Notch: Microsoft should "stop ruining" PC as an open platform

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson welcomed Thursday morning with a pair of tweets assailing Microsoft's program certification process for its impending Windows 8 operating system, saying the software giant should "stop ruining" the PC's accessibility for developers.

"Got an email from Microsoft wanting to help 'certify' Minecraft for Win 8," Persson wrote. "I told them to stop trying to ruin the PC as an open platform."

Persson sent a followup tweet a few moments later stating he'd "rather have Minecraft not run on Win 8 at all than to play along."

Microsoft's certification criteria for Windows 8 mirrors previous requirement iterations for older operating systems. Essentially, the specifications govern an app's behavior as Windows expects it to -- clean shutdowns, seamless uninstall, non-dependencies on compatibility modes, and so on.

Skipping certification is a valid option for app developers, as Microsoft won't block non-certified programs on Windows, but talk yet lingers of Microsoft's intended direction for Windows 8's so-called " walled garden " structure via strong-arm support for its App Store.

Omri Petitte

Omri Petitte is a former PC Gamer associate editor and long-time freelance writer covering news and reviews. If you spot his name, it probably means you're reading about some kind of first-person shooter. Why yes, he would like to talk to you about Battlefield. Do you have a few days?