McKinley 1 Alex McKinley English 1101 Beth Caruso September 27, 2011 The Infinite World of Minecraft Minecraft,

created by Markus Notch Persson, took the gaming world by storm with its release on May 17th, 2009, and again with its release of the beta version on December 10th, 2010. The constant updates to this game keep it consistently fresh, new and exciting. Its creative play style and simple graphics mesmerized gamers around the world. It may seem simplistic and pointless to some, but rest assured it is far more stimulating and entertaining than popularly led to believe. Minecraft is a sandbox game. What that means is that whenever a new file is created a randomly generated infinitely expanding world, also known as an open world, is created, in which one is given the task to both survive via collecting resources and battling monsters (known as Mobs) as well as exploring. A player is given the ability to manipulate the world they create any way they desire, whether it be blowing things up with homemade TNT or building massive structures out of the resources they have collected. Minecraft also includes a multiplayer feature that allows a player to connect to others and play the game whilst cooperating in an effort to survive. Not only does Minecraft offer entertainment, but imagination and cooperation. As an open world game, Minecraft has no real objective, or ultimate goal. There is no real end to the game. This is great for a gamer because it relieves the pressure of constantly having to move at a preset pace. The way this game is set up is that allows

McKinley 2 players to enjoy themselves and to fully immerse themselves in the game at their own pace. Half of the game is comprised of collecting and crafting resources, and the other is spent exploring the unique world in which a player has been placed. For example, if a player was to collect wood, they could use that in a number of ways. They could use it craft specific tools such as pickaxes, shovels, and axes, just to name a few. These tools can be used to collect other resources to create even more items such as doors for a house, stoves, beds, windows, and torches. A player may also create weapons and armor to defend themselves against Mobs. There are dozens of items to create with the resources players collect over time. The game tends to build upon itself as the game progresses. One thing leads to the next that inevitably leads to the next and eventually forces a player to expand, explore, and take risks. This increases the level of entertainment for the players and creates a more thrilling environment that keeps people coming back for more. As for exploring, that carries a lot more risk than simply crafting. Due to the fact that it is an infinitely expanding open world, getting lost is inevitable. A player can dig underground and may encounter the entrance to a dungeon. This is both a blessing and a curse. Dungeons offer much in the way of treasure and unique items, however, they also can be more complicated than Pans Labyrinth; with dark passages in every direction that can either lead to a players unending pleasure or an early and untimely death. Within Minecraft there are creatures called Mobs. These can range from sheep to zombies. At night, or any dark area, evil Mobs can appear or spawn. This carries a lota large amount of risk when it comes to exploring. In order to nullify their spawn a player must carry torches and lay them down in dark areas. However, they can still hurt a player
Comment [BC2]: New idea, new paragraph. Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5" Comment [BC3]: Informal Comment [BC1]: How does all of this contribute to the purpose?

McKinley 3 when exposed to the light, but they cannot spawn in it. This is where the tools a player has created come in handy. If a player is killed or dies in some way the items on their person are dropped where they are and can be retrieved by he player by returning to that spot. However, depending on how far a player has traveled from their base or Spawn Point the farther they must travel to retrieve the lost items, which can, and usually does end up getting a player lost and extremely frustrated, especially if those items were of value. This may be frustrating to players but it does keep them from being too comfortable. With increased risk of failure comes a different style of play that forces people to make decisions wisely. The multiplayer feature of Minecraft was a stroke of genius. As if single player was not fun enough. Multiplayer allows players to connect into a pre-created server with hundreds of other people. Where a player can either play the game as it is with the cooperation of others, or can play the designated adventure already built into the server. Adventure play is essentially the social norm for a video game where a player has a predetermined quest or objective that they must reach. This game allows players to set their own goals and set their own pace. The underlying purpose for Minecraft as a text is rather simplistic: entertainment. It is a game that promotes cooperation, patience and above all imagination. The unlimited possibilities that players are given keeps one entertained for days. Every game is unique and every player will have his or her own experiences. The constant struggle to stay alive keeps the player constantly vigilant and cautious. This may seem like a downside to the game, however, this forces players to think outside of the box and create new solutions to problems with countless ways to solve them. There is always something for a player to do
Comment [BC6]: Again, relate this to your focus. Comment [BC5]: Very conversational. Comment [BC4]: Again, position this information so it relates to your focus.

McKinley 4 in Minecraft. Whether that be building a castle or hunting chickens. The world is at their disposal for sheer enjoyment. This coming March, a similar game called Fortresscraft is coming out for the Xbox 360. It is almost the same game as Minecraft, but with a greater focus on graphics, and the multiplayer community. Some see this game as superior simply because of the increase graphics quality. However, even with these upgrades Fortresscraft still falls short of Minecraft when it comes to overall quality and entertainment. Fortresscraft will focus more on building structures and buildings in an online community, which is not a bad thingbad, it is a great way to be creative and have fun communicating with others online. Unfortunately, that side of Minecraft is only half of the game. Fortresscraft takes out the ability to craft and create tools. This takes out the need and fun of exploring a world. They also removed the day and night cycle along with the spawning of Mobs, which means a player cannot die. Essentially, half of the fun has been removed to make way for graphics and multiplayer upgrades. The challenge of the game has been removed from the game entirely and from this Minecraft players opinion, this makes a much less entertaining game. Minecraft is the one of the simplest, yet most entertaining game of its kind. Its unique play style and use of imagination has captured gamers of all ages. Minecraft allows a player to create a world of their own and have an experience entirely different than their neighbors. The combination of an RPG (Role Playing Game) and Sandbox creates a stimulating and addictive game, providing hours of entertainment for its players. The multiplayer aspect of Minecraft is probably the
Comment [BC7]: Wordy. Try ising just bad.

McKinley 5 most community centered MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) since World of Warcraft. It emphasizes cooperation with other players and creates new friendships that will bring even more hours of entertainment. As an avid fan and religious player of Minecraft, I strongly encourage those looking for a great source of entertainment to invest in this game. Its twists and turns will make you players laugh and maybe cry but will keep themyou begging for more. Minecraft is truly a one of a kind game.
Comment [BC8]: Alex, You do have a strong paper here, especially as you compare it to Fortresscraft. However, your paper and ideas could certainly benefit by a continuous return to your focus. Be sure that as you give your main points that you show your reader how thy relate to your overall point. If you do this, you can actually walk your reader through your paper, allowing them to pick up each individual idea you have. Also, as you indicated in your memo, be sure to read through your paper. As you read it, read it out loud so you can hear exactly what you are saying and how it sounds. This will help you to catch both informal wording and the meanings you dont wish to convey. Im looking forward to the revision in the portfolio! -Ms. C

McKinley 6 "Notch." Curse, Inc. (2006): n. page. Web. 4 Oct 2011. <http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Notch>. Curse, Inc. (2006): n. page. Minecraft Wiki. Web. 3 Oct 2011. <http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Minecraft_Wiki>.