Minecraft is a sandbox computer game created and designed in 2009 by a Swedish programmer named Marcus "Notch" Perrson. It was later fully developed and released by the company Mojang.
A sandbox game is an open world game in which the player is allowed to roam and play freely without any specific objectives within the game, this idea represents the theme of a child's sandbox ( let your imagination run wild). Players that use sandbox games are able to do anything they wish, the game is only limited by their imagination.
In Minecraft players have the ability to use textured cubes to build structures in a 3D world. The main activities in the game involve mining (gathering resources) and crafting (making things out of the resources). There are also various other activities which include combat and exploration.
Minecraft has two different modes of play known as creative mode and survival mode. In survival mode the players start with nothing and have to explore, create and build in order to survive and progress in the game. Creation mode however is completely different as players have access to all the items in the game. They are able to roam the map and create their own games and build whatever they want without having to worry about taking damage from monsters or not eating any food. Its completely under the players control. A key to Minecraft's success and popularity is the fact that players and create and customise which is really only limited by the players imagination. Minecraft also doesn't need to advertise a lot because the creations that players make in the game are used to advertise.
Minecraft has been a huge commercial success with over 121 million copies of the game sold (as of February 2017). An estimated 55 million people play every month and Minecraft is the 2nd best selling game of all time (behind Tetris). The game was bought by Microsoft from Mojang in 2014 for $2.4 billion. After this takeover Minecraft has spread across various other platforms such as: Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, IOS, Android, Windows and PC. Spinoff versions of the game have been released such as Minecraft Story Mode and Minecraft Education Edition which was created to be used in various education facilities.
Minecraft has influenced popular culture through social media. Minecraft video channels on Youtube and Twitch have huge followings. A study at the University Pennsylvania found that 1/3 of people found out about Minecraft via social media. Most videos that are created or broadcasted on social media are mainly of players creations which helps to advertise the game. Videos also involve various mini games being played, explorations and survival modes.
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