Watch the game Minecraft on the Internet has become a common pastime for children. The game, a whole virtual world that most parents just do not understand, is officially the most watched of all time on YouTube.
According to the video portal, the name of the game, a kind of digital Lego that allows players to build virtual worlds, has become the second most searched term on the site, behind only “music”.
This is in line with previous research done by Newzoo and Octoloy companies, which They had identified that videos related to Minecraft had been viewed 3.9 billion times on YouTube just last March.
None of this is a surprise for parents of boys and girls who beg for habituarama their children close the windows of Minecraft on the computer for cycling, playing football, going out or doing anything else besides spend hours watching other people build virtual worlds on the Internet.
It is a fact that many parents are concerned about the different levels of enthusiasm / obsession / addiction demonstrated their children to play Minecraft, as shown in many publications on social networks and in media reports.
Parents complain that the game It seems to have become the center of life of these children; who get irritable when they are not ‘connected’ in the game, which show careless in relation to schoolwork and the tasks of day-to-day in their homes. . Some decided to completely ban the game or strongly limit the time at the computer
One of these parents, to explain why restricted access of their twin boys to the game, said simply: “The Minecraft, as well as the main vices, has no end. In turn, the childhood of my children is not infinite, and I want them to start to learn about the real world, not on a virtual world. “
But for others, the game does not hurt children – as long as at least do something creative. But spend hours and hours to watch other people play is an unprecedented level of obsession.
Certainly, there is a vast content catalog related Minecraft on YouTube. There are about 42 million videos, clips that give the steps to build new things or new ways to modify existing worlds to those who simply show matches recordings.
There are also hundreds of channels dedicated to Minecraft. Some of them have become sensations on the Internet as the Yogscast and SkyDoesMinecraft
Stampy, intended for children, is a YouTube channel which features the story of a cat.; it has over 5.6 million subscribers and nearly 3.4 billion views. In 2014, was the fourth most popular channel on YouTube.
Others are less suitable for children, with videos described by parents as “useful but full of profanity.”
Bec Oakley , MineMum founder, a blog that helps parents understand what is Minecraft, says not surprised by the fact that the game has become so popular on YouTube.
“YouTube is the television of this generation . It’s like the kids are entertained, learn and share experiences. In addition, there is much content available, and much of it is attractive, educational and useful for children. “
She acknowledges that Minecraft is” definitely a game that children can become obsessed, and watch games on YouTube can be part of this obsession. ” But he adds he does not believe this to be a sign of a larger problem.
“A more important factor is the time spent on it and the effects on mood and child health,” says Oakley.
“It is important that parents help their children to enjoy the Minecraft healthily, talking to them about knowing when to take breaks and establishing rules, rewarding them when they were issued.”
But what makes Minecraft so popular for so many children?
The Mojang, creators Swedish game company that was acquired by Microsoft last year, not specifically developed for children.
According to the programmer and designer Markus Persson, founder of the game, Minecraft was inspired in other games, such as Dawrf Fortress, in which virtual worlds can be built and managed the simulator of RollerCoaster Tycoon amusement parks and Dungeon Keeper strategy game.
But the Mojang always encouraged players to place their own videos on YouTube. And unlike the Japanese company Nintendo, which monitors videos that use their characters and games to demand the advertising revenue from them, Mojang has always approached this type of behavior less rigid way.
” basically we outsource the videos on YouTube for the community of millions of people, and they have created something more creative than we could ever do on their own. This does not affect us, “said Vu Bui, director of operations Mojang told The Guardian last year.
While the Minecraft exploded in popularity, so has YouTube among younger viewers -. in February 2015, nine of the 20 most watched channels of the portal were facing this kind of public
“Watching other people play Minecraft allows children to broaden the experience they have with the game, the to share experiences and learn from each other, “said Oakley, the MineMum blog
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