Intro to Minecraft for LibrariesBy Elias I. VazquezLakewood BranchOcean County Library

Bit of Info on Minecraft Released in 2009, created by Markus Persson or

“Notch” from Sweden. Featured an unique pay model where you paid $13 for the alpha release and the price would go up as updates were released.

Full version released 2011 priced at $26.99 Minecraft is also available for the Xbox 360, iOS,

Android, and the PlayStation 3 platforms. Xbox One and PS4 versions to be released soon.

Minecraft Basics Use blocks to build Dig through blocks to find resources Use resources to craft new materials such as armor and

weapons. Or hunt for food, forage for vegetables, and create a house

Two modes of play: Creative and Survival Creative – build whatever you desire with no limit to

resources or any hostile enemies spawning. Survival – Character has health and a hunger bar. Day and

night cycle; at night baddies come out to play. Survive, look for diamonds, obsidian, and defeat the Ender Dragon!

Minecraft-created Village

So why is Minecraft so popular? Minecraft is a video game, but unlike most games,

there is no true objective. You can either build as many things as you want or dig till your hearts content.

Survival mode is the closest thing to having an objective but the game won’t guide you and there's no story to speak of. Except the one you create in your head which is why it’s so popular.

Multiplayer mode. The feeling of finishing a huge city that you’ve created with your friends or exploring a dangerous abandoned mine shaft compares to no other.

Westeros Created in Minecraft

How to play Minecraft - PC Version

If playing the PC version, ask your attendees if they have access to a Minecraft account. Although there is a free version of the game on the Minecraft site, it’s NOT the newest version.

A Minecraft account costs $26.99. You can buy account cards at a Walmart, Target or similair establishment.

There are free versions of Minecraft Single Player out there that aren’t “legal” ways of playing the game but your attendees might know about them. It’s up to you to let them play that way.

How to play Minecraft - Console Versions

The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions can be bought from the digital store for each respective console for $19.99. This requires an account and a credit card. You can use gift cards for each respective store so you don’t have to use your card.

The other way of playing it is to buy the physical disc version which also costs $19.99.

The biggest differences compared to the PC version is that you can play up to four players on one screen and the graphics look sharper. Note that NOT all the features from the PC version are in the console versions. They’re slowly catching up though.

How to Run a Minecraft Program – PC version

If you’re playing the PC version, determine how many kids or teens have accounts. This is important because those that play the free versions they will not be able to play multiplayer.

Now you have two options: You can either let them run amok in creative mode or multiplayer OR have set goals and challenges like I do.

How to Run a Minecraft Program – PC Version Cont…

Challenges: These are things that must be completed in survival mode within a certain time limit.

Examples: Get a full suit of iron armor, build a portal to the Nether World, find and smelt 10 pieces of gold armor, make a cake, find some diamonds and make a piece of armor or a weapon, make 20-30 arrows, reach level 20, and build a house with a furnace, crafting table, chest and a bed

Creative mode challenges: using a projector, put up a picture of a famous building and tell the kids that they have a time limit to create that certain object.

How to Run a Minecraft Program – Console Versions Make sure you have an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, an

HDTV, and four controllers. For the console versions, if you have more than four

people, I set a time limit per four players, something like 30 mins. to an hour.

The same challenges from the PC version apply.

Questions? Email: evazquez@theoceancountylibrary.org Slideshare: http://

www.slideshare.net/EliasSan/intro-to-minecraft-for-libraries