What is Minecraft?

I am currently taking an on line course for the computer program Minecraft.  From time to time I will be writing post that are intended for this course.

Assignment: You are asked to identify the different platforms that you can play Minecraft on e.g. Console, Tablet, PC etc... and produce a comparison describing the differences and limitations of each. This comparison may be done on your own personal blog or as a YouTube video. You can also submit a poster or other suitable document like a GoogleDoc.

We are looking for you to show your understanding and knowledge of the different platforms that Minecraft comes on and clearly show us what each version is capable of or its limitations. 

Though I have only every played (very little at that) MinecraftEDU on a PC I have spoken with many of my students at the Elementary level about where they play Minecraft at home. Not surprising to me most preferred playing on a MAC or PC, other did prefer to play on their tablets.  None seemed keen or experienced with the XBOX version.

Minecraft for PC/MAC: From what I have read about the this version it seems to have a very large community. Game modifications appear to all be fairly equal. Exploration is nearly infinitive (aka the worlds can be quite vast)

Minecraft for XBOX: From what I have read about this version it's world is not as vast/extensive as the PC version.  They have a local multi-player options which sounds great for getting a group of friends together to play but this seems to require higher quality TVs and inputs, etc.

Minecraft for tablets (Pocket): From what I have read about the this version it seems to have a smaller community then the PC/MAC or XBOX communities, but obviously a larger one then the EDU version.  It sounds as though (again from what I have read) that it is more of a challenge to do multiplier with the pocket version. Game modifications appear to all be fairly equal.  Exploration appears to rather limited with this version.

MinecraftEDU is the platform I have the most experience with thus far.  One of the things that I think is beneficial about is that community is just your class/school.  The teacher has control over many aspects in a god like role. It provides a great level curriculum enrichment opportunities in all subject areas. Game modifications appear to all be fairly equal.Exploration is nearly infinitive (aka the worlds can be quite vast).  Teachers can "freeze" their students to get their attention to give instructions or to correct behaviors, etc.  It's also in my opinion super easy to set up and get stated with.

My research/reading on these platforms for this assignment was done here:

• Green, Angelica. "A Comparison of Minecraft for PC and Pocket Edition."VentureBeat. Venture Beat, 02 May 2014. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
• Sansing, Chad. "Minecraft or MinecraftEdu at School? Pros, Cons, and What It's Great For." Minecraft or MinecraftEdu at School? Pros, Cons, and What It's Great For. Graphite Common Sense, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2015.
• O'donnell, Liam. "MinecraftEdu vs Regular Minecraft: The Teacher’s Dilemma." GamingEdus. GamingEdus, 4 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2015.
• Merrell, Sergeant. "Should You Download Minecraft for Xbox 360 or PC? A Comparison." Sergeant Merrell. Personal Blog, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015.