Minecraft

Minecraft started out as an indie sand box game that has grown far beyond it's original intent. The Minecraft website actually sums up the phenomenon quite nicely: "Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things" (Minecraft). These imaginative things range from works of art built in game to unique educational tools. Minecraft's gameplay encouraging creativity and team work has allowed for a unique community to form that now exists across many platforms. This post will look at why the community is so unique and where and how it exists.

Minecraft is a game that is never truly finished. Mojang, the Swedish company that created it, updates the game frequently with new features for players to explore. Because players feed back and suggestions are taken into consideration and often implemented into the next version of the game, players feel like they are included. Dedicated players can take their building even further by 
programming modifications and texture packs to add to the game. While Notch and Mojang encourage this kind of creativity, they don't allow any modifications to their idea to make a profit - so the creators make them available for free. Some of these mods just add a few items while others create whole new mechanics such as Galctifraft or Thaumcraft. Who'd have thought that the simple concept of 'building' could be taken so far. Users of Minecraft are constantly causing the game to evolve by being active in it's creation and discussion. Now there are even educational versions of Minecraft, such as Minecraft Edu and Google's qCraft, which teaches quantum physics.

Minecraft doesn't have an in-game tutorial like most video games. Instead, the player is encouraged to seek the help of other more senior players, so because of this the Minecraft Wiki was created with extensive information on everything Minecraft. With in the wiki there is also a forum where players can ask questions and interact. The bigger mod packs like Feed the Beast have their own wiki's. Another contributor to Minecrafts community is the multiplayer aspect. People can create servers where many people can play at once with endless possibilities for game play since there is no story line for them to follow. Of course, the Minecraft community crosses into social media and other art forms. Thousands of people watch YouTubers such as Achievment Hunter, Direwolf, and Yogscast play Minecraft Lets Plays. There are also Machinima series based in Minecraft, meaning the creators use the in-game camera to 'film' a story with in the world of Minecraft. All of these forms of community connection and Minecrafts success wouldn't be possible with out technology as we know it today.  

Resources
Minecraft. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://minecraft.net/

MaceMadunusus. (Artist). (2013, February ). Clock Tower [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://macemadunusus.deviantart.com/art/Minecraft-Clock-Tower-352075897

Hoopes, H. (2013, October 13). Google's qcraft brings quantum mechanics fun to minecraft. Retrieved from http://www.gizmag.com/google-qcraft-quantum-mechanics-minecraft/29505

Bristow, E. (2013, November 21). Gaming in education-minecraft in schools? Retrieved from http://theedublogger.com/2013/11/21/gaming-in-education-minecraft-in-schools/