I work at an EB Games, which is your Australian Gamestop and just after closing shop today I was counting the tills and had a phone call from a customer, mother who simply wanted to know if we sold minecraft. So suddenly BANG I have the realisation of just how hugely massive this game has become. I can understand the internet popularity but to have it trickle down to a retail level that equals customers asking if we sell 'R4 Cards' just blew my mind. I was happy to point her in the right direction, explaining that it was an indi game created by a single guy and currently the only way to purchase it is directly from him at his website and she seemed very confused by this, her son was after a copy. Blew my mind.

I realized that this game was huge when I walked into my school library and saw that almost every screen in the room had Minecraft on it. It's a great game but never thought that it would catch on with the masses. 

That's pretty awesome.

" Minecraft is going to replace the real world. "

This is where the matrix begins. Soon we will all become batteries plugged in to minecraft.

You should have sold her a preorder.

Minecraft does have fantastic potential, it's true. As an average gamer I've reached the point where my enjoyment of the game has ebbed, which makes me wonder just how much this would be taken up by the masses; from my experience of the game thus far, I cannot see that, in it's current state, Minecraft is suitable for anyone but the hardcore super-smart people that currently are shouting its name from on-high and creatng the mind-boggling systems, sculptures and worlds I see in the videos.
 
But still, judging by this evidence, even if most people don't "get" it (if realeased as it stands now) it could sell like hot-cakes, and if that means more money for Notch & his company, I'm all for it! I can't help but get the feeling however, that a number of tweaks to the "survival" experience, and a significant step forward on the multiplayer infrastructure, could take the game into new realms of possibility and widen the potential market greatly.

Game could very well be the next Sims if development goes in the correct direction. I suspect it won't, though. More than likely the project will die down and he'll move on to something else rather than it becoming successful in the retail market.

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Minecraft is going to replace the real world. "

Fixed. "

Isn't it technically still in Alpha?  What happens/what will change when it switches over to Beta, much less 'Gold,' or whatever the online equivalent is. 
The only thing I'm cringing against, is when he actually makes these changes.  There is going to be endless bitching of 'ohman, this game was sooo much better before x happened.'  That is going to get annoying fast.

Yeah. I would like to see and play the development stages of games like Fable and Mass Effect. If people would have access to those they would still moan about the end result not being as good as the game "at development stage XX" or something.  
 
In the end we will have more block types, more creatures (docile and hostile), more craftable items and hopefully more fun. As long as Notch allows people to enjoy the freedom of playing the game as they want to then I don't see a problem.

" @BulletproofMonk said:

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Minecraft is going to replace the real world. "

Fixed. "

The origin of the Matrix has been found.  If we act quickly, we may not be able to stop the machine takeover, but we can at least ensure that society in the Matrix isn't controlled by a bunch of douches in black trenchcoats and $1000 sunglasses. "

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Minecraft is real world. "

Fixed. "

Yeah, Minecraft is pretty great.

" I realized that this game was huge when I walked into my school library and saw that almost every screen in the room had Minecraft on it. It's a great game but never thought that it would catch on with the masses.  "

" You should have sold her a preorder. "

Hooray! Now multiplayer is going to be filled with 12 year olds burning down my wood house and placing random shit everywhere!!! :D :D :D

" @BulletproofMonk said:

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Minecraft is real world. "

Fixed. "

Fixed "

" @Tairoku said:

" @BulletproofMonk said:

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Minecraft is real world. "

Fixed. "

Fixed "

HOLY SHIT "

" Hooray! Now multiplayer is going to be filled with 12 year olds burning down my wood house and placing random shit everywhere!!! :D :D :D "

My favourite thing about Minecraft is that the game is this ridiculously popular and it's still only in alpha-testing.

Couldn't have happened to a more fantastic game. As a singleplayer experience, Minecraft is in my opinion one of the best examples of emergent gameplay in all games.

" @dbz1995 said:

" @Tairoku said:

" @BulletproofMonk said:

" @ForestWarrier said:

" Fixed. "

Fixed. "

Fixed. "

Fixed. "

Fixed. "

I just can't see it myself.  I tried playing it for a week or so and I can't get into it.  I normally love slow paced sims or games of that nature but it just doesnt get me.  I don't know if im doing something wrong.

" Minecraft does have fantastic potential, it's true. As an average gamer I've reached the point where my enjoyment of the game has ebbed, which makes me wonder just how much this would be taken up by the masses; from my experience of the game thus far, I cannot see that, in it's current state, Minecraft is suitable for anyone but the hardcore super-smart people that currently are shouting its name from on-high and creatng the mind-boggling systems, sculptures and worlds I see in the videos. But still, judging by this evidence, even if most people don't "get" it (if realeased as it stands now) it could sell like hot-cakes, and if that means more money for Notch & his company, I'm all for it! I can't help but get the feeling however, that a number of tweaks to the "survival" experience, and a significant step forward on the multiplayer infrastructure, could take the game into new realms of possibility and widen the potential market greatly. "

I actually really wish it worked more on the survival aspect, I want enemies that get progressively more dangerous. 
Example: wooden house + enemy that can break through wood, then you upgrade the house to prevent that by making it brick.... then they learn how pick-axes work...

I realized it was huge when my dad was asking about it.  O_o