Xbox 360 and iOS versions of indie hit discussed during opening presentation of Mojang-devoted Las Vegas convention.
LAS VEGAS–Long after the beta version became an indie phenomenon, Mojang’s PC game Minecraft officially launched during the opening Keynote address at the inaugural MineCon convention in Las Vegas.
The Keynote address took place a few hours after the doors opened in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Approximately 5000 attendees filled up the Ballroom Hall to see Mojang founder and Minecraft creator Marcus “Notch” Perssons officially launch the PC 1.0 version of the game.
Although scheduled for a 1pm start, because of the large group of people, the actual Keynote did not commence until roughly 15 minutes after the hour. When it did finally start, the room went completely dark and a trailer began playing, highlighting the various changes the game has gone through since its original inception a few years ago. The comical short was well received by the crowd as many inside joke references were made.
After the completion of the clip, Mojang’s Director of Fun, Lydia “Minecraft Chick” Winters took to the stage and addressed the crowd. She was overwhelmed by the early response so far and is eager to continue the processions. She brings up to the stage YouTube clip maker CaptainSparklez who created the popular “Revenge” video which has amassed over 16 million views since its August 19th posting. They show the video he made parodying the popular Usher song “DJ’s gotta us falling in love again” to the crowd and they eat it up.
Shortly thereafter, Stuart Platt of Microsoft takes to the stage to showcase the first trailer for the XBLA version of the game. The short clip has the Mojang staff playing the game for the first time in a very comical sort of way. No other mention is made about the XBLA version except for the fact it is playable in the Exhibit Hall. For those interested in seeing and reading more, our preview went live during the Keynote.
The official trailer for Minecraft on Xbox Live Arcade
The brief talk regarding the Xbox Live version of the game is followed up with Daniel Kaplan of Mojang giving to adress the iOS version of the game which became available worldwide on Thursday. He makes mention of the fact that they originally wanted to surprise people by launching it on during the Keynote but because of logistics, they released it the day before. Everyone at Mojang was overwhelmed by the quick response to the game, especially with them not having done much marketing to push the game. He finishes up by proclaiming that Minecraft on iOS is currently the #1 paid App in all iTunes stores around the world.
Following this, Mojang go down memory lane again, this time focusing on the history of the company. They highlight each member of the team, why they were hired and what role(s) they have with future games. Notch then takes to the stage to talk about his feelings about Minecon, acknowledging the fact that this isn’t in fact the first Minecon -last year a few community members held a picnic in Bellvue, Washigton – and how glad he is able to share this momentous occasion with everyone who has helped shape the game up to this point.
The time has quickly arrived for the official launch of Minecraft version 1.0. But before they launch can take place, the popular Internet and Gaming Trio Mega64 take to the stage to showcase a launch trailer that Notch asked them to make. In typical Mega64 fashion, the video pokes fun of Notch and Minecraft’s lego-like feature. Mega64’s Rocco, playing the role of Notch, reveals the box to Minecraft and in it, it is filled with Lego blocks. He then proceeds to travel around San Diego annoying by-standers and showcasing just how incredible this version of Minecraft really is. The crowd eats up the video and Notch is seen laughing on stage as the video finishes.
After some teasing and hesitation, Notch who at this point has been re-joined by all the members of Mojang, begins to look at and fool around with a box that has a Switch on it. The Switch has been on stage throughout the keynote and is labeled with an “Activate Minecraft” sign. The crowd begins to chant his name along with “Minecraft” and after about 10-15 seconds, the switch is finally flipped, confetti shoots from the box and the Mojang staff begin to dance and hug each other on stage to mark this momentous occasion.
A comical look at the history of Minecraft – taken live from the Keynote
Music begins to fill the room and the members of Mojang begin to file off the stage. No official notification is made that this is the end of the panel but fans begin to rush out of the room to get to the Exhibit Hall. That brings and end to the proceedings and the rest of Minecon continues.
Be sure to stay tuned for additional coverage from MineCon including an interview with Notch himself and videos from Panels showcasing the other two developed Mojang games Scrolls and Cobalt.
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