Zeynep Uenver, 2764959
Minecraft is more than just a video game. It is a pixelated cult.
Since its first alpha release in 2009, Minecraft has kept its popularity, moving from one generation of players to the next while keeping the loyalty of its original audience. This paper looks at the reasons for this lasting devotion. It examines how Minecraft encourages creativity, community, and meaning that go beyond regular gameplay.
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Presentation:
In the past decade and a half, a simple, pixelated game has dominated the gaming world. It still holds the title of the best selling game of all time. This is no coincidence. This paper seeks to explore why.
This paper explores Minecraft as more than just a game. It aims to uncover the reasons behind its lasting popularity. Ive identified the design elements in Minecraft that I think lead players to give deeper, almost sacred, meanings to their in game actions and relationships. It also looks at how players' behaviors reflect religious structures found in our world.
In which ways can Minecraft, when compared to other games, be seen as a digital space where players give symbolic, ritualistic, or even sacred meaning to their creative and communal practices?
Sub-questions:
1) Introduction: Context significance, and main research question
2) Theoretical Framework: Religion, ritual, and cultural meaning
3) Methodology: Analysis of in-game culture and online communities, case studies: 2b2t, visual and symbolic analysis of builds and practices
4) Results and Discussion: Symbolism, rituals, and player devotion
5) Conclusion: Reflection on cultural meaning, creativity, and digital spirituality
6) References: Academic and media sources