Minecraft is a three-dimensional sandbox game , created and developed by Swedish-based Mojang Studios. It sets no specific goals for the player to accomplish, allowing users a large amount of freedom in choosing how to play the game. Game play is in the first-person perspective by default, but players do have the option to play in third person and there are different modes of play including Story Mode features. The game world is composed of rough 3D objects – mainly cubes and fluids – representing various materials such as dirt, stone, ores, tree trunks, water and lava. The core game play revolves around breaking and placing these objects. These blocks are arranged in a 3D grid, while players can move freely around the world. Players can mine blocks and then place them elsewhere, which allows for constructions to be built. The key characteristic of Minecraft as a video game is its creative and educational functions, which are more explicit in the gaming experience than in market-led rival games.
Sandbox game A game free of structure and constraint; players are free to roam and make choices about how they use the available content.
Marketing and Distribution-
This is a parody made by a popular creator 'Captain Sparklez' to promote themselves and the game Minecraft with views of over 200 million and the creator having over 10 million subscribers it shows how it has been distributed across the YouTube community. They are mainly focusing on fitting a younger audience.
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; - £3,065,600 Pounds
China, US$24.4 billion £2,556,900,400,000.00 Yen
America’s US$23.6 billion.
Minecraft’s Swedish creator, Markus “Notch” Persson started creating the game in May of 2009 having been inspired by similar games such as Dwarf Fortress, a single- player construction and management game; his goal was to produce a Role Playing Game variation.
Minecraft’s initial reception wasn’t commercially viable, seen more as a niche product for players with expert knowledge of computers and programming.
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.
by 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.
Minecraft inspired videos gained significant popularity on YouTube generating viral hype and talkability.
By 2011, with Minecraft being developed among the game community, Persson and his company, Mojang Studios, had a game concept with exponential global growth but without commercial backing from a mainstream publisher. The game’s publicity relied on word-of-mouth recommendations between gamers – its users. For many media companies this would not typically have enabled growth or development of the concept. But, in the online age, Persson had the vision to circulate and generate the game via the internet and the video game community, so spreading the message virally about the game’s value. This is a clear example of the power of collaboration.
A consequence of this was that the beta version of the game had passed ‘over one million purchases in just a month in January 2011, and by April 2011 Persson estimated that US$33 million of revenue had been made’
In November 2011, prior to the game’s official release:
Minecraft had over 16 million registered users
and 4 million purchases.
Due to its popularity, Minecraft was released across multiple platforms, becoming a commercially viable franchise with increased interactivity.
In particular, Minecraft: Pocket Edition was released on Sony Xperia Play, available on Sony Xperia smartphones.
Minecraft also become available on Android and iOS devices shortly after.
It was this ability to strike a franchise deal with an existing technology company, in this case Sony, to distribute the game that was a key feature of its success.
This commercial deal helped secure Minecraft ’s place in the video game market. Its significance was twofold:
■ It was released on multiple platforms and increased audience interactivity.
■ It was packaged as a game brand for a wider global audience and not just video gamers.
Synergy- the interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations
Minecraft Education- This is important because people learn in different ways so if someone was more of a visual learner this would be an advantage to them as it will be a strength for them.
In 2014, Microsoft acquired Minecraft intellectual property for $2.5 billion. In 2015, it reached 30 million copies sold.
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 - Minecraft has evolved from the technology being able to creative a narrative with choices you can choose what happens next. Price for a season is £29 for a season pass. For the whole series it is £107.
Sandbox games are games in which the player explores an open-ended world and they can do whatever they want to do with a few key note rules set in place. Other than those key note rules, the player can do whatever they want to, whether it would involve building structures or adventuring around the world to kill monsters.
Action
Arcade
Adventure
Fighting
Racing
Shooter
FPS- First Person Shooter
Third Person Shooter
Role playing Game
MMORPG
Youtubers that promote Minecraft
Pewdiepie- Over 100 mil
Yogcast Lewis and Simon - Over 7 mil
Sky Does Minecraft- Over 11 mil
Reviews
Tutorials
Video
Short Cuts
The way that Minecraft has effectively managed and maximised its audience is the foundation of its success. Initially, Mojang relied upon word of mouth from its users and the online community of computer programmer and gamers. Since the Microsoft takeover, Minecraft has developed plenty of opportunities to market the brand and its gaming features. If a company buys the intellectual rights to a video game in a deal running into billions of dollars, then it expects a sizeable financial return.
Minecraft had originally debuted as a downloadable game with no money for its marketing budget. In 2011, Minecraft became a gaming giant because Persson built the game with his community. As he recalls:
It’s a weird way of making a game. You just put it out and keep working on it as you’re making it … I tried to make sure it’s clear that ‘This is not the game [that the buyers will see]. I’m just working on it, and you can play it while I’m making it.’ (Source: http://observer.com , 14 March 2017)
He found, however, that his early adopters helped improve the game. Users reported bugs and, more importantly, created ‘mods’ (game modifications) that were new worlds, characters and items for gamers to play with inside Minecraft .
