Despite its blocky graphics that basically resembles Lego playable sets, the sandbox independent video game “Minecraft” is one of the most successful video games in the world.
“Minecraft” is an open-world game that has no specific goals for the player to accomplish, allowing gamers a large amount of freedom in choosing how to play the game.
Created by Swedish programmer Markus “Notch” Persson and subsequently developed and published by Swedish gaming company Mojang, “Minecraft” has creative and building aspects that enable players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D procedurally generated world.
The game also allows exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat. It was officially released on November 18, 2011 to the PC and mobile devices by Mojang; then to the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the Windows Phone by Microsoft Studios; and to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita by Sony Computer Entertainment.
Gameplay modes
“Minecraft” come in two gameplay modes – a single player and a multiplayer mode. Both modes came in three sub-modes. There is the survival mode where players must acquire resources to build the world and maintain health.
There is also a creative mode where players have unlimited resources to build with the ability to fly, and the adventure mode where players use custom maps that were created by other players.
The game also has an achievement system. Gameplay by default is the first person. But players have the option to play in the third person mode. The main gameplay is focused on breaking and placing blocks or rough 3D objects, arranged in a fixed grid pattern and representing different materials such as dirt, stone, various ores, water, and tree trunks.
While players can move freely across the open world, objects can only be placed at fixed locations on the grid. Players can gather these material blocks and put them elsewhere, which enables them to do various constructions.
Heavy promotions on YouTube
With the advent of the latest video games that featured state-of-the-art graphics technology, “Minecraft” has been relegated to a kid’s game, graphics-wise. Eventually, the new games found out that “Minecraft” is already an icon in the video game industry and simply cannot be dislodged from its lofty status as one of the most successful and sentimental video games.
It’s more than 100 million registered users is not just an evidence of its extra-ordinary popularity, it also shows that despite being akin to an open world digital Lego set, gamers really find “Minecraft” entertaining and exciting enough to maintain their interest on it.
A good part of the continued success of “Minecraft” however can be attributed to YouTube, which “Minecraft” gamers and fanatics have greatly made use of to promote and proliferate on how to do things properly in “Minecraft.”
YouTube videos about “Minecrafts” always generate a significant amount of views. Millions of people watch “Minecraft” narrate how they fly, hike, and excavate “Minecraft’s” virtual world, details the New York Times.