Minecraft

Minecraft

Minecraft: Facts:

*Minecraft is a sandbox game.The game allows players to build with a variety of different

blocks in a 3D procedurally

generated world, requiring creativity from players. Other activities in the game include

exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat.

*It was created by Swedish game developer Markus Persson and later developed by

Mojang. Minecraft was created in 2009 & later released in 2011

*It was sold for $2.58 million to Microsoft 

*It can now be used on multiple platforms

•Minecraft is the second most successful video game of all time behind Tetris.•It was created and designed by Markus Persson, a game programmer, who also developed and published the game through his company Mojang. A full version of the game went on release in November 2011.•To date, well over 121 million copies have been sold across all  platforms, including over 27 million PC copies, making it the biggest selling PC game of all time.

The success of the games market.

–The UK’s   US$4 billion;
–China,   US$24.4 billion
–America’s   US$23.6 billion.
•A recent report by the UKIE1 suggests that the global games market is now worth in excess of US$100 billion.    •In comparison to traditional media like film, radio, print and television, video games are much younger, exponentially growing since the 1970s.

•Digitally convergent media: Video games consoles are an excellent example of a

digitally convergent device, you can not only play games but access social media, surf

the internet, stream films and TV content and upload content into cloud based servers.

Cross-media content helps maximise profits and also improve reach to new customers.

•Digitally convergent media: Video games consoles are an excellent example of

a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games but access social media, surf

the internet, stream films and TV content and upload content into cloud based servers.

Cross-media content helps maximise profits and also improve reach to new customers. 

•Production: This refers to all phases of designing, developing and making the media

product. 

•Distribution: This refers to all processes linked to delivering the media product to

audiences both through tangible (disc) and digital (Cloud based) media. 

•Consumption: Explores the way in which the media text is used by audiences for pleasure 

but also explores the rise of user generated content across several platforms.

        Free marketing -  people repost and share their versions on memes and parodies on social media. It hits different audiences and increases popularity of the game. 

MINECRAFT’S INITIAL SUCCESS IN MARKETING TO THE GAMING COMMUNITY

•Without the commercial backing of a mainstream publisher, and no money spent on

advertising revenue, the game relied on word of mouth between gamers and featured on

sites such as the Penny Arcade web comic to generate interest amongst gamers.

•January 2011, the beta-version of the game had passed over one million purchases in

just only a month, and by April 2011 Persson estimated that US$33 million of revenue had

been made. 

The game was carefully marketed to audiences as identified above, as an online version of

Lego and in doing so aligned itself with one of the most iconic ‘learning construction

education products’ in history. Lego already sells Minecraft playsets so gamers can

physically build their virtual creations. And Lego Worlds will invite fans to do the same in

reverse, reinforcing each other helping both brands. 

Synergy: the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other

agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

MINECRAFT EDUCATION SITE  discuss how the Game is used within the education

sector: Benefits of Minecraft in education

a- Learn to code

b- Immersive stem learning: Through project-based lessons, students build critical 21st

century skills like collaboration, creative problem solving and digital citizenship.

c- Classroom skills: A set of tutorials and game features brings subjects to life in Minecraft:

Education Edition and supports educators in classroom management and formative

assessment. 

d- Hand eye coordination 

e- Collaborative work

f- Creativity and inovation

The words ‘create’ and ‘imagination’ were used in the marketing of the game and as such,

have been used in education in the past two years to help with building and construction

and arts based courses. 

Multi-platform format: xbox, playstation, computer, phone ....

•Distribution: Versions of the game can

be purchased over the internet using such outlets the Playstation Network or Xbox Live

Arcade. Recent additions include the Nintendo platform which was excluded from the initial

Minecraft releases; available to download from December 2015 with physical copies from

June 2016 and most recently for Nintendo Switch (May 2017) and Nintendo 3DS (download

only from September 2017). The Minecraft: Story Mode -

Genre - Sandbox game: A game free of structure and constraint; players are free to roam

and make choices about how they use available content.

Sandbox games are often described as having open world settings. Minecraft later created

a hybrid genre with the story versions and is sometimes categorised as sandbox, survival.

Different game genres: 

Action

Arcade

Adventure

Fighting

Racing

First Person Shooters

Sandbox

Minecraft’s specialised and institutionalised nature of media production, distribution

and circulation. 

• It is worth considering how a simple PC Java

game has become a globally successful

phenomenon across all consoles and           

hand-held devices. Gamers were able to

contribute to the development of the program

eliminating bugs and facilitating multiplayer 

capability

•2010 Minecraft was developed as a multiplayer
game using JAVA code..

•Gamers were able to contribute to the development of the program eliminating bugs and
facilitating multiplayer capability

•In September of 2013, Microsoft bought all rights to Minecraft from Mojang for $2.5 billion
dollars.

• 2013 Microsoft purchase of Mojang for 2.5$bn resulted in the further development of the

game,using complex code C++ the Game could be used by muti-platform users – (different

devices) and the visual appearance became more sophisticated.  This was done to increase

their market sales

• 2017 Minecraft is now a multi- platform (on different devices) game which is not only
just for PC gamers but those who own smartphones, Microsoft consoles (Xbox);
Playstation 3, 4 and PS Vita; and more recently Nintendo consoles (Wii U) and hand-held
devices (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo New 3DS, New 2DS XL and New 3DS XL)

•Due to the original nature of the game, most players simply logged in to play Minecraft and 
didn’t need a physical copy of the game.

