Minecraft maker says he won't certify his game for Windows 8

Markus "Notch" Persson, creator of the wildly popular Minecraft video game, says he won't allow Microsoft to certify it for inclusion in the Windows 8 gaming marketplace.

"Got an e-mail from Microsoft wanting to help 'certify' Minecraft for Windows 8," Persson tweeted yesterday. "I told them to stop trying to ruin the PC as an open platform."

"I'd rather have Minecraft not run on Windows 8 at all than to play along," he continued. "Maybe we can convince a few people not to switch to Windows 8 that way."

According to gaming blog Kotaku, which was first to report on Persson's tweets and spoke to him after they were sent out, he takes issue with Microsoft effectively closing off its Windows operating system, making the software unfriendly to independent developers. However, his specific issue with Microsoft seems unclear, and so far, he has not gone into detail. However, earlier today, Persson warned that he may write a blog post discussing the issue in more detail.

By not certifying Minecraft, Persson runs the risk of the game not being offered through Windows 8's gaming marketplace. However, it's likely that the game, which allows gamers to build things out of textured cubes, will still be playable on the operating system.

Still, Microsoft has caught some heat for effectively requiring all developers to play by its rules. To not so do would mean running the risk of being ignored by the majority of gamers who wouldn't otherwise search around the Web for a title.

Windows 8 is slated to hit store shelves on October 26.

CNET has contacted Microsoft for comment on Persson's statement. We will update this story when we have more information.