Is piracy an enemy or a necessary part of business in a digital world? Swedish video game developer Markus Persson sees it as the latter and even a benefit in terms of marketing. “If someone pirates Minecraft instead of buying it, it means I’ve lost some ‘potential’ revenue… but what if that person likes that game, talks about it to his or her friends, and then I manage to convince three of them to buy the game? I’d make three actual sales instead of blocking out the potentially missed sale of the original person.”
Search
Not Piracy, It’s Marketing
Is piracy an enemy or a necessary part of business in a digital world? This Swedish video game developer sees it as the latter and even a benefit in terms of marketing.
Monthly Issue
May 2026
In this monthly issue, we take a closer look at how games, imagination, and creative experimentation shape identity and culture.
1 video
15 articles