I am fully aware that this blog will date me, but I am going to set aside my vanity and speak of a phenomenon that I recently became aware of – the video game Minecraft. Those of you that keep your finger on the pulse of society more diligently than I know this is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, the first iteration of the game was released in 2011, but it is arguably as popular today as it was 6 years ago.
I became aware of Minecraft when I spent a little time around my nephew. In my own less-than-humble opinion, I am the fun one among my siblings, and I naturally assumed Jack-Jack (that’s what I call him) would want to do some traditionally fun activities with me. Alas, my younger sister allowed Jack-Jack to bring his tablet, and avoid all non-digital human interaction. Like any loving adult would, I decided to try and reach him on his level; I decided to ask what he was up to…big mistake! Seventeen hours of YouTube videos (and more hours played than I care to divulge) later, I am left wondering, “Why was my childhood so deprived?”
The following is my understanding of the game, but please feel free to correct any errors by leaving me a comment below.
Minecraft is a sandbox video game created by Swedish game designer Markus Persson and fully developed by Mojang. The game includes no specific goals (perfect for me, I hate to disappoint games in addition to my family); rather, gameplay involves players using various types of blocks to build creative structures in a three-dimensional environment. The blocks are arranged in a grid pattern and represent materials like stone, dirt, water, and several metal ores.
Not surprisingly, and much like the “real world”, your success in the game is largely dependent on the acquisition of resources. Resources include wood, stone, ore, gemstones, and food. If you’re willing to invest the time, you can plant a garden and grow your own food. Otherwise, and this is my inclination, revert to your primal urges and hunt and gather (emphasis on the hunt…). Resources like wood, stones, and metals are used to build your world, and defend you against the ever-present threat of zombie attack (side note: this will sound juvenile, but those little zombies scared the gemstones right out of me the first time I met them. Literally, I was playing, got attacked in the game, and then had to pause to get my broom and dust pan). So again, like the real world, you spend much of your time finding and extracting valuable commodities from the earth.
Depending on your mode of play, in-game activities may include exploring, gathering resources, crafting, and combat. Gameplay modes include:
- Survival mode: Players must gather resources from the environment to craft blocks and other items. Monsters may spawn at night and in dark areas, forcing you to build a shelter at night or fight them (this is a lot scarier than it sounds, I’ve lost more than one life to zombies…and there was an incident on the couch that I’ll same for another time…). You can craft armor to minimize damage from attacks, along with weapons and tools like swords, shovels, and axes (you haven’t lived until you’ve slayed some pixelated zombies wearing armor you crafted yourself). Tools can be used to mine ores and perform other tasks. You can trade goods with villagers under a bartering system, often using emeralds or wheat as payment.
- Hardcore mode: A variant of survival mode, this mode locks you into the most difficult gameplay setting. Additionally, deaths are permanent and, should you die, your world will be deleted and you will be left with an empty place in your heart that can only be filled with more Minecraft.
- Creative mode: With unlimited access to all resources in your inventory, this mode of gameplay allows you to focus on building large projects. You will not be affected by hunger or environmental damage in this mode (great for those “less diligent” kids that don’t really appreciate the awesomeness of this game).
- Adventure mode: This mode is designed to allow players to experience custom maps created by other users.
- Spectator mode: In this mode, you can fly around and through blocks to watch gameplay without interacting (hey, some people like it…who am I to judge?). You can also switch to another player’s or creature’s point of view.
The game encompasses various types of terrain and environments. You can encounter non-player villagers, animals, and hostile creates during your adventures. Some of the animals can be hunted for food and resources. You can also collect valuable resources by mining and gathering. In addition to an infinitely large world generated on the horizontal plane, there are also two alternate dimensions—called the Nether and the End—and two major bosses that you can defeat.
One reason Minecraft is the second best-selling video game of all time (following Tetris, can you hear the theme music?) is the wide assortment of user-generated content that is available on the internet. Users have the ability to create modifications like different textures for blocks and custom maps, which the community can download and use in their own gameplay.
You can also create items within the game itself. For instance, smelting is the process by which you create certain refined goods that can be used to make other things like tools, armor, and weapons. When you place ore, or some other resource, and fuel into a furnace block, it will smelt and return a new object. You can also smelt down your own tools in a pinch to gain raw materials for building, but this is a bit like “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” And how do you find ore, you may well ask? You mine it!
The following is a video, from one of my favorite Minecraft-ian aficionados, about mining for resources in Minecraft:
This video, also by Paul Soares Jr., is about the process of mining:
Players of all ages enjoy building their own worlds in Minecraft, but the positive impact of the game does not end there. Skills learned within the game have real life applications in the field of computer-aided design, especially when it comes to public buildings, parks, and infrastructure (yeah, I’m justifying here). In fact, a member of the MIT Media Lab stated that the game’s creator “hasn’t just built a game. He’s tricked 40 million people into learning to use a CAD program.” Minecraft just might be building a new generation of designers and contractors!
Another application, and one that is considerably more apparent to us metals enthusiasts is the premium this game places on the acquisition and storage of hard assets. To be successful in Minecraft, you must be willing to work hard (in a digital sense…though your thumbs may chafe), and set some resources aside for times of desperation. Likewise, if we want to have a diversified and healthy retirement, we invest in gold and silver.
Jack-Jack and I didn’t build the fort I had hoped to, nor did we hike, or fish, or raise any Cane in the neighbors’ yards. But we did learn a little about saving, working, and avoiding those dark corners that are sure to have zombies.
If you’re interested in building your precious metals portfolio, take a look at the Provident Metals 10 oz Silver Bar. And if you’ve played Minecraft, share your most prized build in the comments section below!
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