00:00What if I told you that the best-selling video game of all time, a digital universe that has captivated over 300 million players, was created by just one person in a mere six days?
00:13This isn't a myth, it's the origin story of Minecraft, a game that started as a simple experiment and grew into a global phenomenon.
00:22From a glitchy green monster to a multi-billion dollar empire, this is the complete, untold history of Minecraft.
00:30Our story begins in 2009 with a Swedish programmer named Marcus Persson, better known to the world as Notch.
00:38At the time, Notch was working at King, the company behind Candy Crush, but he spent his free time crafting his own indie games.
00:47He was deeply inspired by a game called Infiniminer, a block-based mining game that was open source.
00:54Notch saw potential in Infiniminer's core concept, but envisioned something much bigger.
01:00He wanted to combine its mining and building mechanics with the sense of adventure and survival found in games like Dwarf Fortress.
01:09So, over the course of just six intense days in May 2009, he developed the very first version of his new project.
01:16It wasn't called Minecraft yet, its working title was Simply Cave Game.
01:22This initial prototype was incredibly basic.
01:26You could walk around a randomly generated world made of dirt and cobblestone, breaking and placing blocks.
01:33There was no crafting, no enemies, no survival.
01:37It was just a digital sandbox.
01:40But even in this primitive form, the core magic was there the freedom to create, to shape the world as you soft it.
01:47Notch released this early version on the TIGSource forums, an online community for indie game developers, to gather feedback.
01:54The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive.
01:59Players were hooked by the simple, yet profound, act of creation.
02:04This early excitement marked the beginning of what many call the golden age of Minecraft.
02:09From 2010 to 2013, the game entered its alpha phase and Notch began selling access to fund its development.
02:17This was a revolutionary model at the time, pay once and get all future updates for free.
02:25Players weren't just customers, they were active participants in the game's evolution.
02:31Notch was famous for his open development style, frequently sharing his progress and ideas on his blog and Twitter.
02:39I have listened to the community, implementing suggestions and fixing bugs in real time.
02:44It was during this period that one of Minecraft's most iconic elements was born, entirely by accident.
02:52While trying to code a pig, Notch made a mistake with the dimensions.
02:56Instead of a short, wide creature, he created a tall, thin one.
03:01It was a bizarre, nightmarish creation.
03:04Rather than deleting the glitched model, he had a spark of genius.
03:08He gave it a creepy texture, removed its ability to make a sound, and programmed it to run up to the player and explode.
03:15The creeper was born.
03:18This happy accident became a symbol of the game, a source of countless jump scares and a testament to the serendipitous nature of game development.
03:27As the game grew, so did its community.
03:29The alpha version gave way to the beta in late 2010, introducing features like the nether, new biomes, and a more robust survival experience.
03:40But what truly catapulted minicraft into the stratosphere was a burgeoning platform called YouTube.
03:47Content creators like the Yogscast and CaptainSparklez began making Let's Play series, showcasing their adventures, incredible builds, and hilarious mishaps.
03:57The shadow of his raffle series by the Yogscast, in particular, was like a weekly TV show for a generation of gamers, blending gameplay with an epic narrative.
04:10Viewers weren't just watching someone play a game, they were being told a story.
04:15This organic, player-driven marketing was more powerful than any traditional ad campaign.
04:21Millions of kids saw their favorite creators having fun and begged their parents for the game.
04:27Mini-Craft wasn't just a game anymore, it was a cultural event.
04:32The full release, version 1.0, officially launched at the very first Minicon in November 2011.
04:39It was a celebration of how far the game had come.
04:43Notch was no longer a solo developer.
04:46He had founded a company, Mohang, and assembled a team to help realize his vision.
04:51Over the next few years, the team added features that are now considered essential, the Hunger Bar, Enchanting, Potions, and The End, giving players a final boss to conquer.
05:03Mini-Craft was a complete, polished experience, but its journey was far from over.
05:08By 2014, Mini-Craft was a global sensation.
05:13It was on PC, consoles, and mobile devices.
05:16It had sold tens of millions of copies.
05:19And its creator, Notch, was feeling the pressure.
05:23He had become a celebrity in the gaming world, but the immense weight of managing such a massive community and a multi-million dollar company was taking its toll.
05:33He famously tweeted, Anyone want to buy my share of Mohang so I can move on with my life?
05:39It seemed like a joke, but behind the scenes, a monumental deal was brewing.
