March 23, 2023

The history of the creation of Minecraft

I researched the history of the creation of Minecraft by examining seven sources, including articles from reputable websites like The Guardian, TechRadar, Red Bull, Merry-Go-Round Magazine, and IGN, as well as a comprehensive timeline from the Minecraft Fandom Wiki. There was a general consensus among the sources regarding the key events and the impact of Minecraft on the gaming industry. Most sources were directly related to the original query, providing a solid foundation of information. Given the research, I am confident in presenting the relevant findings from these sources.

Words

498

Time

4m 56s

Contributors

392

Words read

49.1k


Have an opinion? Send us proposed edits/additions and we may incorporate them into this article with credit.

Minecraft's Origins

Minecraft was initially created by Markus "Notch" Persson, a Swedish game programmer, in 2009. The idea for the game was inspired by Infiniminer, a block-based mining game, and RubyDung, an isometric base-building game that Persson was developing. Persson began full-time development of Minecraft around May 10, 2009, after purchasing the domain name Minecraft.net on April 16, 2009, for a small fee.

Development

During its early development stages, Minecraft was updated very frequently, sometimes multiple times in a day. The game was released in an unfinished "alpha" state, so people could try it and give feedback, effectively inventing the "early access" model that allowed for community feedback in the game's development. The game has undergone several major updates since its inception, each introducing new features, items, mobs, and game mechanics.

Sales and Acquisition

By May 2011, Minecraft had sold over 1 million copies. The growing team at Mojang, founded by Persson, developed Minecraft until September 2014 when Microsoft bought Mojang for $2.5 billion. Minecraft has sold 176 million copies and has an audience of 180 million people, making it one of the most significant games in history.

Impact on the Gaming Industry

Minecraft has had a profound impact on the gaming industry, establishing game mechanics like crafting and survival modes. Games with a survival mode mechanic, such as Rust, Ark: Survival Evolved, and DayZ, have become an industry standard in modern games. Minecraft's innovative game development set the foundation for other developers to build upon and its community feedback based early access model was groundbreaking and became the framework for the indie game boom of the past decade.

Educational and Therapeutic Applications

Minecraft has been used in educational settings, teaching children everything from math to ecology. It has also found a place in therapy, helping people with conditions such as autism and PTSD to develop prosocial behavior. Minecraft contributes to education by offering hundreds of schools around the world the ability to teach everything from physics to theatre studies.

Conclusion

Minecraft is a revolutionary game that has left a significant impact on the gaming industry and has influenced many subsequent games. Its innovative development approach and community feedback model have set a new standard in the gaming world. The game has also had a considerable impact on education and therapy, showing its versatility and importance in various aspects of society.

Jump to top

Research

"https://www.ign.com/articles/the-history-and-evolution-of-minecraft"

  • Minecraft was created by Markus “Notch” Persson, who began full-time development in 2009.
  • Minecraft was initially inspired by Infiniminer, a block-based mining game, and RubyDung, an isometric base-building game that Persson was developing.
  • Minecraft has undergone several major updates since its inception in 2009.
  • The first major update came in 2012 with the 1.4 Pretty Scary Update, which introduced Wither Skeletons, the Wither boss, Witches, and other items like Anvil, Potatoes, and Carrots.
  • The 1.5 Redstone Update arrived in 2012, adding redstone-related blocks such as the Hopper, Daylight Sensor, and Comparator, while Minecraft Realms subscription service was introduced.
  • In 2013, the Update that Changed the World introduced revamped world generation systems and 11 new biomes, including Savanna, Mesa, and Extreme Hills+.
  • The 2016 Combat Update made gameplay changes by introducing cooldown mechanic for attacks, the Shield item, and the Elytra for flying/gliding within Survival Mode. This update also revamped The End area.
  • In 2017, the World of Color Update was a color-centered update, adding colorful blocks like Concrete, Terracotta, and dyeable Beds to players. Parrots also debuted.
  • The 2018 Update Aquatic overhauled oceans in-game and introduced mobs like the Turtle, Dolphin, Cod, Salmon, and Pufferfish, and water-based items like Trident and Heart of the Sea.
  • The 2019 Village and Pillage Update altered the way villages appeared in-game. The update also added Scaffolding, the Campfire, Blast Furnace, Cartography Table, Stonecutter, and Grindstone.
  • The 2020 Nether Update overhauled the Nether adding new biomes, Netherite items, and the Piglin mob.
  • In 2021, Caves and Cliffs was a two-part mega update that fundamentally altered world generation in-game, overhauling mountains and cave systems and adding new biomes and mobs like the Axolotl, Glow Squid, and Goat.
  • Minecraft Legends is the latest action strategy spinoff from Mojang released in 2021.
  • Markus Persson left the growing team at Mojang (of which he was the founding member) in September 2014, when Microsoft announced a $2.5 billion acquisition deal to purchase

"https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline_of_events"

