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Guy Who Invented Minesweeper Reveals He Hid A Bunch Of Real Mines Too
The game continues.
Robert Donner — creator of the popular 90s computer puzzle game Minesweeper — has revealed to law enforcement that he buried a bunch of real mines, too. “My little game continues,” says Donner, now 80, via phone from federal prison where he currently awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to making terroristic threats.
Minesweeper had its origins in early computerized puzzle games from the dawn of the digital age. “We basically took concepts that already existed,” says Donner, “re-branded them around a search for mines and sold the end result to Microsoft. I then took that money and went out to nature reserves throughout the country and hid hundreds of anti-personnel mines just for my own sick twisted pleasure.”
Fortunately, to date none of the mines seem to have detonated. Marc Thomas, an attorney for Donner, says that his client is ready to cooperate with law enforcement in the safe retrieval and/or deactivation of the mines. “Mr. Donner does not remember where each of the mines are, but believes he can deduce their locations by laboriously figuring out where they aren’t.”
Does law enforcement believe the bulk of Donner’s claims? One source involved in prosecuting the case isn’t sure what to think. “Waiting all this time and…