Minecraft hits 10-year milestone
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Minecraft, the biggest-selling video game of all time, began life as an experimental, free PC download in 2009. It has since sold 176 million copies – making Swedish creator Markus Persson a billionaire
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WHAT IS MINECRAFT?
Players interact with 3D game world by placing and breaking various blocks to
build structures in randomly created environments Grass Block: Minecraft’s most iconic block
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Game staff: 80
Monthly players: 91m
Games sold per day: 53,000
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Game available on 33 platforms
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Over 150 different building blocks available
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WHAT’S NEXT FOR MOJANG?
Minecraft Earth: Augmented reality version played on iOS and Android devices. Players can bring 3D creations to life and share them in real world settings
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May 2009: Persson (above), co-founder of Mojang, starts work on Minecraft game for web browsers – publishing free demos on internet
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Jun: Offers updated version for around $13
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Nov 2011: Official release of Minecraft for PC, priced $26
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2011-12: Pocket Edition released for various smartphone operating systems
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2012-17: Versions released for multiple PlayStation, XBox and Nintendo consoles
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Nov 2014: Persson and other co-founders sell Mojang, including Minecraft, to Microsoft for $2.5bn
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Out 2019
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Sources: Mojang, BBC, Video Game Stats
Pictures: Mojang, Creative Commons © GRAPHIC NEWS