The introduction of the Minecraft Realms service in 2013 was an attempt to give the producers more control over the distribution and circulation of the game. Realms are servers that are created specifically for players and are intended to keep players’ Minecraft world online, accessible and safe to allow them to create, survive or compete. This invokes a sense of belonging, community and play amongst its users. It is the establishment of a community within its marketplace that signals Minecraft as a lead video game.
Minecraft Wiki ( http://minecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Minecraft ) is a free-to-use website referenced by Minecraft users to find out how to craft an item or realm in Minecraft . Users ask for help in the online forum. There is a history of the game’s development on the site and a wide range of fans’ feeds. This networked community of users exchanges ideas, finds free game resources and asks questions in relation to problem solving and creativity. Away from established and recognised internet platforms, Minecraft reddit is a forum widely used and lists websites for add-ons and game features.
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.
Minecraft , as a PC Java game, became a globally successful phenomenon across all consoles and hand-held devices.
It is now a multi-platform game appealing to a wide range of users – not only PC gamers but those who own smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Mojang has struck deals with Nintendo, the largest game software seller, and Sony, as a hardware manufacturer and global conglomerate.
By 2014 the intellectual property rights had been acquired by Microsoft, an American multinational technology company. This is not simply a case of the product being in the right place at the right time. These gaming giants and technology companies had a vision for Minecraft and how it could be distributed both globally and through its own gaming community. Their view was that beyond sales of hardware or software,
gamers’ could readily be sold add-ons and a whole range of merchandise, including Minecraft: Official Magazine e, T-shirts, mugs, calendars, backpacks, hoodies, tie-ins with Lego, and Minecraft mini-games. Most recently a Minecraft movie has been proposed for 2019 (with Warner Bros. film studio). Minecraft has become a global brand with its own marketplace (its fans) to which to sell these offline commodities.
Is it inevitable that independent media producers, such as Mojang, will be bought out by conglomerates like Microsoft? It does seem that in the history of the media there is a recognised pattern of diversification of interests by leading commercial companies in the takeover of independent producers – a pattern that has been long established in, for example, Film making.
2017 Microsoft ownership develops the cross platform capability of Minecraft which is now available on C 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)
This opens up the market for the game (potentially increasing profits)
Newer games e.g. for smart phones were programmed in C++ (which limit the Minecraft community from modifying the code)
Newer games such as cross platform play are more complex and refined in their graphic content
That means that the console versions of Minecraft on Xbox One (and eventually, the Nintendo Switch) will now run the same version of Minecraft as PCs, mobile, and VR, built on what Microsoft calls the Bedrock Engine.
Once the Better Together Update hits in the summer, the game’s editions on Windows 10, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile, and VR will simply be called ‘Minecraft’. They will share DLC – and players – in fulfilment of a plan the publishers have been working towards since they bought out Notch in 2014.
Minecraft: Java Edition – the original Minecraft – is not invited to Microsoft’s unification party, and neither is the ginormous modding community that has sustained it for this long.
17th
Audience
Minecraft has sold over 100 million copies sold (across PC, mobile and console)
Minecraft is a global product. . With users in the 112 countries that register legal downloads
the USA, the UK and Canada have the most appetite for Minecraft downloads.
Countries in northern Europe, Japan and Australia constitute the remaining top ten.
Grand Theft Auto V , which has sold approximately 65 million copies
Microsoft reports that the game has been selling at an average pace of 53,000 copies a day since the start of 2016.
AGE Analysis : over 85% of the demographic is represented by Under 15’s through to 22 – 30’s
under 15 (147 votes [20.59%])
15-21 (312 votes [43.70%])
22-30 (150 votes [21.01%])
31-40 (58 votes [8.12%])
41-50 (23 votes [3.22%])
51-60 (5 votes [0.70%])
61-70 (1 votes [0.14%])
71-80 (1 votes [0.14%])
81+ (17 votes [2.38%])
Minecraft: Java Edition – the original Minecraft – is not invited to Microsoft’s unification party, and neither is the ginormous modding community that has sustained it for this long.
17th
Audience
Minecraft has sold over 100 million copies sold (across PC, mobile and console)
Minecraft is a global product. . With users in the 112 countries that register legal downloads
the USA, the UK and Canada have the most appetite for Minecraft downloads.
Countries in northern Europe, Japan and Australia constitute the remaining top ten.
Grand Theft Auto V , which has sold approximately 65 million copies
Microsoft reports that the game has been selling at an average pace of 53,000 copies a day since the start of 2016.
