How Minecraft is taking over the world

It’s simply remarkable that all of these kids like my son discovered Minecraft http://www.minecraft.net/ . The typical way such things go viral is to build on a platform like Facebook. But Minecraft is linked to no social networks, though when you see your kids plotting elaborate structures together or playing remotely and chatting in Minecraft, you realize it is extremely social in its own way.

In this case, it seems word of Minecraft spread through fan videos posted on YouTube. Leavitt noted that in September 2010 he found about 14,000 Minecraft videos on YouTube, and then watched that number jump to 400,000 two months later, when the game just seemed to catch fire.

Several educators have even started a http://minecraftedu.com/ initiative to find ways to use the game in schools.

Chris O’Brien

Full Story: http://www.mercurynews.com/chris-obrien/ci_19342166