Introduction to video games

Types of Video games: 
- RPG
-Sports
-Strategy
-Action/adventure
-Puzzle solving
-Construction
-FPS
-Simulation
-Horror
-Children's

Examples of multi-platform video games:

- Fortnite                                        -Cooking Mama                      -Sims

-Nintendogs                                   -Dinner Dash                           -Far Cry
-Fifa                                               -Big Brain academy                 -Rainbow 6 Siege
-GTA                                             -Sky Rim                                  -Fable
-NBA                                             -Mario Sonic                            -WWE
-UFC                                              -F1                                           -Assassin's Creed
-Wii Fit                                          -Just Dance                              -Wii Sports resort
-Crash Bandicoot                           -Rachet and Clank                   -We Sing
-Moshi Monsters                            -Guitar Hero                            -Monkey Ball
-Call of Duty                                  -Watch Dogs                            -Battlefield

Terminology:
-Games Consoles - A unit accommodating a set of controls for electronic or mechanical equipment.
-Sandbox Game - Construction; building from scratch. Changing roles of the 'look down generation.' Collaboration through gaming; multi-player
-Microsoft - Institution which owns videogames; Xbox and Minecraft
-Platforms - Different levels of gaming. Online Vs Moving images Vs Audio. Ways you can play (App, physically etc.). Multi-Platform - More than one way of playing; more platforms = wider variety.
-Servers - How the games run, where info is kept, enables games to be played.

Introduction to Minecraft:
- Minecraft development - from 'online Lego'
- Multi - platform =  more available
- Open Sandbox - no limit
- Started as an 'indie'
- Critically and commercially successful
- From independent to mainstream - 125 million copies sold.

-Minecraft was created by Marcus 'Notch' Persson and developed by Mojang.

-These were independent, separate to and not financed by a big commercial company.
-But, as small independent products become successful, it is usual for larger organisations/owners to want to buy them.

Reasons why Minecraft is successful:
- Infinite replayability - Sandbox (No limits)
-Strong community - creations are the marketing campaign
-Platform agnostic - Released on everything
-Co-opted by children - Household name
-Not limited by genre
-Fulfils human instinct to bring order to chaotic wilderness

Video game key words

Minecraft production, distribution, technology and circulation

Group research from Great Baddow High School Media

Introduction to Minecraft- Why and how has Minecraft been a commercial and critical success?

Minecraft has become hugely commercially and critically successful as a multi-platform game, known as an ‘open game’. The aim and key focuses of the game are specifically building, strategy and the idea of a survival game where you have unlimited lives and can respawn all around the map. Although Minecraft falls under the genre of a sandbox indie game which typically doesn’t attract a wide audience, however, Minecraft has been majorly popular because during in 2009 (when it was released) there was nothing similar currently around.

A lot of the company’s success is due to the unique style and blocky look that the game creates which allows a range of textures and patterns which are classically known and people will associate with Minecraft.

Minecraft has not been created in an attempt to compete with cinematic graphics and instead uses a grid based format which makes the concept of building much simpler and therefore attracts a larger range of audiences from the age 8+. This also gives the game to have educational element as it allows children to create and develop their own world where they can learn both practical skills and social skills. The game teaches the player how to build axes, hoes, and other tools, as well as giving them a chance to farm crops and animals and make food. Similarly, a player can connect with friends and join their own worlds or open severs then within the game the players can chat and write messages which send to all of the other players in the server. This helps to build social skills and can help people work within a group to build something or to play a game.

The creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson reduced the cost by making the game initially based off of a simple idea (the pixel look format). Additionally, by Persson developing the game on his own it allowed him to keep the cost lower rather than having to employ multiple creators to begin with, which he can now afford and he currently has 15-20 developers working for him. Without any commercial backing of a mainstream publish, Persson relied on word of mouth alone which lucky quickly spread.

Minecraft (Mojang) has worked alongside of multiple clothing and toy companies, such as; Lego where mini figures have been created, for example: Steve, creepers, cows, sheep, chickens, along with many other characters and figures within the game. Smaller companies also make Minecraft merchandise like cardboard cut outs, plastic figurines, similar figurines but in surprise packaging where you only find out what character you have got once you have brought the product. Companies like these also sell hand books, manuals and annuals for example the Egmont group. Mojang collaborated with the company “J!NX” to release a clothing line which featured tops, pyjamas, hats and other clothing items. This helps to increase the success of Minecraft and again is another effective way of getting the name around and gaining interest in the game.

The game allows the player to do multiple things such as buy new skins where they can dress up as different characters within the game, some skins are free and you can download apps where you can create your own skin then download it onto Minecraft, this helps to keep the gamers interested as by adding extra apps which can link onto the one main server it stops the game from getting boring. Also, the larger/ more well know players can create their own servers with games on which you can find, for example: Lifeboat, InPvP, and Mineplex where players from all around the world can connect.

The game has frequent updates which change with the generations, adding new ideas and concepts this also helps to keep people hocked and to attract newer audiences.

Minecraft can be played on multiple devices such as: PCs, IPhones, tablets, play station, Xbox and androids allowing everyone to join in. Nowadays everyone has a smart phone meaning there is no limits to someone’s imagination and creativity because Minecraft allows you to almost escape from your world and become someone else for the time you are playing it which can become very addictive making players want to enter back onto their virtual world.

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Minecraft Timeline

17^th may 2009 – First release of the game
21^st may 2009 – Accounts can now be registered
24^th may 2009 - Official Minecraft forum is opened
8^th June 2009 -  Multiplayer released
20^th October 2009 – Beginning of survival test
29^th January 2010 – Introduction of crafting system.
17^th June 2010 – Minecraft passes 20,000 sales
22^nd July 2010 – First over internet test of survival mode multiplayer
16^th October 2010 – Mojang is founded
22^nd December 2010 – Minecraft beta version is created
12^th Jan 2011 – Minecraft reaches a million sales
1^st July 2011 – Minecraft passes 10 million registered users
16^th August 2011 – Minecraft pocket edition released for Xperia play only
17^th November 2011 – Pocket edition released on IOS
9^th May 2012 – Released on Xbox 360
25^th October 2013 – Java update 1.7.2 released ‘the update that changed the world.’
13^th December 2013 – Minecraft for Java surpasses 13 million sales.
4^th September 2014 – PlayStation 4 edition released.
5^th September 2014 – Minecraft Xbox 1 edition released.
10^th December 2014 – Pocket edition released for Windows phone
30^th June 2015 – Minecraft for Java Surpasses 20 million sales.
13^th October 2015 – Minecraft Story mode released.
17^th December 2015 – Minecraft Wii U edition released
2^nd June 2016 – Minecraft sold over 100 million times over all platforms, makes 2^nd bestselling game.
27^th June 2016 – Minecraft announces release of Minecraft the movie for May 24^th 2019
1^st November 2016 – Minecraft education edition released
19^th December 2016 – Minecraft pocket edition released on Amazon fire TV and Apple TV.
May 11^th 2017 – Minecraft Nintendo Switch edition released
13^th September 2017 – Minecraft released on Nintendo 3DS
December 2017 – Minecraft hits 74 million active players and 144 million total sale

Circulation of Minecraft