Why is Minecraft So Popular?
Minecraft is a video game that allows players to explore an infinite world of complex, programmable LEGOs. It’s an open world where they can let their imagination run wild, erect amazing structures, tame animals and embark on adventures.
The game is available on a variety of platforms including computers, smartphones, tablets, Xbox and PlayStation. The core game is played in a multiplayer mode, with multiple players sharing the same world. A huge modding community creates new maps, items, and even whole worlds for players to enjoy. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular games in history.
Players are tasked with collecting materials and crafting them into useful items. To do this they must interact with the world, such as by breaking down trees to get wood or finding ores in the ground to make metal tools. This is often called ‘mining’ and is one of the main aspects of gameplay. Players can also use the material they collect to build a structure in the game, such as a house, castle or town.
The game’s popularity led to the creation of spin-offs, such as Minecraft Legends and a series of Lego sets. It also spawned a huge community of YouTube gamers and let’s plays, where players record their progress and achievements in the game. This gave the game massive reach, which helped it to become so famous and widespread. It was also the first major game to make it big after the collapse of YouTube’s golden era of gaming videos.
Many gamers like to focus on building in Creative Mode – the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal are just two examples – while others aim to survive on the highest difficulty level for as long as possible in Survival Mode, or discover all the secrets and Easter eggs in Adventure Mode. In addition to this, there are countless other games and activities that can be done in Minecraft.
It’s important that teachers who are using Minecraft for education set clear expectations to their students, so that they don’t become overwhelmed with the complexities of the game. There is also a risk of the game being devalued and trivialized if it’s used in every lesson, so it’s best to use it in small doses.
When setting up an account for your students, it’s important that you create a unique username and password so they can access their game and don’t get confused with another student’s profile. It’s also a good idea to add an email address so that you can contact your students in case of any issues. This will help to prevent students from being accidentally deleted and creating an issue for their teacher. Lastly, make sure that your class has a quiet place for playing Minecraft so that other classes can use the classroom space for teaching. This will prevent the noise level from distracting other students and preventing them from being able to hear their teacher.