05:45Tech giants came calling, but it was Microsoft who ultimately sealed the deal.
05:50In September 2014, Microsoft announced it was acquiring Mohang for a staggering $2.5 billion.
05:57The community was stunned.
06:00Many feared that the corporate giant would ruin the indie spirit of their beloved game.
06:06Notch, now a billionaire, stepped away from Mini-Craft and Mohang entirely, leaving his creation in the hands of his team and his new corporate parent.
06:16The Microsoft era had begun.
06:18One of Microsoft's first major initiatives was to unify the fragmented versions of the game.
06:24For years, the original Java edition on PC and the various console and mobile versions were developed separately, leading to inconsistencies in features and gameplay.
06:36Microsoft's solution was the Bedrock edition.
06:40Built on a new engine, Bedrock was designed to run on almost any device, from an Xbox to a smartphone, and most importantly, it enabled cross-play.
06:49For the first time, a player on an Xbox could build a world with their friend on a Nintendo Switch.
06:56While the Java edition continued to be developed for its dedicated PC community, Bedrock brought the Mini-Craft universe together like never before.
07:06As the years went on, Mini-Craft continued to receive steady updates, but by the late 2010s, a new challenger had entered the arena, Fortnite.
07:15With its fast-paced action and free-to-play model, Fortnite captured the attention of the gaming world.
07:23For a time, it seemed like Mini-Craft's reign might be coming to an end.
07:28Pundits wondered if the blocky builder had finally become kringy or uncool for the younger generation.
07:34But Mini-Craft had a secret weapon, nostalgia, and a community that never truly left.
07:40Around 2019, something incredible happened, a modern renaissance.
07:47The kids who grew up playing Mini-Craft in their golden age were now young adults.
07:52They started returning to the game, bringing with them a new wave of creativity and maturity.
07:59PewDiePie, the world's biggest YouTuber at the time, started a Mini-Craft series that shattered viewership records, reigniting mainstream interest.
08:08The game was suddenly cool again.
08:12Mohang capitalized on this renewed energy with a series of massive, game-changing updates.
08:18The Aquatic update revitalized the oceans, and the Village and Pillage update overhauled the game's social dynamics.
08:26But the most ambitious update was yet to come.
08:29For years, the community had dreamed of a massive cave update.
08:33Mohang delivered beyond anyone's wildest expectations with the Caves and Cliffs update.
08:40Released in two parts in 2021, it completely transformed the world generation.
08:46Mountains now stretched to dizzying heights, and below the surface, vast, breathtaking cave systems filled with lush biomes and deep, dark caverns replaced the old, cramped tunnels.
08:58It was like discovering a whole new game within the game.
09:02These updates proved that even after a decade, Mini-Craft could still evolve, surprise, and inspire everyone.
09:10Today, Mini-Craft's legacy is undeniable.
09:14With over 300 million copies sold, it is, by a wide margin, the best-selling video game of all time.
09:22But its impact goes far beyond sales numbers.
09:26It has become a powerful tool in education.
09:29Teachers use Mini-Craft, Education Edition, to teach everything from coding and mathematics to history and art.
09:36It allows students to explore ancient civilizations by walking through blocky recreations of Rome,
09:42or to understand chemistry by experimenting in a safe, virtual lab.
09:47The game fosters creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration in a way that few other tools can.
09:55It represents a fundamental shift in gaming, proving that graphics aren't everything.
10:01In a world of hyper-realistic visuals, a game with simple, blocky aesthetics conquered the world because it gave players one thing, freedom.
10:10The freedom to be an architect, an explorer, a fighter, a farmer, or just someone who wants to build a simple dirt house by a lake.
10:18It's a blank canvas, and every player's story is unique.
10:23From Notch's six-day experiment to a global cultural touchstone,
10:28the story of Mini-Craft is a story of creativity, community, and the enduring power of a simple block.
10:35Thank you so much for watching this journey through Mini-Craft's history.
10:40It's a game that means so much to so many people, and everyone's first experience is special.
10:46So, I have a question for you.
10:48What was your first Mini-Craft house like?
10:51Was it a magnificent castle?
10:53Or was it a humble hole on the side of a mountain?
10:56Let me know in the comments below.
10:58I'd love to read your stories.
11:00Don't forget to like and subscribe for more deep games into your favorite games.
11:06Thanks again and see you next time.
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