Minecraft's phenomenal global success has spurred an annual Minecraft Convention called MINECON and inspired parents of gamers and librarians to utilize the building blocks game to reach out to children.
Games developer Mojang recently announced the May 15 deadline for the acceptance of panel applications to MINECON, the annual Minecraft Convention where MINECON panelists provide attendees with information and inspiration about the game.
Amid the MINECON preparations, a guide book inspired by the Minecraft hit game, Block City: How to Build Incredible Worlds in Minecraft, is scheduled hit the store shelves in mid-May carrying the perspective that Minecraft is more than a game, and can actually be used as a vehicle for gamers to explore the offline world.
The Charlevoix Public Library in Michigan State meanwhile is now offering a Minecraft Mayhem Day inviting kids in grades 4 and up to play on the library's Minecraft server with their friends once a week on Monday afternoons.
Reviewer Charlie Hall of the Polygon writes he was skeptical at first but was pleasantly surprised by Block City, which he refers to as "well crafted, thoughtful and valuable for both veterans of the game and those coming to it for the first time. While not explicitly written for kids, Block City represents an opportunity to bridge the gap between generations by starting conversations. By discussing what is possible in the game, Block City has the potential to help young players talk to their parents about their virtual lives - and vice versa."
The book begins with an idiot's guide to the Minecraft game structured by Kirsten Kearney with the help of Yazur Strovoz. Kearney interviewed the Minecraft creators, gathering insights on ways to build Minecraft structures. The responses were used to connect the game worlds with the real world with investigations into geography, travel, and history, classical architecture, design, programming, and team building. The book can be seen as a textbook cleverly disguised as a travel guide to the virtual world of Minecraft.
The Michigan library's server is reportedly monitored during game play as the players create fascinating worlds of their own. Petoskey News reports the library has also planned for a Minecraft in Real Life program which has the children explore possibilities of playing the game without computers.
Minecraft, the sandbox construction game, is developed by Mojang, a Microsoft owned game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden.
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