  • The webpage contains a timeline of events related to Minecraft and Mojang Studios.
  • The article aims to retrace the history of all events related to Minecraft in a less targeted manner than the different version history pages.
  • The page requires an update to reflect recent updates or newly available information.
  • The section titled “Updates per year” provides information about how many release and development versions there have been every year for each edition of the game.
  • There is information about major, minor, development updates, snapshots, prereleases, combat tests, joke updates for Java, Bedrock/Pocket, Legacy Console Edition, and MinecraftEdu/Education Edition versions of the game.
  • A snapshot is a pre-release version of Minecraft that is not yet finished but available for players to test to see what’s coming in the next update.
  • A pre-release is an early version of the next Minecraft update that is available to players to test and provide feedback.
  • Release candidates are final versions of the next Minecraft update that Mojang releases so that players can test them for any major issues before the actual update is released.
  • The combat test is an experimental test version of Minecraft that is used to test specific combat changes made to the game.
  • The timeline only provides information about the release and development of Minecraft but does not provide any information about the creation of Minecraft.
  • There are joke updates, such as 20w14∞ and 1.RV-Pre1, released on April Fools’ Day that are not meant to be taken seriously.
  • Java Edition is the version of Minecraft that is written in the Java programming language.
  • Bedrock Edition is the version of Minecraft that is designed for touch-based platforms, such as tablets, smartphones, and consoles.
  • Legacy Console Edition is the version of Minecraft that was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One.
  • MinecraftEdu/Education Edition is the version of Minecraft that is designed for use in classrooms and educational settings.

There are numerous updates for the Java Edition and Bedrock/Pocket edition every year since the game’s release. In 2022, one major update, four minor updates, and 20 snapshots, among other test versions, were released for the Java Edition. The Bedrock/Pocket Edition received one major update and 18 minor updates, among other test versions, in the same year. In contrast, the Legacy Console Edition only received one PlayStation 3 and one PlayStation Vita

"https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/how-minecraft-changed-the-face-of-gaming/"

  • Minecraft is a game that has left a significant impact on the gaming industry, with many describing it as innovative, revolutionary, and trendsetting.
  • It has an audience of 180 million people and is present across almost every conceivable gaming console.
  • Minecraft’s success ensured that its influence would be implemented into almost every subsequent game that was released.
  • Minecraft’s successful game design has had a huge impact on the gaming industry, helping to establish game mechanics like crafting and survival modes.
  • Crafting systems in games across all genres from games like the Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and Alien Isolation have received widespread acclaim and use Minecraft’s mechanics as a model.
  • Games with a survival mode mechanic, such as Rust, Ark: Survival Evolved, and DayZ, have become an industry standard in modern games.
  • Minecraft’s innovative game development set the foundation for other developers to build upon. It was started in 2009 as an indie project before being sold to Microsoft for $2.5 billion.
  • Minecraft’s community feedback based early access model was groundbreaking and became the framework for the indie game boom of the past decade.
  • Minecraft’s accessibility and emphasis on creativity had a considerable impact on gaming culture, particularly its use in teaching children everything from math to ecology.
  • Minecraft has also found a place in therapy, helping people with conditions such as autism and PTSD to develop prosocial behaviour.
  • Minecraft has connected with people of all ages, creating avenues for gaming culture that may not have existed without it, and helping to establish gaming as a social platform where people can connect with one another.
  • Minecraft has had an impact on other media forms and helped shape society’s views on gaming culture.
  • Minecraft’s presence on platforms like YouTube helped to popularize gaming videos and contributed to the rise of Let’s Play style video content.
  • Minecraft has allowed numerous content creators to showcase their creations, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together to share in Minecraft’s limitless creativity.
  • Minecraft’s ability to connect with people and bring them together is why it has made such a significant impact on the gaming world. Its legacy is significant, and it has established itself as a giant in the gaming industry.

"https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/may/18/minecraft-at-10-building-things-and-changing-lives"

