Chapter 1
Entering Minecraft
In This Chapter
Buying and downloading Minecraft
Recognizing the basic controls
Youâre ready to build, fight, create, craft, and brew. But how do you begin? This chapter tells you how to register and begin your first game.
If youâre a PE player (PE stands for Pocket Edition, the version of Minecraft for mobile devices), skip to the end of each chapter in this book to find a special section written just for you. In this chapter, PE players can find out how to download the game and understand its unique basic controls.
Getting to Know Minecraft
Minecraft is taking the world by storm! These days itâs hard to be a gamer without hearing or coming across the Minecraft brand â in fact, as of this writing Minecraft is the second most-played game right behind Wii Play, which just so happens to ship with the consoles it ships with. Parents and kids alike canât avoid the game.
Minecraft is a massive adventure you can play on your own, or with your friends. The adventure encourages exploration and âminingâ of the resources you need to build your world. As you play, there are monsters, zombies, and even dangerous animals that can hurt you along the way. You have to keep yourself fed and nourished in order to stay strong. In so many ways, it mimics real life.
There is so much to learn in this game â from geology to architecture, to farming, nutrition, and even electronics, engineering, and logic, youâll find yourself learning throughout your adventures. Keep exploring, and the more you learn, the more cool things youâll be able to build.
The game is playable on both mobile and desktop. Youâll probably find yourself, as a true player, exploring both of them at some point. The desktop version allows you to explore and do the most, but mobile is the cheapest and most widely available version to play. Spend time in each to learn new and different things you can do in them.
Registering a Minecraft Account
To jump into the action, you first have to register a Minecraft account. Then you can play in Demo mode or upgrade to a Premium account, which you need for the full version. Follow these steps to register an account:
- Go to http://minecraft.net.
The Minecraft home page opens.
- Click the Register link in the upper right corner of the page.
The Register New Mojang Account page appears.
- Fill out all information requested in the text boxes, specify your date of birth, and answer the security questions (see Figure 1-1).
- Click the Register button to finish.
- Check the email account you entered for a verification message from Minecraft.
- Click the link provided in the email to complete the registration.
Check out the next section to find out how to purchase the game.
Purchasing and Installing Minecraft
To buy and install the game, log in to your account at http://minecraft.net. (See the preceding section for details on registering.) Then follow these steps:
- Click the large Buy Now or Get Minecraft button on the home page.
The Minecraft Store page opens. This interface changes often, so the exact wording can also change as you read this.
- Select the option to login or register for Minecraft (it might also say âGet Minecraft,â but the interface changes often), as shown in Figure 1-2.
At the time of this writing, the game cost $26.95.
If you canât click the button, you may not be logged in (or you may have already bought the game).
- Fill out the payment information, and then click the Proceed to Checkout button.
- Follow the necessary steps to complete the purchase.
- Return to the Minecraft home page. On the right side of the screen, the large Buy Now button should now be labeled Download Now. Click this button to open the Download page.
