Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has sold over 48 million copies across all gaming platforms. The premise of Minecraft is simple: destroy, collect, build and interact in a world made entirely of colored cubes. Unlike Lego blocks or other construction toys, Minecraft's digital play space allows for virtually limitless creation without the cost and limitations of physical building materials. Developer Mojang's generous policies toward modification and other uses of their intellectual property also engender enthusiasm and creativity from fans who make music, art and animation inspired by the software.

The first essays in this collection cover Minecraft's origins, describing its relationship to other video games and toys and examining the learning models implicit in its design. Later essays describe and theorize the various ways players interact with the software, which simultaneously presents them with structural constraints and limitless possibilities.

NOT OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG.

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Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has sold over 48 million copies across all gaming platforms. The premise of Minecraft is simple: destroy, collect, build and interact in a world made entirely of colored cubes. Unlike Lego blocks or other construction toys, Minecraft's digital play space allows for virtually limitless creation without the cost and limitations of physical building materials. Developer Mojang's generous policies toward modification and other uses of their intellectual property also engender enthusiasm and creativity from fans who make music, art and animation inspired by the software.

The first essays in this collection cover Minecraft's origins, describing its relationship to other video games and toys and examining the learning models implicit in its design. Later essays describe and theorize the various ways players interact with the software, which simultaneously presents them with structural constraints and limitless possibilities.

NOT OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG.

19.99 In Stock
Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities

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Overview

Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has sold over 48 million copies across all gaming platforms. The premise of Minecraft is simple: destroy, collect, build and interact in a world made entirely of colored cubes. Unlike Lego blocks or other construction toys, Minecraft's digital play space allows for virtually limitless creation without the cost and limitations of physical building materials. Developer Mojang's generous policies toward modification and other uses of their intellectual property also engender enthusiasm and creativity from fans who make music, art and animation inspired by the software.

The first essays in this collection cover Minecraft's origins, describing its relationship to other video games and toys and examining the learning models implicit in its design. Later essays describe and theorize the various ways players interact with the software, which simultaneously presents them with structural constraints and limitless possibilities.

NOT OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780786479740
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date: 10/09/2014
Pages: 232
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Nate Garrelts is a professor of English at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why Minecraft Matters Nate Garrelts 1

The Videogame Commons Remakes the Transnational Studio Dennis Redmond 7

Players, Modders and Hackers Peter Christiansen 23

Teaching Tools: Progressive Pedagogy and the History of Construction Play Colin Fanning Rebecca Mir 38

Mining Constructivism in the University: The Case of Creative Mode Jeffrey E. Brand Penny de Byl Scott J. Knight James Hooper 57

The Craft of Data Mining: Minecraft and the Constraints of Play Alexandra Jean Tremblay Jeremy Colangelo Joseph Alexander Brown 76

Just Steve: Conventions of Gender on the Virtual Frontier Iris Rochelle Bull 88

(Queer) Algorithmic Ecology: The Great Opening Up of Nature to All Mobs Amanda Phillips 106

Look What Just Happened: Communicating Play in Online Communities Michael Thomét 121

A Craft to Call Mine: Creative Appropriation of Minecraft in YouTube Animations Jandy Gu 132

"Someone off the YouTubez": The Yogscast as Fan Producers Esther MacCallum-Stewart 148

Videogames in the White Cube Michael St. Clair 160

Fine Arts, Culture and Creativity in Minecraft James Morgan R. Yagiz Mungan 175

Building a Case for the Authenticity vs. Validity Model of Videogame Design Adam L. Brackin 191

Where Game, Play and Art Collide Rémi Cayatte 203

About the Contributors 215

Index 219

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