  • Minecraft is a game that was originally developed by one coder, Markus Persson, in his spare time.
  • The game was released in an unfinished “alpha” state, so people could try it and give feedback.
  • Minecraft effectively invented the “early access” model that allowed for community feedback in the game’s development.
  • Every month, 90 million people around the world play Minecraft on 21 platforms.
  • Minecraft has sold 176 million copies.
  • Minecraft clothes, LEGO sets, and spin-offs (such as Minecraft Classic) have become vastly popular.
  • There will be a live-action Minecraft movie to be released in spring 2022.
  • Mojang is the Swedish studio responsible for developing Minecraft.
  • Minecraft has become part of player’s identities.
  • Lydia Winters, brand director at Mojang, started out as a Minecraft YouTuber. Making videos about the game during a tough time in her life. She credits the game’s community feel for helping her heal and find her feet.
  • Minecraft changed the structure of the gaming experience, presenting players with a blocky world that they are free to explore devoid of a structured reward system.
  • Minecraft offers plenty of opportunities for community building and collaboration.
  • Minecraft also became a focus of the emerging YouTuber community in the 2010s, thanks to its inherent humor and an open-ended structure that allowed gamers and presenters to express themselves through idiosyncratic ideas.
  • Some of the biggest YouTubers in the world like StampyCat, Amy Lee, and DanTDM, built their millions-strong fanbases by messing about in Minecraft.
  • Minecraft contributes to education by offering hundreds of schools around the world the ability to teach everything from physics to theatre studies.
  • Minecraft can be used to teach young people some basic elements of coding.
  • The game has a focus on collaboration, making it a godsend for non-neurotypical, shy, awkward, or lonely children who find it hard to make friends in real life.
  • There have been instances where parents have reported their children barely spoke, struggled at school, had no friends, but Minecraft turned that around.
  • Minecraft has offered people across the world a place to be creative, expressive, social, and safe; these people have found meaningful friendships without having to cope with or understand a lot of the intricacies of physical contact.
  • Minecraft has positively impacted the lives of many people across the world since its inception.
  • The game has helped many people build communities, garner confidence, and use their

"https://www.techradar.com/news/the-history-of-minecraft"

  • Minecraft was initially inspired by another game called Infiniminer, which was coded and released by Zach Barth
  • Markus ‘Notch’ Persson worked on a game called RubyDung prior to working on Minecraft
  • Minecraft’s very first version, coded in Java, was quickly created after Notch got ideas from Infiniminer
  • In Minecraft’s initial release, players could place and destroy blocks and food could be gathered and consumed, but nothing could be crafted
  • The first version of Minecraft was immediately identifiable today despite it not yet having the name of Minecraft
  • Minecraft became popular because of its freedom and creative nature
  • Minecraft introduced multiplayer tests within two months of its first version release
  • Minecraft has gone through various game modes such as “Survival Mode,” “Creative Mode,” and “Adventure Mode.”
  • Minecraft’s Creeper-toting survival mode began testing later in 2009
  • Minecraft alpha sales began on June 13th 2009 and quickly gained 1,000 copies sold and over 20,000 registered players
  • Minecraft released its beta version on November 18, 2011, at the Las Vegas MineCon convention
  • Minecraft was formally released in November 2011 at MineCon, and version 1.0 introduced The End, adding a formal ending to the game
  • Minecraft is the best selling PC game ever
  • The most significant behind-the-scenes update in Minecraft’s history was the Bedrock Engine, which brought cross-platform multiplayer and unification of DLC items
  • Minecraft’s sales crossed 100 million by 2016 across all platforms
  • Minecraft Pocket Edition, which came 5 years after Minecraft’s initial release, could run on various platforms
  • Minecraft’s Java Edition continues development under its own internal team
  • Minecraft’s popularity led to a series of toys and branded merchandise, and even a LEGO set
  • Minecraft was purchased by Microsoft for $2.5 billion after being released on Xbox One
  • Under Microsoft’s new leadership, Minecraft’s expansion has continued with the launch of an Education edition that builds on the game’s creative and problem-solving aspects
  • Minecraft has become a cultural phenomenon with a huge fanbase, rendering it as an important part of the gaming industry’s history

"https://www.redbull.com/se-en/history-of-minecraft"

  • Minecraft was released in various editions and updates with new items, blocks, mobs, resources, game mechanics, and modes, making the game more replayable
  • The game has various modes such as Creative Mode, Adventure Mode, and Survival Mode, which allow players to experience different gameplay
  • Minecraft has charming, pixelated graphics that are visually stunning
  • Minecraft’s simplicity is one reason it’s big
  • Minecraft has an infinite open world with randomized biomes, including mountains, forests, caves, plains, and oceans, and a night/day cycle
  • Progression in Minecraft can only be reached through an achievements system
  • Minecraft consists of cubes, or blocks, which you can destroy, remove, build, or replace
  • Minecraft is highly customizable, with a modding community that has made a wide variety of new maps, mobs, items, and game mechanics
  • Minecraft has a vital multiplayer mode where several players can meet and play in a single world
  • Minecraft has various spinoffs, including Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Earth
  • Minecraft’s impact on our society and its popularity have seen it being transformed into movies, documentaries, novels, physical merchandise, and music
  • Minecraft is applicated in education, planning of infrastructure, and habitat studies
  • Minecraft won multiple awards and has been called “One of the most important games of the decade” by several acclaimed reviewers
  • Minecraft is reported to have been sold in over 200 million copies with over 125 million monthly active players
  • Early funding for Minecraft was player-based, and Minecraft was one of the first indie games to truly use Youtube and other similar media platforms to market itself successfully
  • Mojang and the ownership of Minecraft’s intellectual property were bought by Microsoft in 2017 for almost a record amount

💭  Looking into

The impact of Minecraft on the gaming industry

💭  Looking into

The journey of Minecraft's development and growth