The first day perished after four minutes – drowned. The second lasted into the night, but he killed me in the dark monster with glowing eyes. Similarly, in the following days, although this time I tried to dig a cavity in the ground and rocks. Fifth tunnel hollowed L-shaped, but it has killed me something. Sixth dug too deep and lava engulfed me. Seventh and eighth, ninth and tenth again figuring tunnels in the ground and hills to hide from nightfall and monsters. To no avail. Eleventh finally managed to dig a tunnel appropriate length and cover the entrance to the sand. Oh, lived the first night. Unfortunately, the next day a few times I ran into cacti and again perished. Just Groundhog Day. But in the end I managed to survive three days in a row in the game you need to build a table for further work, and even eat and gain experience points after he figured out how to deprive life of one of the digital hens.
Minecraft. Playing one of many. Even more innocent looks because of a coarse-era graphics and Commodore Amiga is a relic in a world ever more visually stunning games. But let no one who from Minecraft had to deal with, do not be misled. With over 60 million copies sold, this game is just one of the hottest titles in the world of virtual entertainment. I really deserved to talk about her kultowości and phenomenon.
From fan to billionaire
The purchase in September last year, the Swedish company Mojang, Minecraft manufacturer, by a powerful Microsoft for $ 2.5 billion., is one of the most important events of the past year for the entire online business. Especially that so much money paid for a game that innovation and graphics fail to impress.
Its users build with blocks virtual worlds and share the achievements of the network. At the beginning, the player lands on an almost empty environment, you can only see some trees, hills or the sea – all built with three-dimensional blocks. Day in this world lasts approx. 8 minutes, and after dark there are creepy – monsters that need to be overcome, or to hide from them. But to do this, you need to get the materials to build everything yourself only player umyśli – from weapons by simple shelters, to the really complicated and elaborate buildings. Nothing special, but a few years Minecraft is a hit in October 2012. Hit the third best-selling games of all time. I have a lot of chances to break through the Wii Sports and Tetris, which have better results.
Behind the success of Minecraft is a Swedish gaming enthusiast. Markus “Notch” Persson, who even in the days of the Commodore computers began to passionately play and – more importantly – the game improve and modify. After the emergence of the Internet began a hard work in the world of gaming fans on forums such as 4chan or TIGSource, where he cultivated ties with independent game developers. And it was found out the groundwork for the creation of a square in the world. Minecraft because it is not an original idea, “notch”.
Swede few years ago found the game Infiniminer, involving the building of the world consisting of blocky shapes, which went to the source codes of the network and with the consent of the creator was developed by the same surfers. Persson started to improve the code, significantly increased the size of the virtual world, has enabled the creation of structures and objects. And so in mid-2009. The world first heard about Minecrafcie.
The game, though not cast on his knees for visual, began rapidly gaining ground. In the first half sold approx. 6 thousand. copies. That’s when the “Notch” recognized that he can not pull the board next project. To work on the game drew a buddy: Jakob Porsera. Together they decided to start their own studio – Mojang. However, the two friends wanted to focus on the game itself, and the management of the organization entrusted to someone else. They decided on the former head of Marcus – Carl Manneh. At the moment the “Notch” and his team decided that Minecraft is ready, all over the world had time to split up almost a million copies of the game in beta and alpha.
And then it was only better, because revenues from sales reached several thousand dollars a day. The game began to appear on new platforms: smartphones and consoles. From mid-2012. Minecraftowe madness began: convents fans of LEGO sets, manual. And finally in 2014. Minecraft has become the best selling game on the PCs in history (ahead of such classics as Starcraft and World of Warcraft). And it is in such a state of Swedish studio was bought by MS, and a former teenage fan became a millionaire game.
Lord of the blocks
similar stories successes already read a lot of games. So what is different from others? Perhaps the fact that not only the square world, but he “Notch” are already heroes of various legends, and even fantasy books. The most common theme that runs through the stories about Minecraft, a mysterious Herobrine. This “living” in the game world figure who haunts the worlds built by the players, and being the brother of the deceased, according to legend the creator of the game. And though he Persson countless times denied the rumors about the existence Herobrine’a, it still players from around the world all the time trying to prove that he met him.
This story most kids are buying. So much so that the publishing hit was a fantasy story about how Herobrine overcomes the “notch” and comes out of the virtual world, taking over the body of 10-year-old Josh. Then this together with his twin brother and friend from school are trapped in a world game where you must fight hordes of dragons, zombies and creeps to save the real world. Again, nothing new.