•When the Xbox and PlayStation versions were created there was often a chance to offer
digital versions of the same game across the Windows 10 operating system

•Users were often encouraged to download the game through the cloud servers rather than
a physical copy of the game which would incur more of a cost for the institution.

•Physical copies of the game were released 6 months after the cloud versions t encourage
online purchase and reduce the risk of piracy

The significance of patterns of ownership and control, including conglomerate
ownership, vertical integration and diversification:

•Why Microsoft purchased – Minecraft for 2.5£Bn?
–Given the nature of the parent company and the loyal fan base of PC gamers, it was in the
company’s interest to invest US$2.5 billion to purchase Mojang for long term revenue.
–Microsoft have since developed the product using more complex coding C++
–This has enabled multi platform access (mentioned previously)
–They have launched newer more traditional programs such as Minecraft Story board
–Minecraft in November 2014 of that year, plans to work on a virtual reality version of
Minecraft in Partnership with Oculus

https://www.oculus.com/blog/minecraft-is-now-available-on-rift-with-cross-platform-play/
 The VR is a virtual reality game,
owned by Facebook. Minecraft is now available on the VR. Minecraft is the highest selling
3D game ever, with over 150 million copies sold. Its more immersive & it's on the forefront of
technology. People are more mobile as they're looking around. It was released in 2016.

The significance of economic factors, including commercial and not-for-profit public
funding, to media industries and their products:

•Minecrafts commercial success
–Budgets for games vary and Minecraft is a good example of a game that was made and
developed using readily available open source software within the gaming community;
creating the original Minecraft using Java gave it the advantage of being cross platform: it
will run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

–other mainstream games that require entire teams of programmers, artists and engineers
to make video games that have budgets equal or exceeding that of mainstream films.  AN 
example of this includes CALL OF DUTY

•Minecraft’s not for profit funding of projects
–Minecraft has also been linked to non-profit projects such as the UNs Block by Block
project, which encourages communities around the world to redesign their neighbourhoods
using Minecraft.

–An educational version has also been developed, MinecraftEdu (2012), which has several
applications to help teach subject and develop a culture of computer programming amongst
digital natives.

-They partnered with the UN to set up a charity in 2012, Block by Block, it works with

people to raise money for the improvements of public spaces for poor/developing

countries.

How audiences are grouped and categorised by media industries, including by age,

gender and social class, as well as by lifestyle and taste:

•Minecraft has universal appeal. It is useful to explore how such a game can appeal to

different ages, genders and audiences from different social and cultural backgrounds

•The variety of different modes is certainly a contributing factor to the game’s success, but

also the way in which audiences can control and shape their own worlds and create new

identities through mods and altering textures, maps and craft kits.

Minecraft Realms:

2013

The introduction of Minecraft Realms (2013) has tried to give     

the producers more control over the distribution and circulation

of the game since some pro-am consumers were creating their

own virtual spaces and hacks across illegitimate servers, such 

as https://www.wizardhax.com/ as one example.

Realms is intended for use by small  groups of friends or as a

family server. It pays for service base, it's a safe game with a

secure server. It's cross-platform. 

2015 – 2017  Microsoft offers

Minecraft: Story Mode is an episodic point-and-click graphic

adventure video game. Its a episodic adventure game that tells 

a story. You have to talk to characters & solve puzzles to

progress in the game.

•Minecraft and subsequent versions and variations of the game offers familiar pleasures to

existing fans (narrative features, open world gameplay etc.) along with new elements to

target a wider audience (e.g. Story Mode).

•The creation of Minecraft Realms was a well-considered way to attract and encourage

audiences to use the game on dedicated servers

•YouTube, Facebook and online fan communities has enabled Minecraft’s audience to have

an active voice in its ongoing production through detailed feedback and commentary on

modifications and beta tests. There are several niche forums that should also be

investigated across the internet.

Youtubers who play minecraft:

Stampy: 9M subscribers, he does lets plays, 6.8bl views in total

iBallisticSquid.

Paul Soares Jr.

Little Lizard Gaming.

PrestonPlayz:  

TheAtlanticCraft.

Minecraft Universe.

Pewdiepie: 80M subscribers, 

Minecraft forums:

Users create different types of media which is then beneficial to Minecraft as its seen as

free advertisement. People create Youtube videos, blogs, forums and even Wiki pages. 

The establishment of Minecraft Marketplace is a great example of the industry listening to

their audiences (fans) and allowing

Minecraft Marketplace is a way to browse and purchase community made content from 
within the game. Content purchases in the Marketplace are made using a currency
called Minecraft Coins, which is purchased in the game store.

• the trade of different maps, textures and ‘add ons’ in a legitimate setting.  - Look up

Minecraft Market Place and discuss the opportunities for users to make money from their

use of Minecraft

•The nature of the game has also allowed audiences to learn new skills, such as 

programming.