What are you playing???????
When I first heard of minecraft I thought little of it. A friend's child was desperate for a computer to play on and once one was acquired he happily introduced my daughter to the game. I watched confused and disoriented as they navigated the surreal 3D environment with ease. It seemed too simple, the graphics were blocky and outdated, what could be the appeal?
As a child of the 80’s I have waited a lifetime for graphics to become real and lifelike, this game seemed the opposite of that. Then my daughter's interest in Minecraft developed and I became more fascinated, I did some tech support and research in the process that gave me a new perspective on the popular game. After discussing some of what I had learned with a fellow parent at Glacier Lake school, I decided to write a short blog explaining some of the appeal of the popular games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLJtJbBSiuQ
One of the most confusing things about minecraft is it is pretty difficult to figure out exactly what is being played. Most games I was familiar with had a certain mission or goal to be completed. The story was written, your goal was only to navigate and fulfill the tasks laid out. Minecraft is completely different, as a “sandbox” game you can literally create anything. The environment is completely mold able to your imagination. Instead of thinking of Minecraft as a game in the traditional sense, it should be considered more of a digital building toy. The environment is empty and ready for you to create in. The Minecraft world is a new type of trans media experience, that is the future of our digital and information world. http://henryjenkins.org/2015/04/minecraft-and-the-future-of-transmedia-learning.html
The gameplay itself changes depending on what kind of game you want to play. You create both the environment and the type to game you play within it. There are 5 different ways to play the game: survival, creative, adventure, spectator and multiplayer. Those are just what you get with the basic minecraft program. Once you connect with a server you can link in other players maps and games that the worldwide minecraft community has created. Literally every aspect of Minecraft is customizable. You can change the look of your player (their “skin”). You can also add mods created by you or other players that change the mechanics of the game, adding textures, objects and resources that aren't available in the original version. The more you do with it the more there is to do and learn. From basic building and game strategy to more complex programming, minecraft offers a way to explore the digital world in a way no other game really has. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/04/beyond-screen-time-what-a-good-game-like-minecraft-teaches-kids/361261/
There are a unimaginable variety of servers and worlds to connect to online. Some of the servers are simple maps others are incredibly complex. There is a map of the Louvre, where you can navigate the halls of the museum and see blockly reproductions of the art there. Another map that stuck out to me was one where you could see the inside of molecules, http://www2.hull.ac.uk/science/scienceoutreach/MolCraft.aspx. There is literally a map for everywhere in the real and imaginary world. Here are the top 40 worlds from PC gamer http://www.pcgamer.com/the-25-best-minecraft-custom-maps/#page-3 , they represent the diversity of the program and how people have used it creatively.
Once you connect to the server you can play various quests and missions others have created. Each server has its own style, map and rules. Some the servers are specifically for children, called “whitelisted” servers, where the moderators monitor the content and activity for safety. While connected to the servers the players can play a variety of games and connect with players from around the world. There are a few educational groups that maintain servers and guide students through curriculums using minecraft, building the structures and situations they are studying from the real world. Microsoft recently announced it will be releasing minecraft.edu (https://minecraftedu.com) for free to interested educators, it will be fasninating ot see how educators will use the media experince to enrich their curricula.
The minecraft world goes beyond just the initial playing experience. Of course there are the endless servers, worlds and mods. There are also many creative people that make minecraft animations and music videos based on their characters and worlds. Youtube is full of videos that follow star players as they navigate new worlds and games. Some of these star players like Stampycat http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-34964355 and Cupquake http://www.ihascupquake.com have themed shows where they give lessons on science, baking and other subjects outside of minecraft that interest them. One of my daughter's favorites is named AphMau, Aphmau writes stories that she plays out in her minecraft play. Even though I don’t play minecraft myself I am always impressed by the level of creativity, effort and production value these individuals and programs have.
Let’s just say I am a minecraft ally. The game is not for everyone, I don't play the game myself, but I really appreciate it after learning about it and seeing how much people get out of it. I like the idea that rather than being fed a precreated game and story the players are completely in control of what they do and who their character is. The game offers an opportunity to connect with the world and create community around shared interests. I can see the skills and confidence that playing minecraft and other video games has given my daughter. Now that blocky environment is more deep and complex than I once saw it. I’ll take that over Super Mario Brothers anyday.
