Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox indie video game written in Java originally created by Markus "Notch" Persson, and now by his company Mojang AB. It is heavily inspired by Infiniminer.

From its creation, Minecraft was developed almost exclusively by Notch until Jens "Jeb" Bergensten started working with him, and has since become head of its development. It features music by Daniel "C418" Rosenfeld and paintings by Kristoffer Zetterstrand. Initially released as what is now known as Minecraft Classic on May 17, 2009, the game was released as Minecraft 1.0 on November 18th, 2011. Since its release,Minecraft has expanded to mobile devices and a version for Xbox 360.

Minecraft focuses on allowing the player to explore, interact with, and modify a dynamically-generated map made of one-cubic-meter-sizedblocks. In addition to blocks, the environment features plants, mobs, anditems. Some activities in the game include mining for ore, fighting hostilemobs, and crafting new blocks and tools by gathering various resources found in the game. The game's open-ended model allows players to create structures, creations and artwork on various multiplayer servers or their own single player maps. Other features include redstone circuits for logic computations and remote actions, minecarts and tracks, and a mysterious underworld called the Nether. Ultimately, the completely optional goal of the game is to travel to an alternate dimension called the End, and defeat the Ender Dragon. {| class="toc" id="toc" style="font-size:12px;border-color:rgb(170,170,170);color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;"

Contents
[hide]  *1 Purchase and availability
 * 1.1 Hardware requirements
 * 2 Gameplay
 * 2.1 Player
 * 2.2 Blocks
 * 2.3 Mining
 * 2.4 Crafting and smelting
 * 2.5 Brewing and enchanting
 * 2.6 Mobs
 * 2.7 The Nether
 * 2.8 The End
 * 2.9 Multiplayer
 * 3 Development
 * 3.1 Creation
 * 3.2 Classic
 * 3.3 Survival Test
 * 3.4 Indev
 * 3.5 Infdev
 * 3.6 Alpha
 * 3.7 Beta
 * 3.8 Minecraft 1.0
 * 3.9 Table of features
 * 3.10 Pocket Edition
 * 3.11 Xbox 360 Edition
 * 3.12 Lego Minecraft
 * 4 Modifications and third-party programs
 * 4.1 Mod API
 * 4.2 Texture packs
 * 4.3 Unofficial mods
 * 4.4 Third-party programs
 * 5 Platforms
 * 5.1 Computer
 * 5.2 Pocket Edition
 * 5.3 Xbox 360 Edition
 * 5.4 Pi Edition
 * 6 Reception
 * 6.1 Awards
 * 7 References in popular culture
 * 8 References
 * }

Purchase and availability
Main menu of Minecraft with random splash text.[7] The original Minecraft logo before the new logo update for the website on 27–28 April 2011 and Beta 1.4Minecraft can be purchased for €19.95 (or US $26.95 [GB £17.95]). All editions of the game can be bought as a one-time purchase.[8]  Once purchased, the game can be played in a web browser or adownloadable client (the Minecraft launcher). It is also possible to buyMinecraft gift codes for others, for the same price as buying the game for oneself. Minecraft Classic is available to anyone to play for free onMinecraft.net, but must be played in-browser.[9]

Previous versions of Minecraft (Indev, Infdev, Alpha, and Beta) were once available on the site for paid users, while Survival Test, a version of Classic, was free to all. All older versions of Minecraft, besides Classic, are no longer available.

Pocket Edition can be purchased at the Android Market and iTunes App Store for Android and iOS respectively.

Hardware requirements

 * See also: Hardware performance


 * Requirements recommended by Mojang.[10]


 * RAM : 1GB
 * GPU : Dedicated video card
 * Java : Latest version of 64-bit Sun Java
 * Recommended minimum requirements by #MinecraftHelp:
 * CPU : 1.8 GHz
 * RAM : 1.5GB
 * GPU : nVidia GeForce 6xxx Series or ATI Radeon 9xxx Series Dedicated Video Cards
 * Java : Sun Java 6. Java 7 is known to cause issues for some players. OpenJDK is also known to have problems for some players.

