Introductory Minecraft Essay

Minecraft is a successful and independent computer game designed in 2009 by self-taught Swedish programmer Markus Persson, who now claims he has approximately around 100 million users. It is described by many as a first-person 'sandbox game'. This means people can create their own experience, although in other terms, it is amazingly just a virtual landscape where people dig holes to collect blocks. It is an open structure where the player is free to play without specific objectives. Players in sandbox games are free to explore an environment, to choose which tasks they do, and often they have the ability to express themselves creatively within the game.

The whole aim of the game is for players to build structures out of textured cubes in a 3D world. They key activities are mining and crafting which lead to other activities in the game like exploration and combats. These millions of children who play minecraft usually play it online but the most popular methods of using it are Microsoft Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, some mobile phones and PlayStation 3. With all this access it makes it very easy for children and adults to find the game and get involved.

The game includes several different models of play, which allows players to customize the way they experience each world. They can play by single player or multiplayer. There are two game modes to choose from, the creative (where players have an unlimited number of blocks and items to build with and can't die) or survival (players must find and build all of the things and need to avoid death by hunger, injury or attack from hostile creatures). There are also different levels of difficulty, each with its own unique features and challenges. A lot of people describe the game as like building something out of Lego. The difference is that after you have built it you can mould the plastic and dye plants that you grow yourself. It then takes you on to an adventure inside guiding you through forests and deserts with mythical creatures/ monsters chasing you.

Adults seem to feel positively towards this game due to the fact there are a huge amount of outcomes that come with this game. It opens children’s minds and them to think creatively. There are only a few limits to what the game can do and vey little negatives on kids. This game shows kids that not all video games are about war and fighting but creating and using your brain. For example, parents would much rather have their kids play this than a war video game like ‘COD’. Because of the influence of the audience the game received millions of dollars in merchandise from T-shirts to toys and now events like minecon.

As the platform increased and more people heard about minecraft, versions of the game can now be purchased over the internet using Playstation Networks or Xbox Live Arcade. Recent additions include the Nintendo platform, which was excluded from the initial Minecraft releases. They are available to download from December 2015 with physical copies from June 2016 and most recently for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.

Minecrafts commercial success did not come easily. In the year 2011 they released various versions of Minecraft and that’s when things started to turn. The first version to be released was Minecraft Pocket Edition was released on Sony Xperia Play, available on Sony Xperia smartphones. The official release was in November the same year and the game went ahead to win 5 awards Innovation Award, Best Downloadable Game, Best Debut Game, Audience Award and Seusmas McNally Grand Prize at three different conferences. The same year saw Minecraft become available on Android and iOS devices.

By 2012, Minecraft was available for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. In 2013, Minecraft Pi Edition, which was allowed for educational purposes for novice programmers and players, was also released. In 2014 Microsoft acquired Minecraft intellectual property for $2.5 billion. In 2015, it reached 30 million copies sold. To date, over 121 official copies of the game have been sold across a variety of formats and platforms.

As a result of this on its release minecraft will continue to improve and increase the amount of players.