Minecon draws 10,000 obsessed to London, sets world attendance record

The economic ecosystem around one of the hottest video game sensations is in full bloom in London, as Minecon is under way this weekend, with over 10,000 excited fans in attendance.

A Guinness world record for the largest convention around a single video game was presented  to Mojang brand director, Lydia Winders, during the opening ceremony, according to a report in The Independent.  Visitors from more than 70 countries are present at the conference.  Mojang COO Vu Bui said in this Reuters: video: “This is my favorite week of the year, starting on Friday as people are coming in, we had many people, a couple of thousand people come and pre-register yesterday and they just wanted to hang out and feel the buzz of what was going to happen the next day. It’s just been amazing.”

Minecraft, with its throwback heavily-pixelated design, is more of a “digital sandbox” than what one thinks of video game today — the game untraditionally has no story mode (although Winders previewed an upcoming version with one at the show, to great applause).  At its core is merely creating and breaking blocks. But the seemingly endless variety of block placement seems to have stirred millions of imaginations.  Minecraft’s user base is over 100 million, but the game appeals strongly to kids under 15.  

The stars of youtube videos are making splashes at the conference, as their imagination in using the game has inspired children to design their own playlands.  Stampy, the Youtube sensation alter-ego of Joseph Garrett, tweeted from the show. Garrett had over 1.5 million videos viewed in June alone, according to Socialblade.  Dan Middleton, aka “The Diamond Minecart”, indicated in a youtube promotion this week he was doing a “battle” with Stampy and iBallisticSquid (David Spencer).  “Signing autographs, taking pictures … it’s insane,” Middleton is quoted in Reuters.

“I just love that you can hang out with your friends and just build stuff and just meet new people,” Reuters quotes Cody Vansickle, from Ohio.

Microsoft purchased Mojang last year for $2.5 billion, although the company’s founders, including the original programmer, Markus Persson, are moving on.  Microsoft has claimed it isn’t going to mess with the company’s success. “This is definitely Mojang’s show and it’s about Minecraft and the fans,” BBC News  quotes Matt Booty, GM for the Minecraft team. “We are here to listen and learn and be inspired by the fans.”

 

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