Gameplay

 * Main article: Gameplay

The PlayerA new game of Minecraft===Player===
 * Main article: The Player

The player is the person that the user controls in the world. When the user starts a game, the player is put in a world, generated by a random or specified seed, with an empty inventory. The player has ahealth bar with 10 hearts, and can be damaged by falls, suffocation, drowning, fire, lava, lightning, cacti, falling into the Void, and being hit by hostile mobs. Damage to health can be mitigated by armor, and health can be restored by eating food, or if difficulty is set to Peaceful, health will regenerate on its own. Hunger is also a factor if the game is not in Peaceful Mode, depleting over time and even faster while sprinting. Foodwill replenish health; however, eating rotten flesh and raw chicken has a chance of poisoning the player. Depending on the difficulty level, a low hunger level will deplete a players health.

A player's skin can be changed on the profile page of Minecraft.net.

Blocks

 * Main article: Blocks

Blocks are the objects that make up Minecraft, and were borrowed from Minecraft's original influence, Infiniminer. There are different types of blocks; natural blocks such as grass, stone, and various ores are randomly generated to the world. There are also blocks that players can craft, such as a crafting table and a furnace. Resources can be extracted from blocks by hand or by using tools. Some of these resources are simply blocks in the player's inventory that can be placed elsewhere, while others are used as material to create other blocks or tools. Others yield no practical use whatsoever. Bedrock and End Portal Frames] are the only unbreakable blocks.

Mining

 * Main article: Mining

Various Ores (in proximity of lava) that can be minedAs the game's name would suggest, mining is one of the main aspects of Minecraft. Mining is done to extract ore and other materials from below the surface of the map. These ores include coal, iron, gold,redstone, diamond, lapis lazuli, and emerald. These are crucial in making several useful items. Mining can involve digging a hole from the surface or going down through a cave. In Beta 1.8, Abandoned Mine Shafts were added, creating extra areas to look for resources.

Crafting and smelting

 * Main articles: Crafting and Smelting

A Crafting TableCrafting allows players to create newtools and blocks using items from their inventory. Crafting was first implemented in Indev, andNotch has expanded the crafting recipes with new versions, blocks, and items. To craft, a player can use the 2×2 grid in the inventory or the 3×3 grid provided by a crafting table. Smelting requires a furnace in addition to fuel, and processes blocks such as iron ore into a more useful form (e.g. iron ingot).

Brewing and enchanting

 * Main articles: Brewing and Enchanting

An Enchantment Table with glyphs being absorbed into itBrewing and enchanting were game elements added in Minecraft 1.0. Brewing creates potions from various ingredients and water using aBrewing Stand. They are stored in a glass bottle and then consumed by the player or thrown at other mobs to generate a certain effect based on the ingredients used to create the potion. Enchanting is also used to upgrade armor, tools, or weapons with a enchanting table. More powerful enchantments can be accessed by gaining experienceand placing bookshelves around the enchanting table.

Mobs

 * Main article: Mobs

A creeper in daylight<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Mobs (Short for Mobiles) are the animals and other creatures that inhabit the map. These include zombies that attack by melee;skeletons that have a bow and arrow, spiders that jump large distances and can climb walls, and creepers that explode when near the player. Rare mobs include Spider Jockeys, skeletons riding spider; Endermen, that are tall, black creatures with purple eyes and turn aggressive when the player looks at them, and slimes, which spawn deep within the map. The Nether features ghasts; flying mobs that spit exploding fire balls and attack without provocation, andZombie Pigmen; modified Pigmen with a Golden Sword and are neutral. In 1.0.0, blazes were added in the Nether (which shoot fireballs and fly) and Magma Cubes, which are similar to slimes but jump a bit higher). In The End, Ender Dragons exist; they are the first boss in Minecraft, but, as of snapshot 12w34a, theWither was added as both a utility mob and a boss mob.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">To aid the player there are several passive mobs: pigs, cows, chickens, sheep, and squid, and two tameable mob types,wolves and ocelots. Wolves will attack enemy mobs if the player engages them. Cats, or tamed ocelots will keep creepers at bay and can't take fall damage. Passive mobs other than wolves yield resources when killed, such as beef, porkchops,chicken, wool, leather, and ink sacs. If killed when on fire, the meat drops are changed to steaks, cooked porkchops andcooked chickens.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">There is currently only one NPC mob: villagers, which spawn and move about within their NPC Village.