AGE Analysis : over 85% of the demographic is represented by Under 15’s through to 22 – 30’s
under 15 (147 votes [20.59%])
15-21 (312 votes [43.70%])
22-30 (150 votes [21.01%])
31-40 (58 votes [8.12%])
41-50 (23 votes [3.22%])
51-60 (5 votes [0.70%])
61-70 (1 votes [0.14%])
71-80 (1 votes [0.14%])
81+ (17 votes [2.38%])
An age poll on Minecraft Forums ( www.minecraftforum.net ) states that the profile of the 86 per cent of players who were under 30 was made up of:
20 per cent aged under 15,
44 per cent aged 15– 21, and 22 per cent aged 22– 30.
Teenagers in North America and Europe seem to be the dominating demographic , with the majority of that demographic being male.
This is reflected in the ethos and game design, which have particularly masculine characteristics in terms of constructing and creating.
Even though the game can be played by everyone, there seems to be an affinity for males, predominantly young <30
40% of Minecraft players are women
39% of PC players are female
43% of console players are female
56% of mobile players are female
Uses and gratification Theory:
As a sandpit game users may be drawn to the game for the purposes of
Entertainment
Education
Interaction
What makes Minecraft popular with its audience is its multiple game play modes, which consist mainly of adding and mining a variety of different blocks in a digitally created world compared with other game genres, such as the ‘shooter’ genre.
Audience interaction
Minecraft also relies on audience interaction across games in order for the gamer to access an infinite world of craft and building. This is the key characteristic and asset of Minecraft as a sandbox game, which is immersive in its play in different realms and cultures. Users can create a digital world and invite fellow gamers, for example, in the Gardens of External Fall. It is in these realms that interactive play creates characters or mods, and modifications are created by the audience as an extra for the games that they are playing. It is this creative and interactive aspect of the game that engages Minecraft ’s audience. Creating mods has the feel of programming in the beta version of the game. It gives more options to the player to interact with the Minecraft world, changing the feel of it – indeed, Minecraft ’s users see the game as thrilling and imaginative.
Vidcon, Comicon, Minecon
Forums and servers- Minecraft
Chats + Whatsapp group
Online Community
Vloggers, Bloggers- Gamers
Virtual Reality
Video games Evaluate how ongoing audience interaction influences the production of video games. Make specific reference to Minecraft in your answer.
This question focuses on the influence of audience interaction on video games. You should avoid writing lengthy contextual introductions to the history of Minecraft , but recognise how the game’s development was intertwined with how it was produced. Stay on-task and be succinct with the two or three main points that you want to make.
Support your answer with examples and reference to your study of Minecraft . Aim to spend 25 minutes on this question.
Essay-
Audience interaction is a highly used method in influencing the production of many video games, mostly from people online with a following.
When the game was starting to create in 2009, many other games influenced the variation/style of the game for example Dwarf Fortress which was a single player construction and management game but the goal was to produce a role playing variation. It was seen as more of a niche product for players with expert knowledge of computers and programming, The audience interaction started from word to mouth between gamers and the Penny Arcade to generate interest amongst gamers with the game getting more popular it sparked minecraft inspired videos which significantly gained popularity on YouTube creating an ongoing hype and talkability from being developed amongst the game community in 2011, in a month the game had passed over one million purchases and by April had an revenue of US$33 million. Following this in November 2011 prior to the games official release minecraft had over 16 million registered users and 4 million purchases, with the game being circulating and generated through the internet (the video game community) about the values of the game gave us a clear indication of the power of collaboration. This meant that the distribution of multiple platforms had to increase making it a commercially viable franchise which it then got released for Minecraft Pocket Edition on Sony Xperia Play and their smartphones and shortly after on Android and IOS, the significance of the deal was that it increased audience interactivity from the multiple platforms and was packaged as a game brand for a wider global audience and not just video gamers which led to the release of physical copies from June 2016 and then the majority of the Nintendo franchise alongside Minecraft Story Mode which is a narrative choice where you choose what happens.
As YouTube started to become popular as well, many youtubers started to promote Minecraft such as Pewdiepie (over 100 mil subscribers) Yogcast, Lewis and Simon ( over 7 mil subscribers) and Sky Does Minecraft (over 11 mil subscribers) this came with reviews, tutorials, videos and short cuts, the benefits of this happening was that the creators get to play their favourite games whilst being paid for doing so and the game gets free advertisement each boosting each other up.
With it having users in the 112 countries that register legal downloads, the most common seems to be the USA, UK and Canada with the most interest for Minecraft downloads.
With many Youtubers creating content for the game, some are to target more of a younger audience such as Minecraft Parodies where they use a song and replace the lyrics to fit the video game, an example of one is 'Revenge' to Ushers DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love created by Captain Sparklez the video has over 220 million views with the creator having over 10 million subscribers showing how they are boosting/benefiting both themselves and the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment