfied.

Why on earth does Minecraft need a plot?

I really like the sound of all of these games. It's good to see that Mojang have lots of good ideas for the future, I was somewhat worried that they would never move past Minecraft.

 

[knhirt]

Space Trading Sim, huh? Brings to mind the now-classic Escape Velocity series. I loved those games (and their expandability), so I hope Notch has something similar in mind.

 

[Dexiro]

Minecraft is barely out of Alpha, and he's already talking about other games? Look Notch, we love you, but please stay focussed on Minecraft for now. We'd all rather have 1 or 2 fully released game than a bunch of projects that never made it out of beta.

Developers always speculate about future projects, it doesn't mean he'll be any less focused on finishing and supporting Minecraft. The Scrolls game is currently in development but it's being developed by some other guy working in Notch's office, I imagine Notch will help out a little but it's not a massive dent in the progress of Minecraft.