The Nether

 * Main article: The Nether

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The Nether is a dimension in Minecraft, accessible from the Overworld by a Nether Portal. It was added in the Halloween Update on October 30th, 2010. It was described by Notch as "a brand new hell world". It consists mainly of Netherrack and generates lakes of lava. It is populated by Zombie Pigmen, Blazes, and Ghasts. The Nether===The End===
 * Main article: The End

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The End is another dimension of the game where the player battles the Ender Dragon. The End is accessible by entering a End Portal in aStronghold. The End is composed of End Stone and is inhabited byEndermen. The End===Multiplayer===
 * Main articles: Server and Multiplayer

PvP on a multiplayer server<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The multiplayer feature was introduced on June 8, 2009 for Classic, and later as SMP (Survival Multiplayer) on August 4, 2010, and has been a popular part of the game ever since. Minecraft multiplayer servers have developed to include their own rules and customs, guided by their administrators and moderators. The term griefer, meaning a player who causes grief, is a typical term on the internet, but has taken up its own definition on Minecraft servers: a person who destroys or defiles other users' creations on servers.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Griefers are the reason many server administrators make rules, but this has been taken a step further with modifications to the Mojangserver and even plugin-based replacement servers such as Bukkit. Because of these plugin-based servers, new user-created features have shown up in Minecraft. This includes features like money, vehicles, protection, RPG elements and more. These features normally do not require modification to a user's client and can be accessed by using chat commands. With the default controls, the chat screen is brought up by pressing T. After 1.2.4, it was now possible to scroll back through previous chat entries using the arrow keys.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">One popular game on multiplayer servers is Spleef (a play on the word "grief"), a game where the player's aim is to make another player drop through the floor by destroying blocks beneath the opponent's feet. This is typically played in a designated area.

Development

 * See also: Version history

Creation
Cave game<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Notch got the idea for Minecraft after playing Infiniminer with other members of the TIG Source forums in 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="white-space:nowrap;">[11]  Other influences include Dwarf Fortress, Dungeon Keeper,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13" style="white-space:nowrap;">[12]  and Notch's own previous project, RubyDung.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" style="white-space:nowrap;">[13] <p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">When he first started working on Minecraft, Notch had planned for it to just be a small project. For instance, when Notch uploaded the first YouTube video of Minecraft on May 13, 2009, he had not yet decided on a name, and simply referred to it as a "cave game".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="white-space:nowrap;">[15] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" style="white-space:nowrap;">[16]  The name "Minecraft: Order of the Stone" (a reference to Order of the Stick, a web comic and "one of the best things on the internet")<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="white-space:nowrap;">[17]  was announced the next day,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="white-space:nowrap;">[18]  and then shortly after, it was shortened to "Minecraft" as it was much simpler and to prevent people from confusing it with Order of the Stick. The game was finally released for an "early private singleplayer alpha" on May 16, 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="white-space:nowrap;">[19]

Classic

 * Main article: Classic

Minecraft Classic<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft 0.0.11a was publicly released the day after the private release on May 17, 2009,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="white-space:nowrap;">[20]  and the game received mention on IndieGames.com the day after that.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" style="white-space:nowrap;">[21]  This phase was later namedMinecraft Classic.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" style="white-space:nowrap;">[22]  In July, Minecraft was rewritten to use theLightweight Java Gaming Library (LWJGL).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" style="white-space:nowrap;">[23]  Until Minecraft Betareintroduced it, Classic was the only version of Minecraft with theCreative game mode, which allows the player to build and destroy blocks, allowing the creation of all sorts of objects. Players are given an infinite amount of each block to build with. Players can still play Classic for free on the official Minecraft website here in Singleplayer and also in Multiplayer here, and Notch has stated it will remain for historical purposes.

Survival Test

 * Main article: Survival Test

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Survival Test was released as a version of Classic on September 1, 2009. It was the introduction of Survival Mode. In it, the player now had to mine blocks, face mobs, and had a health bar. If the player were to die, the map was lost, and unless backed up, the user would have to start over with a new map.

Indev

 * Main article: Indev

Indev<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Indev (short for "in development") was released on December 23, 2009 after Notch received requests to let the community try out new features he was implementing in Survival Test. Indev version 0.31 was released to the public on minecraft.net/indev and available only to people who had purchased the game. When a new game was started, the player would spawn in a prefabricated wooden house.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Updates introduced a more complex and realistic lighting scheme thanClassic. Indev received more updates after this, adding a few fundamental features to Minecraft as it went. During its lifespan, some updates were devoted mostly to testing new things, like torches or fire. Unique to Indev was level types, similar to biomes and the Dimensions - for example, Floating Islands and the Sky Dimension, and Hell and The Nether. Like Survival Test, if the player were to die, all progress was lost.

