Minecraft

Minecraft for PC

Developed by Mojang

Released in 2011. Sandbox game.

Reading/Interest Level: Ages 7+

Curriculum ties: Designing, building construction, planning, teamwork

Booktalk Ideas: When zombies attack!: Talk about some of the monsters that can be battled in Minecraft. Or, My world, my rules: Talk about how you can create practically anything. Show some examples of pictures, or video tours if possible.

Challenge Issues: None.

Challenge Response: First Defense File

Reader’s Annotation:

Would you rather build a palace and live like a king, or fight off zombies and other creatures of the night? There’s no need to choose when you play Minecraft, a game where the world is at your fingertips.

About the Game:

Minecraft has two different game modes: Creative, and Survival. In Creative mode, players are given an endless supply of materials to build with and are encouraged to build whatever structures they can dream up. These structures can vary from roller coasters that the player can ride on, to mansions and castles, to secret bases and anything else the player can possibly imagine.

In Survival mode players can still build whatever they want, but they have to acquire their materials the hard way, by collecting, building, and most important, surviving. In Survival, various monsters in the world will try to attack the player. The player can be hurt by monsters, world elements like lava, drowning, falling from high places, and going hungry. Players can work together, against each other, or alone. There are three dimensions available to the player starting with the Overworld, then the Nether which is a darker, underground place full of lava and other monsters, and finally the end where players can battle the Ender Dragon to win the game.

Critical Evaluation:

Though this game is rendered in a blocky and pixilated format that seems at odds with today’s high end games with realistic graphics, the unique visuals is partly what sets the game apart from so many others.

Due to its blocky nature, you could think of Minecraft as a digital version of Legos. I feel this is one of the main appeals of Minecraft, and why it is such an enjoyable game for anyone that likes Legos. In fact, I would venture to say that due to its blocky nature it requires less computing power than a game with high quality graphics, which allows users to explore and build extensively without slowing the computer down, which is a fair and desirable tradeoff.

The interface of the game is easy to use with clear command keys and game mechanics. The hot bar allows players to easily access items they use often, while their traveling inventory allows users to collect and store a limited number of items on the move. There are far more objects to be collected and used in the world than will fit in a traveling inventory, which is why storage chests are easy to make and place.

About the Company:

Following a paid trip and employment offer from Valve Corporation in early September 2010, Markus Persson founded Mojang alongside his best friend Jakob Porsér, with Carl Manneh later brought in as a CEO, as Persson desired to run a self-made independent studio for the continued development of Minecraft. Within a year, the company grew to a size of twelve employees, with their second video game, Scrolls, in development, as well as serving as the publisher of Cobalt. In 2011, Napster founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker offered to invest in Mojang, but was declined. By March 2012, the company had accumulated revenues of over $80 million.

In September 2012, Mojang began a partnership with United Nations Human Settlements Programme called "Block by Block", which entails having Minecraft players constructing sites in-game to use as a basis for assisted development of the village of Kibera in the Nairobi area of Kenya.

On September 15, 2014, Microsoft announced a deal to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in a deal made official on November 6, 2014. With their stakes in the company bought out, the three founders, Markus Persson, Carl Manneh and Jakob Porsér left the company.

-from Wikipedia.com company page-

Justification of Selection:

Games are a great way to teach about teamwork while having fun. Teens are very creative and can do amazing things when given the proper tools. In Minecraft, teens have the tools available to them to create amazing structures and inventions. They can exercise their creativity while working together and have fun at the same time. Both Minecraft modes, survival and creative, offer different levels of difficulty that are easy to adjust depending on the current player group.