Minecraft

Minecraft is a *sandbox video game based around breaking and placing blocks in a procedurally generated world. There are two main game modes: Survival, wherein the player must gather resources and protect themselves against hostile creatures; and Creative, where the player cannot die or take damage, can break blocks instantly, has an infinite supply of blocks and items, and can fly. The game is developed by Mojang Studios.

Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, with over 200 million units sold. There are two editions of the game: the PC-exclusive Java Edition, which is the original game engine, and the multi-platform Bedrock Edition. It has several spin-off titles such as Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Dungeons.

* In gaming terms, "sandbox" refers to games with no set objective or plot.

It is the third game to be adapted by GameToons.

History
The earliest builds of Minecraft date back to 2009, when its parent company Mojang was a skeleton crew. Its first public release was on May 17th, 2009, published as an indie (independent) title. The game was in early developmental stages until June of 2010. Its alpha and beta stages lasted until November 2011.

The full release of Minecraft coincided with the second half of its major "Adventure Update" on November 18th, 2011. Despite it being billed as the full release, the game is still updated to this day.

Microsoft acquired the rights to Minecraft in 2014 for an estimated $2 billion USD. Little has changed in the Java edition as a result of the purchase, but it its believed that Microsoft is responsible for controversial DLC and microtransactional content in the Bedrock edition.

In 2019, the game's parent company rebranded from "Mojang" to "Mojang Studios."

Mojang Studios has partnered with humanitarian and environmental causes on several occasions. For example, in June 2020, proceeds from sales of Minecraft and its spin-offs were donated towards racial justice and children's education charities.

The Minecraft community is currently awaiting the second part of its "Caves and Cliffs" update, slated for a Holiday 2021 release.