Minecraft is a sandbox survival game created by Markus “Notch” Persson. He released it under the banner of the company he founded, Mojang. Its gameplay is split into two main goals – playing to create and playing to survive. It is left to the players to decide whether they like to do it alone, in a single-player mode, or via online servers hosted by Mojang or independent server owners. Like in most games, you control one character for the entirety of the game. Luckily, you’re not stuck with default visuals. You can create or buy skins, and collect armor and weapons.
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| Developer | Mojang |
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| Release Date | 18 November 2011 |
| Genre | Sandbox, survival |
| Mode | Single-player, Multiplayer |
That’s just the beginning. After all, there must be a reason Minecraft the best-selling video game of all time, with over 200 million sales across multiple platforms to date. As a result, Minecraft has generated approximately $415 million in revenue in 2020 alone. Also, the number of active monthly users of Minecraft was 131 million in 2020, while YouTube users watched Minecraft content over 201 billion times in 2020. Its value is also reflected in the fact that Microsoft paid $2.5 to acquire Mojang in 2014.
Gameplay
As you can see from the gameplay of Minecraft, the base game doesn’t have beautiful graphics. That’s because the vast open-world of Minecraft is built out of blocks or cubes of equal size, grouped into chunks. The primary way to play the game is to either build those blocks or destroy them. With that said, Speaking of playing, you have a choice between two main modes, Survival Mode and Creative Mode. Administrators and offline players have the ability to switch between the two. Online players are stuck with playing the mode the server is configured to run. Upon loading the world, players spawn at random coordinates in Overworld, the main Minecraft world.
Survival Mode
Survival Mode entails players having to gather resources by breaking primary blocks (dirt, wood, sand, stone, glass, and later iron, gold, coal, lapis lazuli, diamonds, etc.). Another way includes collecting items as loot from in-game creatures, which can be passive, neutral, or hostile. The players also have the ability to store those items in their personal inventory, and use them to craft a wide variety of things required to survive and thrive. If you’re curious, we continuously publish Minecraft crafting guides here.
Players need to consume food regularly to maintain their health points, as well as build or dig structures such as houses, caves, bunkers, and even safe houses in the sky. You must do this to protect yourself from the outside world. By this, we mean a host of aggressive and dangerous creature NPCs that spawn at night. Upon dying, you spawn at random coordinates in the world once again. That makes it almost impossible to find your body. In contrast, it gives you a chance to learn and start anew. In multiplayer mode, besides NPCs, you have to worry about other players. They can not only attack you, but also loot the items you drop, rob you of the items stored in your chests, and destroy things you built.
Creative Mode
In Creative Mode, you don’t have to worry about your health, other players or NPC attacking you, or collecting items. You have access to the entire Minecraft item database, and, once chosen, can spawn infinite blocks of that type. Additionally, you can fly at great speeds, which allows you to explore the entire world at a rapid rate. This also allows you to let your creativity flow, and build structures that don’t have to serve a practical purpose. Additionally, Minecraft doesn’t limit your playstyle. Although you start in the first-person mode, you’re free to manipulate the camera and change how you experience the game as you go.
Minecraft Worlds
Overworld has 66 to 67 different regions or biomes, depending on the version. Each biome has unique features, such as natural formations, temperature, block height, flora and fauna, humidity, and even a different sky color. Minecraft also has 2 more worlds, The End, and The Nether. They are generated when a player fulfills certain requirements and creates a portal to them.
FAQ
Partially. Mojang released a 10th-anniversary version called Minecraft Classic. It is free and barebones and you can only play it in your browser. None of the other versions of Minecraft are free, although you can get a free trial for Minecraft: Java Edition on Windows, Android, PlayStation 3, 4, and Vita.
In other words, “is Minecraft a one-time buy?” Yes, you only have to pay once for Minecraft, a $6.99 flat fee. The monthly fee only applies to Minecraft Realms, which are Mojang-owner game servers for multi-player. The price depends on the number of players you plan to host.
Yes. Minecraft is sold on different platforms, and they all have separate contracts in place. For that reason, you can’t transfer your Minecraft license for free. Re-downloading the game on a platform you bought it on is unlimited.
Yes. This is free and done through the Mojang account panel. After you log in, click on Change next to the current profile name. You can do this done once every 30 days. Mojang will reserve your old name for 37 days.
Yes. Many even argue that it’s critical for the development of children in modern times. It’s a non-violent educational game suited for boys and girls alike. It allows children to explore their imagination, forces them to problem solve and manage resources, as well as work as a team, and think outside of the box. Parents of kids with an autism spectrum disorder also praise Minecraft for providing a medium where they feel safe, get a way to express themselves, and build social skills.
Refer to the constantly updated official Minecraft system requirements. As a precaution, Microsoft allows you to use Demo Mode in the Minecraft Launcher, which is valid for 5 in-game days. It’s a useful way to see if your system can run Minecraft and get a refund if not.
Minecraft requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, while the recommended amount of RAM for Minecraft is 8 GB. The number rises considerably if you decide to host a Minecraft server on top of playing.
There are over 18 quintillion possible seeds in Minecraft. Minecraft seeds are “genetic” codes that determine the characteristics of the world you create. The number is generated randomly, or through player input. Type /seed in the chat to see your seed number.
