Minecraft first appeared back in 2009 and it's impact on the industry cannot be overstated. Created by Swedish game designer Markus Persson, Minecraft is a sandbox video game which allows players to build with a variety of different blocks in a 3D procedurally generated world, with the only limit being the player's creativity. Initially scoffed at by serious gamers for being too simplistic, it seemed to push all the right buttons in it's combination of building, exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat.
In 2014 Minecraft and it's parent company Mojang were acquired by Microsoft for $2.5 billion, giving Microsoft complete control of the game and associated IP. A Windows 10 edition was released adding the ability to play with Xbox and Switch players as well as mixed reality support.
It's popularity doesn't seem to be slowing down as it is currently the second best selling video game of all time behind Tetris.