Infdev

 * Main article: Infdev

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Infdev (standing for Infinite Development) was released on February 27th, 2010, and became the third phase of Minecraft'sdevelopment. It featured the important addition of maps that can generate infinitely, which extended the gameplay possibilities even further as well as other upgrades including new crafting recipes, 3D clouds, a new terrain generator, a more realistic fluidsystem, and more complex caves. However, Infdev scrapped other features of Indev such as world themes. This in turn spelled the demise of features such as 'floating islands' and 'permaday'. These removals are understandable, as Infdev's main purpose was to develop infinite maps. However, some extra gameplay features and items were added, such as the addition of minecartsand the ability to respawn. After being replaced by Alpha on June 28th, 2010, Infdev remained available on the official Minecraftwebsite until September 2010, when it was removed, making it impossible to play except with downgraders or a .jar.

Alpha

 * Main article: Alpha

The Nether<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Alpha was released on June 28, 2010, and saw many major features added to Minecraft. Multiplayer for Survival was created, and features such as Redstone Circuits, boats, new music, new mobs, and aDifficulty setting were added to the game, often without announcement in "Seecret Friday Updates".

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The Halloween Update on October 31, 2010 was a major update adding biomes, The Nether, new mobs, blocks and items, and other changes.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">One could see Alpha's introduction of biomes as being the return, at least in part, of Indev's world themes, and indeed the Nether is not unlike the 'Hell' world theme. Another reintroduction in Alpha was the return of multiplayer. Unlike Classic's Creative multiplayer, Alpha's multiplayer was only available in Survival form (logically called Survival multiplayer.)

Beta

 * Main article: Beta

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Beta was the fifth and last phase of Minecraft's development before its official release. Beta was released on December 20, 2010. Features that were added include a new logo and launcher, achievements and statistics, weather, Smooth Lighting,dyes, more plant types (two new types of trees and Tall Grass), wolves and squid, beds, and other blocks and items.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The Adventure Update was a major set of updates, focusing on exploring, combat, and add an ending to the game. Features added include new terrain generator, new mobs, blocks, biomes, and items. More generated structures where added; NPC villages, strongholds, abandoned mine shafts. Changes to general gameplay include an improved combat system includingcritical hits and experience, a reintroduced Creative Mode, Hardcore Mode, and a way to finish the game by traveling to The End and defeating the Ender Dragon.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Originally planned to be started in Beta 1.7, the first part of the Adventure Update was released as Beta 1.8 on September 14, 2011. Starting on September 9th, 2011, developmental versions were "leaked" by Mojang.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" style="white-space:nowrap;">[24]  Beta 1.9 was never released, but 6 pre-releases using the 1.9 version number were made available for users to test and report bugs back to Mojang. On October 18th, a feature freeze went into effect and Mojang shifted all Minecraft development focus to fixing bugs and preparing the game for release.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="white-space:nowrap;">[25]  On November 13th a release candidate of 1.0 was released, along with an official update to 1.8.1 that added sounds from the developmental version.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="white-space:nowrap;">[26]

Minecraft 1.0
The Ender Dragon in The End:Main article: Minecraft 1.0 <p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The official release of Minecraft, Minecraft 1.0, was released on November 18th, 2011, during MineCon. The release includes many features from the Adventure Update that were not included in Beta 1.8. The most prominent feature is an ending to the game, which can be achieved by defeating theEnder Dragon boss in The End. For the full version changelog of Minecraft 1.0, see Version History.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">1.2.1 released on March 1, 2012, added the Jungle biome as well as mob and chat improvements. 1.3.1, released on August 1, made many changes to gameplay, addedAdventure mode, many multiplayer enhancements and other improvements. The Pretty Scary Update, version 1.4.2, was released on October 25, included new mobs, including the new Wither boss mob, blocks, and items.

Table of features
<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Below is a short summary of what features each new milestone introduces.

Pocket Edition

 * Main article: Pocket Edition

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft Pocket Edition was released on August 16, 2011 and is designed for mobile platforms, with gameplay similar to Classic. It debuted on Sony's Xperia Play Android phone. The game is being developed by Mojang employees Jens Bergensten, Aron Nieminen, Johan Bernhardsson and Daniel Kaplan. A version for all supported Android phones was released on October 7, 2011 after the exclusivity agreement between Sony and Mojang expired and the touch screen controls were added.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="white-space:nowrap;">[27] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="white-space:nowrap;">[28]  On November 16th, a version for iOS was released.

