Minecraft
differs in multiple ways to other video games on the market and is often
compared to as a digital version of Lego and has been downloaded more than 100m
times on PCs, consoles and smartphones since its launch in 2009.
It
is described as “cartoony” due to the low definition and low fidelity, allowing
the player to fill the sandbox with their imagination. The game’s awkward, blocky aesthetic makes players
less self-conscious about what they make, something as simple as a
multi-coloured stack of wool bricks and stone bricks looks sort of good.
The game is used as
an efficient tool to
connect children with their friends and family with the use of multiplayer,
allowing them to build and construct a digital world together even when they
are apart. By doing so it allows players to create something completely unique
that is theirs.
As
Jens Bergensten, a creative director since
2011, explains, “It’s the way that you build in the first-person perspective,
and you only interact with one block at a time, “which makes it unique in
comparison to other construction video games. “It’s also very open-ended. It
doesn’t tell you what to build.” These attributes contribute to the games
global success in the gaming world.
Unlike most video
games, it is often used with
autistic children as a method to help them communicate and explore, as they respond
to its simple visuals, open design and logical, interlocking systems. Furthermore, educational versions of the
programme have been released and being used in schools and amongst young people
as a way to express themselves.
When attending a Minecon
event, there are just as many girls as boys portraying its diversity among the
gaming world as it is able to be appreciated by a wider range of audiences.
Minecraft is up there with Pokemon as a truly universal gaming experience. This
is another reason for its extraordinary success as everyone is welcome.
The fact that Mojang
has embraced hobbyists and hackers has been an essential part of the
experience. “The way Notch handled the game in the early days – he didn’t care
if people copied it,” says Michael Stoyke, who created the tools that a lot of
people use to modify Minecraft before getting a job at Mojang three years ago.
“If anything, it was beneficial – it spread the game more,”
The Microsoft takeover was one of the
biggest acquisitions in gaming history, stunned the game's millions of fans. It
also was a big, though not entirely pleasant, surprise for Mojang’s
employees. Previously, the company had been
projecting an image of itself as a closely knit, easy-going group of friends,
where nobody cared much about who was in charge, however, the news of the sale
changed things at Mojang as the distance between staff and management had
increased. Some
felt betrayed by Markus’s decision. Morale plummeted. “People felt like the
world was coming to an end,” one long time Mojang employee shared shortly after
the news broke. The three founders, Markus, Jakob, and Carl would all leave
Mojang as soon as the sale was done.
In relation to the audience
and players, it was agreed that some would be angry and that others would feel
abandoned. Markus was well aware that he would be labelled a sell-out, someone
who’d abandoned his ideals in exchange for a big pile of cash.
In his mind, Mojang
was the shining star of the independent games scene and
Microsoft was well
aware of how difficult it would be to retain the trust and loyalty of Mojang’s
staff. In consequence of this whoever stayed on board for at least six
months after the sale would be rewarded with two million Swedish crowns,
approximately three hundred thousand dollars, after taxes. A small fortune was
being tendered as a peace offering, in other words.
Although Microsoft had
acquired all of Mojang, it was only really interested in Minecraft and as of November 6, 2014, Mojang would cease to exist as an
independent company.
Comments
Post a Comment