Minecraft essay

How is Minecraft marketed differently to traditional methods?

Due to Minecraft not having the commercial support of a mainstream publisher and with no money being spent on advertising revenue due to the very little financial support Mojang could offer, Minecraft, unlike other games such as Fifa, relied heavily on the game spreading to new users through word of mouth between current gamers. Also its appearance on gaming sites such as the Penny Arcade helped in generating interest in the game as it allowed for the game to be available to a larger online audience. Video sharing sites, most prominently Youtube, have helped Minecraft to spread to a global audience as players posting videos of themselves playing the game created interest in the game amongst their viewers. The creation of various game modes, including virtual reality, allowed for the game to interest more gamers as it allows for me creativity amongst gamers. The changes to the game over time is evidence of the developers of Minecraft understanding that their original concept needed changing in order to become a more attractive game to much larger audiences. The original USP (unique selling point) of Minecraft was its ability to make positive contributions in the game, but these changes allow for creativity to thrive within the game. The absence of a story line which must be obeyed in Minecraft is another USP which is rare to find in any other games as it guarantees no certain outcome. The presence of intertextual references in Minecraft is unique and is attractive to audiences as it includes other things that they might enjoy, hence making them more keen to purchase Minecraft. The intertextual references in Minecraft have come in the form of parodies, with the Simpsons, Lady Gaga and South Park also being displayed in a parody within the game. Minecraft has expanded as a franchise over recent years which has led to the game spreading to become a part of different media products, such as LEGO Minecraft, Minecraft books and figures and the imminent release of the Minecraft movie in 2019. It is evident that the creators of Minecraft have decided to market Minecraft outside of the game itself, with this cross media synergy in Minecraft products being evidence of the developers of Minecraft wanting for it to be shown on a larger and much broader media scale. In this way, it is clear that the way in which Minecraft is marketed is different to the traditional methods used by other major video game distributors, most emphatically in recent years.