Minecraft has exploded in the past year to become one of the most popular and recognized video games amongst fans and the industry — and it all started as an indie side-project developed by one guy, Markus Persson (aka. notch). While Minecraft has become infamous for its petrifying Creepers and a 1:1 scale copy of the Starship Enterprise, the game also reveals a lot about the future of game development and game culture in the Internet era. PhD researcher Alex Leavitt looks at the development and spread of Minecraft to explain the cultural and social implications of this indie title gone viral: from the insane passion for a game that still isn’t finished to the careful creation of a game with millions of playtesters. A panel for Minecraft newbies and seasoned tree-punching veterans alike.
Panelists: Alex Levitt [Senior Quantitative User Experience Researcher, Twitter]
Source: Gamespot
Source: Steve Carlson