Xbox 360 Edition

 * Main article: Xbox 360 Edition

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition was released on May 9, 2012. It was announced by Mojang on June 7, 2011 at E3 and the release date was announced on March 22nd through PlayXBLA's Twitter account. Kinect support will be available later on.

Lego Minecraft

 * Main article: Lego Minecraft

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">In December 2011, Mojang submitted the concept of Minecraft merchandise to Lego for the Lego Cuusoo program, from which it quickly received 10,000 votes by users, prompting Lego to review the concept.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30" style="white-space:nowrap;">[29]  On January 24, 2012, Lego Cuusoo announced the concept was approved and they would develop sets based around Minecraft. In February 2012, the first LegoMinecraft set of Micro World was showcased and made available for pre-orders, with a release set for the summer of 2012.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="white-space:nowrap;">[30]

Mod API

 * Main article: Mods#Official Modding API

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Notch has always planned to add a mod API, and announced official plans to support one in the game on April 26, 2011. Although the code for the API exists in the game and the button on main menu to access texture packs is labeled "Mods and Texture Packs", as of yet it has not been implemented. (In 1.0, this button was renamed "Texture Packs")<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="white-space:nowrap;">[31]  In a post before the release of Minecraft 1.0, Notch said that the mod API would be coming along with a new launcher.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33" style="white-space:nowrap;">[32]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">When Jeb became head of Minecraft's development in December 2011, he stated that the mod API would be his top priority, as "there is no way in hell I will be able to add as much content as the whole internet can do". He said that they were talking to existing mod developers such as Bukkit, Minecraft Forge, and Minecraft Coder Pack.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="white-space:nowrap;">[33]

Texture packs

 * Main article: Texture Packs

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The game officially supports changing most of its various textures through Texture Packs. These have to contain a certain structure of files and folders, contained in a .zip archive file and placed in the texturepack folder of the .minecraft folder. The texture packs, as well as the folder can be accessed at the main menu. The extent to which the textures are changed is dependent on how many files are contained in the texture pack.

Unofficial mods

 * Main article: Mods

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft can be modified by replacing or adding Java class files to minecraft.jar. This method of making modifications are not supported by Mojang as they can break the game if the mod is outdated, defective, or is conflicting with another mod. Some of these user created modifications have been found to impress Notch and the original authors have been attributed under Additional Programming; an implementation of Paul Spooner's Forestry editor script (not actually an internal mod) and Hippoplatimus' Piston Mod was added in Infdev (April 13, 2010) and Beta 1.7, respectively, although the Forester script was later removed in Infdev.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="white-space:nowrap;">[34] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="white-space:nowrap;">[35] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37" style="white-space:nowrap;">[36] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38" style="white-space:nowrap;">[37]

Third-party programs

 * Main article: Programs and editors

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">There as many programs designed for Minecraft. These include 3D map editors and viewers, game modifiers, various informational programs (such as Crafting Recipes), and server wrappers, and other specialty programs. As with mods, these too are not supported by Mojang.

Platforms
Notch with the Pocket Edition of MinecraftThe cover art for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition===Computer=== <p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">The original platform for Minecraftand its most popular version. Runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, started through the launcher or browser.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Other versions of Minecraft for the computer include Minecraft 4kand the PC Gamer Minecraft Demo. 4k is a simple version ofMinecraft in the style of other "4k" Java games Notch that has entered in contests. PC Gamer Demo is a version of Beta 1.3 with helpful dialogs and a 100 minute play time limit.

Pocket Edition

 * Main article: Pocket Edition

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft Pocket Edition is designed for mobile platforms, with gameplay similar to Classic. It features 36 blocks, a local WiFi multiplayer and is currently available on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.

Xbox 360 Edition

 * Main article: Xbox 360 Edition

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is a port of the Beta 1.6.6 PC version of Minecraft for the Xbox 360. The game has been continuously updated by its developers, 4JStudios, and currently has features roughly equivalent to PC version: 1.0. Although almost identical to the PC edition in most aspects, there are several notable distinctions between the two. It is designed to be able to use Kinect, although optional.

