The World of Minecraft

by Mojang AB

Overview

Uncover the history of one of the most influential games of all time in The World of Minecraft. Explore how the critically acclaimed game evolved from a one-person project in 2009 to the global gaming phenomenon it is today.

The World of Minecraft is the definitive account of the game’s history, combining exclusive interviews from the Mojang studio and recollections from long-standing members of the gaming community. Read the stories behind mods like Feed The Beast, the growth of community-defining servers like Hypixel, and YouTube channels like The Yogscast, plus a personal account from Lydia Winters on the creation of Alex, the impact of Minecraft charity Block by Block, the origin of the phantom, and many more insights.

This must-have collector’s item includes a foreword from chief creative officer Jens “Jeb” Bergensten and an afterword from vanilla Minecraft game director Agnes Larsson, plus original concept art, beautifully detailed renders, and previously unseen archive materials that illustrate how the game has developed over its first fifteen years. Journey back into past eras of the game and look to the future in this comprehensive chronicle of Minecraft’s story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593722503
Publisher:	Random House Worlds
Publication date:	10/15/2024
Series:	Minecraft Series
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	243 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mojang is a games studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. Mojang was founded in 2009 by Markus “Notch” Persson and Jakob Porser. Markus Persson is also the creator of Mojang’s best-selling game to date: Minecraft. The alpha version of Minecraft was launched in 2009, and the official game went on sale in 2011. Since then over 350 million copies have been sold, across multiple platforms. It is now the best-selling video game of all time. Minecraft will be celebrating 15 years since launch in 2024. In 2025 Minecraft will be coming to the big screen in a new movie starring Jason Momoa and produced by Legendary Pictures.

Mojang is a games studio based in Stockholm, Sweden and was founded in 2009 by Markus Persson and Jakob Porser. Persson is also the creator of Mojang’s best-selling game to date: Minecraft.

The alpha version of Minecraft was launched in 2009, and the official game went on sale in 2011. Since then, over 350 million copies have been sold, making it the best-selling video game of all time.

In 2025, Minecraft will be hitting the big screen in a new movie starring Jason Momoa.

Edwin Evans-Thirlwell is a London-based writer and academic who covers videogames and digital culture for places like The Washington Post, Eurogamer, The Guardian and Edge. In his spare time he writes books of weird verse fiction and makes small, interactive or procedurally generated texts based on planets, mazes and monsters.

Read an Excerpt

Foreword

Minecraft is a cultural phenomenon. It has impacted music, television, and books, and for many people it has been a life-changing game. When I first started playing, back in the summer of 2009, I didn’t know it would be a life-changing game for me, too. I was too concerned with building my brick pyramids and glass balconies, and I didn’t yet see what Minecraft was heading to become.

Since then—despite its simple graphics and mechanics—millions and millions of people have joined the adventures of Minecraft. Once you overcome the initial rough edges and see the bigger picture, you find endless worlds, creativity, challenges, and limitless storytelling in one big package.

These experiences are what we have cherished and aimed to preserve, while constantly adding and improving to keep Minecraft fresh and interesting. With this book we want to share how the people behind Minecraft have been thinking about its history and show how important the game has been—and is—to us.

Of course, to truly understand why Minecraft has touched the hearts and minds of so many others, you really should play it yourself. My hunch is that you already have, so let’s together build a deeper understanding of the universe of Minecraft!

Jens “Jeb” Bergensten