Minecraft news » Weekly Recap - The Contest, The Future & More

Mojang has always been a company of innovation; from the time it was a company of one, up to the present day where approximately 10 employees just isn't enough, they have always embodied a sense of "breaking the mold". Not content to simply follow the trend of war-based first-person shooters, they aimed for something completely different, and Minecraft was the result. Given the resounding success of the game, it's not hard to see why everyone is excited about their future projects.

Even the personal projects generate an unusual amount of positive attention.

Mojang continues to pile up awards, winning over virtually every establishment capable of bestowing such accolades one by one. It's amazing in a way I never thought possible in the gaming industry - as we watched the same sort of games get produced year after year, one indie game dared to do something different - and succeeded phenomenally at it. Who would've thought two years ago that a simple block-building game would essentially define a new genre?

Weekly Content Contest - Trials and Tribulations

What began as another simple contest quickly grew beyond its means, at an alarming rate. While prior contests had been popular enough, this particular one exceeded every expectation possible, and it rapidly became apparent that there were too many good submissions to fairly pick a mere handful. What began as a struggle to objectively categorize a daunting number of high-quality submissions became a lesson in player creativity; we will not make the mistake of underestimating how creative people can be going forward. I welcome everyone to check out every single submission here, and choose a favorite (or two, or five) for yourself. In the end, all of them were phenomenal.

In light of the overwhelming number of entries to our most recent contest, we offer the following in return - a contest with real prizes. What prizes? What contest? You'll find out on December 15th - keep an eye out for it. We promise that it will be worth it.

Going Forward - Mojang, Minecraft & More

We've had the opportunity to sit down with a number of notable figures this week. Carl Manneh offered his insights into the future of Minecraft and Scrolls, as well as a surprise reveal for Cobalt, announcing its arrival in the very near future. He added that Mojang is hiring, and invites anyone who thinks they have what it takes to sign up. Skill, teamwork and a love for games are the chief points, but not the only salient ones. If you have ever wanted a chance to shape the future of the games you love, a better opportunity has never presented itself.

LEGO®, Localization

When LEGO® opened their CUUSOO project, they tried to determine what the ideal time-frame would be for a submitted idea to reach the required number of supporters. Their own words speak volumes on this very thing:

LEGO® CUUSOO said:

3 server outages and 10,000 unique supporters later, Mojang's Minecraft-themed LEGO® ideas entered the review phase. One has to wonder what the first official Minecraft set could be - grassy plains? A scale-model creeper? A dungeon in a cave? This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of player-made designs either, and that says a lot about the nearly endless potential of Minecraft LEGO® sets. What will you build?
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This week's Weekly Round Up touches on a wide array of goings-on in the gaming world. This week, we take a look at Diablo 3, World of Warcraft and, of course, Minecraft. Take a look!