Pi Edition

 * Main article: Pi Edition

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft: Pi Editon will be a ported version of the Pocket Edition for the Raspberry Pi.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="white-space:nowrap;">[38]  It will be completely free to download and is intended as an educational tool for novice programmers, allowing users to manipulate the game code. It will support multiple programming languages.

Reception
<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Minecraft was first made available for sale during June 2009 and has since sold over 8.7 million copies. Minecraft has received high acclaim from critics and has since become one of the most influential and successful indie games ever released. The game has been praised for the creative freedom it grants its players in-game, and for how dynamic the overall gameplay is. PC Gamer listed Minecraft as the fourth-best game to play at work.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="white-space:nowrap;">[39]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">A review of the Alpha version, by Scott Munro of the Daily Record, called it "already something special" and urged readers to buy it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="white-space:nowrap;">[40]  Jim Rossignol of Rock, Paper, Shotgun also recommended the alpha of the game, calling it "a kind of generative 8-bit Lego S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="white-space:nowrap;">[41]  On September 17, 2010, gaming webcomic Penny Arcade began a series of comics and news posts about the addictiveness of the game.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43" style="white-space:nowrap;">[42]  Video game talk show Good Game gave it a 7.5 and 9 out of 10, praising its creativity and customization, though they criticized its lack of a tutorial.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="white-space:nowrap;">[43]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">On May 5, 2011, Minecraft was selected as one of the 80 games that will be displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of "The Art of Video Games" exhibit that will open on March 16, 2012.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45" style="white-space:nowrap;">[44] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="white-space:nowrap;">[45] Mojang's trophies===Awards=== <p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Since release Minecraft has won numerous awards including:


 * PC Gamer's "Game of the Year"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="white-space:nowrap;">[46]
 * Independent Games Festival's Grand Prize and "Audience Award"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="white-space:nowrap;">[47]
 * Good Game's "Best Downloadable Game of 2010"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="white-space:nowrap;">[48]
 * Rock Paper Scissor's "Game of the Year"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="white-space:nowrap;">[49]
 * Indie DB's "Indie of the Year", "Most Innovative and Best Singleplayer Indie"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51" style="white-space:nowrap;">[50]
 * Game Developers Choice Awards's "Best Debut Game", "Best Downloadable Game" and "Most Innovative Game Award"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52" style="white-space:nowrap;">[51]

References in popular culture
<p style="line-height:19.1875px;font-family:sans-serif;">Many refences have been made in culture in response to the popularly of Minecraft, this includes many memes and also references in these video games:


 * In Super Meat Boy, Steve?<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53" style="white-space:nowrap;">[52]  is an unlockable character. He is known as Mr. Minecraft in this game.
 * In Battlefield Heroes, you could get a Royal Minecraft T-Shirt or a National Minecraft T-Shirt from the 29th to the 31st of 2011.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54" style="white-space:nowrap;">[53]
 * In Team Fortress 2, there is a hat called Top Notch that resembles Notch's avatar in a cubic form.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="white-space:nowrap;">[54]  Notch is the only person to have this hat.
 * In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Binding of Isaac, an item called the "Notched Pickaxe" can be found and used, possibly a reference to the game's creator Notch, and the pickaxes which feature prominently in Minecraft.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="white-space:nowrap;">[55] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="white-space:nowrap;">[56]
 * In ChopLifter HD, there is a hidden island with Steve and chickens in the "Operation Charlie Takedown" mission.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="white-space:nowrap;">[57]  When you save him, you unlock an in-game achievement. It should be noted that Steve is called "Blockhead" in this game.
 * In Quube Twodee, one of the levels has a Creeper face.[citation needed]
 * In the PlayStation 3 game, PixelJunk Shooter 2, there's a small Creeper in the title screen hidden among other enemies native to Shooter 2.[citation needed]
 * In Family Guy Online, the "Did you know?" section of the loading screen has a chance of saying "Minecraft!".[citation needed]
 * In Borderlands 2, there is a hidden section of the game with blocks in the style of Minecraft's stone and ore blocks, which are breakable. There are also enemy Creepers in this same area.
 * In Torchlight 2, there is an area called "Notch's Mine." In it are Creepers, that can be killed for loot. There are also hidden swords in the game with the same graphics as swords in Minecraft.
 * In Patch 1.13 of Awesomenauts, a new skin for the character Clunk was added known as Creeper Clunk. It is unlocked by killing a Creeper Clunk.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="white-space:nowrap;">[58]