Notes

Minecraft: New Marketplace For Community Creators

Minecraft A new marketplace for community creators By Steffan Powell Newsbeat reporter



10 April 2017



Minecraft intends to make it easier for players to avail of content made by community creators and fans.



Many players have already built complex worlds to explore and adventures to enjoy or altered the game to provide new experiences.



Now they'll be able to officially sell that content through the game itself the brand new Minecraft Marketplace.



Producer John Thornton told Newsbeat that the platform was created to help entrepreneurs begin businesses.



The people who create adventure maps, character skins or other experiences for the game aren't permitted to sell them to other players.



Only authentic Minecraft content can be sold this way however, that hasn't stopped some people making money from the game.



James Delaney is the founder of Blockworks, a group of Minecraft creators. He's managed to create a business despite all the restrictions.



He is delighted to welcome the Marketplace.



He said to Newsbeat that he hopes it could be the start of a regular and steady income.



"In the past, we relied on commissions to bring into our businesses, and you don't know when it will happen."



He is in charge of 62 creators who work in 20 countries.



Their main source of income comes from creating Minecraft-based content for educational and marketing campaigns.



James "got really into" creating Minecraft maps with friends online and realised a few years later that there was a way to make a living.



He adds, "At least now we have a sense of the audience for our content."



"If it is successful, we know that we can continue to work on a more consistent and stable basis."



"Also it's content we can make, rather than being asked to create. So we have the creative control over it."



The marketplace will be available later in the year and will be accessible on the Windows 10 and Pocket versions of the game.



This means that the majority of the estimated 120 million users of Minecraft around the world will have access to it however, those who play on consoles won't.



John Thornton states, "Our ambition is to try and connect creators and players."



"On Pocket edition it can be tricky to get content onto devices, and so it's difficult for creators to display the content they'd like to share with the world.
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"By connecting creators with the marketplace it will be easier for players to find something they like, purchase it, and then store it available on their devices."



People will be able to build community experiences outside the marketplace, with players having access to them for free.



Producers hope that people will spend more money for content that is more easy to find.



John says, "If you want people to share your content now, you need to put it on the internet and let them know where it is."



"You can use existing social media to do that, but it's way more effective if we bring this into the game itself.



"Players are able to interact with things they'd like to in the context of the game they enjoy."



He hopes that the game will allow people like James to build successful businesses through the game.



The Minecraft team has launched the new service that features nine creators around the world.



The adventure maps, skin packs, and experiences will be scrutinized by the central Minecraft team to make sure they're appropriate for the game's target audience.



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