London - It’s the computer game of the moment, with 33 million users across the world.
But don’t despair if your child is hooked on Minecraft, as according to psychologists, it could actually be good for their development.
The game, with its “building block graphics”, is mainly played by boys aged between nine and 15 on laptops, iPhones, iPads, Xboxes or PlayStations.
It was created in 2009 by Markus Persson, a member of Mensa. Four years on, and his company has revenues of more than £150-million.
There are no winners, no prizes and no specific goals. Players collect resources including wood, stone, coal and iron and use these to build a hut, a house, a castle, a city, an entire civilisation. Everything is assembled one block at a time.
Minecraft has been dubbed “digital Lego” and around 1 500 schools worldwide encourage pupils to play it.
Dr Andrew Przybylski, a psychologist at the University of Oxford, argues that because the game requires children to collaborate on building projects, it fosters teamwork skills.
Compared with Grand Theft Auto’s mindless shoot ‘em up violence, Minecraft is a parent’s dream. - Daily Mail