Create, build, craft and mine; all are aspects of Minecraft, a popular game that is on the rise once again. Teens are returning back to the game after a recent dip in popularity. 

   Minecraft is a sandbox game created on May 17, 2009 by Markus Persson. It was later sold to Microsoft in early September 2014. 

   In the game, players choose to control their adventures and build their own version of fun, whether by oneself or with other people. The game lets players choose between mini games on servers or on survival mode with friends and enemies around the world. 

  Junior Christan Potter owns a small Minecraft server.

   “I started playing minecraft in third or fourth grade because I could play with all my friends and play the game my way,” Potter said.

      Similarly, Junior Alexander Stevens was also a former owner of the Minecraft server called ‘Homies 1.14 Adventure,’ a pay-to-enter server that required additional payment outside of the cost to play the game.

   “Everyone started playing Minecraft around me, and there were a lot of Youtubers who played Minecraft. It seemed fun so I bought the game,” Stevens said. 

   Stevens said he usually plays Minecraft with friends and enjoys being on big servers. This includes servers such as Hypixel, a hub based mini game server created by friends.

   “Minecraft probably fell in ratings because of repetition. People were too bored of it and then they started to see it as a kid game. Like how could anyone enjoy this game because it is just blocks and stuff? But, I believe people began to come back because of nostalgia. People are nostalgic of the fun they had as a child and, with veterans, it has been so long since they played. Currently Minecraft is a whole different game than it used to be ten years ago. It’s not just punching a tree to get wood anymore,” Stevens said.

   Minecraft has been updating over the years to keep players playing the game. When old players come back they feel as if the game is new and fresh and different from what it was back then. 

   Minecraft has seen a spike 20 million players in the past year according to Forbes.

   “I think it was over exposed. There was a lot of Youtube channels being created and most of them were by kids which lead to its decline,”  Potter said

   Minecraft recently underwent a large update called 1.14, Many textures were changed and new items and blocks were added that could do things such as cooking food faster or crafting new blocks from other blocks. New creatures were even added to the game to draw a higher appeal.

   “Its a factor of a lot of things, there was a big update recently that changed a lot of things, then there is Pewdiepie who started a Youtube series on it which brought a lot of people back,” Potter said. 

   Potter believes this update could be one of the reasons players were drawn back to minecraft.

   With all the changes in Minecraft some people still choose not to play. One person od these people is Nationwide Insurance’s Computer Software Developer, Kevin Xiao. 

   “I have not played Minecraft. It just doesn’t appeal to my taste in general. I guess it’s just not for me. I think multiple games began to come out and started to offer features that Minecraft could not offer, like Fortnite,” Xiao said.  

   Potter said, “Minecraft is a great game, and is changing things up which is bringing people back into the game. As well as all the memes and publicity it has been getting is bringing new players in. I don’t see an end to Minecraft any time soon.”

For other entertainment stories make sure to check out the print issue of The Odyssey!