Blizzard has its World of Warcraft, but the gaming world is focused on Minecraft these days.
What do Minecraft gamers have to look forward to in 2013?
Minecraft 1.5 and a Mod API will launch in 2013. The idea is that this will open things up. Modding is a pain right now, both for modders – who need a manual – and players. The API will streamline the process by giving them hooks to develop. It will also make things easier for players to click a button and they have a mod. There’s also a lot of new stuff that Mojang is adding to the game with the big Redstone Update. Redstone is a dust you can put down on the ground and it interacts with things like buttons, levers and pressure points. People can use it for something as simple as opening a door or CPUs in the game. It’s expanding exponentially in the game.
How does Minecraft’s pay structure work?
It’s a $25 PC game and players never have to pay for an updates or any subscription fees. Fans are constantly adding new content for the game. Our forum people will put up a mod on our forum and they’ll have a third party ad file site and it will show gamers an ad first and modders will make a little bit of money off it. But it’s spending money. Modders are not making a living off Minecraft. It’s a labor of love.
Do you think we’ll ever see a Minecraft II?
I don’t know why they’d ever have a reason to develop a sequel. The first one is continuing on.
Can you talk about how MineCon came to be?
Markus decided he wanted to have a yearly convention to celebrate the game. Everyone who was involved wanted to add their contribution. We attend and interact with fans through panels. The first year I wrote up news from the Las Vegas MineCon. Last year at Disneyland Paris, I did a lot of signings with fans, hung out with Mojang developers and community personalities, and moderated some panels. MineCon is an opportunity to network with the community itself on a more personal level.
How many people made the trek to Paris for MineCon 2012?
About 6,500 people attended. There were 1,100 people from the UK, 500 Americans, 300 to 500 from France, and then the rest came from all over the world. Fans were there for the convention itself. They were everywhere. There was never a moment when the halls weren’t full. There was always something going on. Saturday night they opened up the park for all the MineCon attendees, so that’s when the fans rode the rides. But people were there for the game.
Where do you think MineCon 2013 will be?
I have no idea. Every year I find out 4 to 6 months in advance. So far it’s been in Vegas and Paris.