Games is not new to penetrate pop culture, on the basis of their films revolve. This time, however, went on to a very vulnerable and yet not really landscaped ground: children.
– They love this game. But I have to admit that I was surprised at the results of our research. Students asked about what they play most often mentioned Sims, Angry Birds and Minecraft. However, in the first game of the girls prevail in other boys, and Minecraft is popular with both sexes. There are whole classes that live game break to spend on a story, what good has been done, and after school jointly conduct the game – says Kamil Sijko from the Institute for Educational Research , which a few months ago studied almost 6 thousand. fifth grade students, and that the impact on their lives and learn to computer games. As it turns out in the lives of 12-13-year-olds from Sweden plays a role really great.
– Ideally answered many of their needs. From building relationships – because they can play it with your friends or people you met in the network, the development of competence – because the more you play, the more you can play, develop additional skills and can be compared with others, to ensure autonomy – because it can create in his own way – explains Sijko. And stresses that this last argument can be crucial for Minecraft popularity. – There is no almost no restrictions, you can create almost anything. Maybe the graphics are poor, and the Minecraft universe is much less extensive than in other creations of pop culture, but the fact that every child can create their own world, proved by the success – he added.
Gameplay important
– Before Christmas I saw in you a book about Minecrafcie.
– But you, because we are a few – clerk in a bookstore brings me to the rack. Three shelves filled publications about the game. Five guides and five of the nine parts of that novel for kids. – There’s more, but to a lot of sold-out Christmas – he added.
One of the books he wrote 40-year-old Bartosz Danowski to the company with 10-year-old nephew Jacob Danowskim . – I have a hundred books on the account associated with the guidance computer. But the most popular of them did not sell as good as the last, which suggested the idea of writing is Cuba – Danowski guide talks about “Minecraft. Crafting, magic and fun. ” – He did not play in Minecraft. But it played in Cuba, or actually at the beginning wanted to play and needed help – even with the same log in. Then he called me with further questions. Because this game just seems simple, but in fact has a lot of puzzles to solve. Finally, to help him, I started to play and I was hooked, although I must admit that Cuba is still better than me now – says with a laugh. It’s nephew when mastered the game, he offered to share knowledge with others.
No less a phenomenon than the game itself are videos on YouTube about it to the hundreds of thousands or sometimes even a few million hits . – To build a more advanced scenery, Minecraft requires commitment. The game throws us right into the deep end, lead by the hand, it is not a traditional game that after a few hours of playing, go to the end. Because this is not the end of the – explains Danowski. – The player begins the adventure with nothing and only on the willingness and persistence depends on how much reaches. You may also learn a lot by watching to make other – adds and says that it is thanks to this approach is the beginning deterrent graphics do not matter. – Gameplay especially for the young audience turned out to be more important than the visual fireworks.
Game someone in Minecraft? – Asking questions among friends. Answer: My 8-year old son, my 10 year old daughter, my children age 10 and 12 cousins … Children … trace an adult friend who had been drawn into this game, it is more difficult. – does not mean that they do not exist. Although I must admit that among children and teenagers easier to find players – says Kamil Sijko. And it is addressed to them more and more developed – and in a moment, since Microsoft bought the game, will be even greater – product range inspired by the game.
Figurines, cardboard characters to make, themed Lego . Now there were bags, backpacks, pencil cases and plush stuffed animals. So classic sets, which always appear in the next fashionable phenomenon.
Just as much as the children, Minecraft also love their parents. As consolation do not play war simulator, not zarywają night, playing shooter, not ask for money to purchase another gadget is necessary to continue the fun, and this game clearly develops creativity, then why would it prohibit them. – There are even teachers who this phenomenon are trying to use in science, and not only encoding – says Sijko.
As you can see, unless Persson managed to win Get the Holy Grail: the hearts of young and minds and wallets older. – Now the only question remains, what to do with this treasure Microsoft. We know very well that the corporation does not like it, that its products be changed and adapted to individual needs – evaluate Danowski and adds that if a game has paid a lot of money, it certainly will want to make money from it. – It can make a lot of mistakes, unfortunately. If you will want to quickly recover the money by introducing additional charges, which the children will not stand, or limit the autonomy of the players, the era of Minecraft can be very fast to finish – says.
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