This tutorial will expose participants to the enormous potential for research in art, design, game development, programming and education in Mojang/Microsoft’s Minecraft game environment. The tutorial is for all experience levels. Educators and researchers, who are curious about the buzz, as well as Minecrafters, who have created worlds, will find something new as they start from the “first night” and go on to design games, create artwork or extract data from the server for 3D printing or other visualization. For those with an interest in computing, this tutorial will survey the basic aspects of programming for Minecraft and its derivatives. The tutorial will highlight social interaction and demonstrate game development in the sandbox environment.
This half-day design tutorial will include presentations, discussions, live-exercises and experience in Minecraft. Presentations will cover a variety of work that has been created in SJSU’s Minecraft server, Orwell. The “hands-on” part will cover the basics of Minecraft, it will encourage the participants to create games and art in Minecraft. Throughout the tutorial, the participants will be exposed to new ideas and skills via social interactions and unique challenges that they encounter in Minecraft. These will improve their game development skills as well as scaffold an understanding of emergent spaces. At the end of the conference, the data from the Minecraft server will be made available to participants.
Participants will need to bring their own computers that are capable of running Minecraft and we would prefer that players have created their accounts. We will have a limited number of licenses available at cost.
This half-day design tutorial will include presentations, discussions, live-exercises and experience in Minecraft. Presentations will cover a variety of work that has been created in SJSU’s Minecraft server, Orwell. The “hands-on” part will cover the basics of Minecraft, it will encourage the participants to create games and art in Minecraft. Throughout the tutorial, the participants will be exposed to new ideas and skills via social interactions and unique challenges that they encounter in Minecraft. These will improve their game development skills as well as scaffold an understanding of emergent spaces. At the end of the conference, the data from the Minecraft server will be made available to participants.
Participants will need to bring their own computers that are capable of running Minecraft and we would prefer that players have created their accounts. We will have a limited number of licenses available at cost.
James Morgan is an instructor for art and game studies at San José State University where he has taught art and computer science classes in Minecraft. His work involves social interaction, coded culture and democratic structures in game-spaces and simulations. He curates art and games in physical and simulated spaces and also serves as the director of Ars Virtua, a gallery and collaborative project executed in virtual worlds.
R. Yagiz Mungan is a new media artist and scholar, whose research and practice is located at the cross section of sound, games, generative art, and interaction. He has done an artist residency, performed and composed for performances in Minecraft. He holds an MFA in Electronic and Time-Based Art from Purdue University. He currently works at Float Hybrid Entertainment.
Morgan and Mungan recently co-authored the chapter Fine Arts, Culture and Creativity in Minecraft in Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities.
R. Yagiz Mungan is a new media artist and scholar, whose research and practice is located at the cross section of sound, games, generative art, and interaction. He has done an artist residency, performed and composed for performances in Minecraft. He holds an MFA in Electronic and Time-Based Art from Purdue University. He currently works at Float Hybrid Entertainment.
Morgan and Mungan recently co-authored the chapter Fine Arts, Culture and Creativity in Minecraft in Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities.