What is Minecraft?
Since Minecraft was first launched in 2009 it has enchanted many millions of players – 21 million copies of the software have been sold in the Pocket Edition alone – and has spawned many merchandising items from Lego sets to socks. Minecraft books and annuals have also been written and although much of the merchandising is aimed at children, with toys and foam axes leading the field, Minecraft is very much a game for all generations.
Where it all began
Minecraft is an open world game (sometimes also known as a sandbox game) which was launched in 2011 by Mojang – it was designed by the company’s CEO, Markus Persson. In 2014, the company was bought by Microsoft but they will continue to have creative input to Minecraft which has seen many upgrades since the very first version. It is available on many different platforms and this is part of its success – unlike some games which are very much connected to one particular gaming option, Minecraft is available in different versions for PC and laptop play, consoles (unusually for Xbox and PlayStation) as well as Android phones and tablets.
Different play modes give something for everyone
Unlike many of the popular games for computers and consoles where levels have to be ‘won’ to progress, Minecraft has an openworld approach without specific goals. The world in which the player (or their alter ego if they prefer to play in the third person) is created by the player and at that level the game is almost endlessly absorbing. Survival mode was the original level and the player is prey to various dangers as well as having the option to build and wander across the land at will. Trading and cooking are carried out to survive and on the death of the player, the game rewinds to a spawning point, established earlier in play. Hardcore versions can also be played in which the world is erased on the ‘permadeath’ of the player. Other options include creative mode, in which the player has access to all kinds of materials which they can use or discard at will. Additional bonuses on this level are that the player can fly and they are not affected by environmental issues, mobs or hunger. Adventure mode suits a multiplayer interface and involves map making and battles.
Minecraft Mini Games
This is an example of a minecraft mini games which is called Bounty Hunter.
Minecraft Demo
If you are not sure whether you want to buy Minecraft you can download the demo version. The demo allows you to use it for about 100 minutes.
Minecraft Nexus Server
The minecraft nexus server is a mini games server owned by Bajan Canadian and ASF Jerome. One of the more popular mini games on this server is hunger games. Check out our top 10 minecraft servers for more great Minecraft games.
Here is a video showing you how to find the ip address of the minecraft nexus server just in case you are having problems with it like I did.
Awards and reviews
Minecraft has won many awards for its developers over the years and remains, five years from launch, one of the most popular games on the market. Many people have formed groups to play and discuss Minecraft and for many it carries a message which they take very seriously, on an environmental level. Most people, however, just love to play it and find their favourite level and develop their world to very complex levels. For anyone who loves to explore fantasy worlds but perhaps does not have the skill to write or lacks the love of reading that enables them to immerse themselves in the worlds of fantasy in literature, Minecraft is a perfect alternative.
It even has its own Convention
Minecraft had not been launched long before its fans got together at the first convention in Las Vegas. Tickets were sold out in a matter of weeks and conventioneers were entertained by workshops, walkthroughs and talks from the designers of the game. Similar MineCons (as the conventions are known) have been held in Disneyland Paris, the tickets this time selling out within hours. The last convention was held in Orlando in Florida – the next one is to be hosted by London in the autumn of 2015 so all Minecraft aficionados should start watching out for tickets – they won’t be around for long!