Minecraft - Essay

Create a 1000 word essay discussing the evolution of Mincraft.  As part of the essay you will address

·      How the ownership of Minecraft has affected the games evolution

·      How Minecraft is marketed to a variety of audiences

·      How users interact with the game including how they create their own content

The ownership of Minecraft has affected the game's evolution, mainly due to the fact that it is now programmed and coded differently. Markus (Notch) Perssons developed the game in 2009 (a grassroots game) as part of the small company Mojang, which only had about 12 other people working on the game, and then sold it for £2.5 billion to Microsoft in 2013 once it had made massive profits and become a popular game. In 2010 Minecraft was developed as a multiplayer game using JAVA code, which meant that Gamers were able to contribute to the development of the program eliminating bugs and facilitating multiplayer capability, which was likely a key reason for its success. The interaction means that the creators can take on board improvements and therefore are consistently making the players happy. With Microsoft, Minecraft is now developed using more complex coding with C++ which has made it possible to have better graphics, something that makes the game much more visually appealing than previously, and also helps the game to run better as it is less prone to glitches or bugs. It has also enabled multi platform access and therefore invites all players from all consoles to play, and not feeling left out. Ownership has also affected elements of convergence as Microsoft also own Xbox, and therefore they are able to promote their console as part of Minecraft if they choose to. It also means that profits from Minecraft can be invested in improving the Xbox and therefore they benefit economically. Also, Microsoft have launched newer more traditional programs such as Minecraft Story mode which has been successful in reaching a wider audience, particularly due to the different style which allows people who could be bored of sandbox to try a new branch of Minecraft. Similar to this, in November 2014 of that year, plans to work on a virtual reality version of Minecraft in Partnership with Oculus. Virtual Reality is a greatly successful advancement and therefore Minecraft's partnership was interesting, allowing people to get even more deeply invested into the world they are playing in. Oculus is a new and exciting advancement and therefore people are always drawn to games which have this partnership and Virtual Reality feature. 

Minecraft is marketed to a wide range of audiences due to its flexible nature, which allows for a variety of interpretations from different social groups as they play the game. 43.7% of Minecraft players were 15-21, based on a survey, which is fairly young but not as young as typically stereotyped. In society there are a lot of preconceptions about the game and that it is 'easy' and therefore it should only be played or enjoyed by a younger audience, however this is not the case in reality as the difficulty can be adjusted before playing, as well as a range of different versions of the game (realms, mods, story mode, survival or creative) which allows freedom for all types of gamers to enjoy. Minecraft therefore try to reach a wide range of audiences through their marketing and are clearly successful despite criticism it may get. Firstly, young people are reached with marketing with certain techniques such as the link to Lego. Minecrafts relation to Lego is important, as it is a form of media convergence. Lego fans may play Minecraft and vice versa, creating a bigger fan base which is typically young for Lego (though not always). Lego also created their own game similar to Minecraft, which they believed would be greatly beneficial to them despite taking profits off of a similar idea because it will direct players towards the original game, adding another element of convergence. As well as this, the Minecraft short movie was aimed at children, which is another way that they can become invested in the game and become bigger fans of it, buying more products and merchandise if they like the film. Minecraft's education edition helps to market the game towards students as well as teachers as it is a fun learning resource for a variety of subjects and programming, which can be used in lessons, but also promotes the game's other modes if the players become interested. Adults and teenagers can also be targeted by elements such as Minecraft Realms, which allows them to interact with other players and create their own servers. 

Users are able to interact with Minecraft by voting on polls about certain updates and features in the game. For example, which mob makes it in to ‘Minecon’, and requires voting and elimination. This can create a sense of competition and excitement in the community. As well as this, YouTube, Facebook and online fan communities has enabled Minecraft’s audience to have an active voice through detailed feedback and commentary on modifications and beta tests. As well as social media, there are also several forums in which fans of the game can talk about anything they want about it, and builds a further sense of interaction and loyalty among fans. It can also help people to build friendships and fulfil their 'personal relationships needs' (Bulmer and Katz) as they have a mutual interest in the game. Many YouTubers that play Minecraft are adults which can be very beneficial for Minecraft as it allows viewers to see what the game is like and understand that it is not just aimed at young people. Some of these YouTubers include 'CaptainSparklez', who created highly-produced parodies and music videos from Minecraft animation, which very often went viral and achieved over 100million views. Not only does this make the game look fun, but could even cause someone to want to become a Minecraft YouTuber for the fortune, and therefore may promote the game in order to fulfil their survival needs of earning money as well as entertainment (Hierarchy of needs, Maslow). As well as this, Youtubers such as The Yogcast or Pewdiepie (old videos) make content suitable for adults while Stampy or Sky does Minecraft may be more suited to children. This wide range of social media content benefits Minecraft because it encourages people to support the game.