Junior SCHOOLS All about Minecraft All about Minecraft The secrets of Stampy’s success Joseph “Stampy” Garrett add your own twist or has around 7.9 million personality when you make Minecraft mania: what’s it all about? subscribers to his YouTube your own videos,” he says. Thousands of people will visit the channel, which features While Garrett carefully videos of his Minecraft plans each video, one of his Minecon conference this month in WOW! creations and challenges. co-stars, Beth “Sqaishey” Here are his top tips and Bates, has different ideas. “I the US. Why is the game so popular? Minecraft has sold more tricks for success. do work out what I want to be than 100 million copies since ore than 40 million people play Minecraft every month, but doing, but when it comes to 2009, making it the second BIG SCREEN only 12,000 of them will get to attend the annual Minecon “If you want to become a recording, I go a bit random M biggest-selling game of all conference in California, in the US, on 24–25 September. Those The good news is there’s a YouTuber, the no. 1 priority with it,” she says. Bates time – behind only Tetris. lucky enough to be heading to the festival will get to meet their Minecraft film on the way. should be on enjoying making recommends getting away Tetris has sold around favourite Minecraft YouTubers, see what the future holds for the The not-so-good news: videos, and making the best from your screens to get 500 million copies. game and try their hand at playing it in virtual reality. Minecraft it won’t be released until videos that you can,” says inspiration for new videos. “If has taken the world by storm – so what’s the secret of its success? May 2019, so there’s a bit Garrett. “Don’t worry about I go out for the day, I’ll see the of a wait. how many views or most random things subscribers you’re getting.” and think ‘that What is Minecraft? Garrett recommends would be really watching your favourite stars’ cool videos and thinking about to have in why you enjoy them. “But a video’,” don’t just copy them: try to she says. Iron and snow golems You can create all sorts of cool creatures in Minecraft using blocks of resources that you collect. For example, to make Markus an iron golem, which will protect you Stampy and Persson as you play, all you need is four blocks Sqaishey’s of iron and a pumpkin. Stack the iron Minecraft Put simply, Minecraft is a creepers and zombies, DID YOU KNOW? blocks in a T shape then put the pumpkin characters. game where players have ghouls and spiders that on top and an iron British Minecrafter Daniel to dig holes and collect roam about under the cover golem will grow. To “The Diamond Minecart” resources to create blocks. of darkness. make a snow golem Middleton had the 13th Crafting in classrooms These blocks are used to all you need to do is biggest YouTube channel build houses and shelters. stack two snow Who created in the world in July, with Some You can also use these blocks and top them schools use nearly 335 million views An image from Minecraft resources to make tools with a pumpkin. Minecraft in Minecraft? Wii U Mash-Up Pack Mario of his videos in one month. lessons. and torches to see at night. Mojang, a small Swedish Comparison. Players can create anything company led by a man from small huts to giant nicknamed Notch, released stone cities. The only limit to the first version ofMinecraft what you can build in in 2009. Notch, otherwise More than just a game... Minecraft for good Minecraft is your known as Markus Persson, Minecraft is more than just a load of virtual Clarke, who worked on both projects, in a Some people have made it their jobs to use its projects got children from Lewes, in imagination, from replicas of began writing computer building blocks: it can help you find out speech earlier this year. “It can be used to do Minecraft to improve the real world. Sussex, to redesign a housing estate with your home and famous code when he was just about art, history and even computer art. It can be used to do science. It can be Block by Block is a partnership between clean energy and affordable housing. landmarks, to gravity- eight years old. It was the programming. The Tate art gallery has used to do things that are unexpected.” Mojang and the United Nations. It works defying floating statues or forests that surrounded his launched a series of Minecraft worlds with people in developing countries to help Minecraft sprawling underground lairs. small town of Edsbyn, in inspired by artworks from its collection, with The Great Fire of them redesign their parks and town centres can be used Some schools already use camera and characters All of this has to be done Sweden, where he grew up games and challenges based on some of the London recreated in Minecraft in order to spark ideas for to redesign Minecraft in lessons, but that that can be programmed in Minecraft. towns. before the sun goes down on that inspired him world’s most famous paintings. The improving their cities in real life. British could soon be easier. Mojang to guide students. Its aim PA IMAGES PA · the virtual world and night to create the Museum of London has launched its own company BlockBuilders does a similar thing and its owner Microsoft have is to help schools teach all takes over. It’s at night when game. In 2009 Minecraft maps based on the Great Fire of here with young people. It encourages been working hard on kinds of subjects within the monsters (or “mobs” in he wrote the London, to give players a sense of what the them to create their home towns in Minecraft: Education Edition. Minecraft – even if, when Minecraft-speak) come out first version of city was like before, during and after the Minecraft, redesign them and then An “early access” version was it comes to seeing off creepers, and a player has to defend Minecraft in just disaster. “Minecraft can be used to engage come up with “neighbourhood plans” released in June for teachers to you can show your teachers him or herself against one week. in bigger and broader ideas,” said Adam to make those ideas come true. One of get to grips with. It includes a a thing or two. MINECRAFT/MOJANG/MICROSOFT MINECRAFT/MOJANG/MICROSOFT ©THE WEEK JUNIOR, DENNIS PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. schools.theweekjunior.co.uk schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.