'Minecraft' documentary released, seeks feature-length funding

(All rights reserved - YouTube LLC)

A twenty minute short on gaming phenomenon Minecraft has been released online, presenting interviews with the game's creator and members of his new team at the Mojang Specifications office in Stockholm, Sweden.

Markus Persson started the online construction game Minecraft in 2009, and by 2010 he had a word-of-mouth hit on his hands.

The virtual world now boasts 1.36 million paying customers, with a further 3.15 million registered for the free version, and around 10,000 new customers handing over €15 ($20) each day.

Even though Minecraft was (and is) in a public testing phase, plenty have been willing to pay for early access as an investment in the title's future.

"It's a weird way of making a game," he told the documentary team. "I'm just working on it and you can play it while I'm making it."

Nonetheless, Minecraft became a runaway success, with ambitious replicas of world landmarks (Taj Mahal, Notre Dame) and fictional objects (Star Trek's USS Enterprise) captured on YouTube, helping to spread enthusiasm.

If documentary company 2 Player Productions hits its $150,000 target by March 26, it'll be able to go ahead with plans for a full-length feature charting the rise of Persson, Minecraft, and Mojang.

The additional funding means that 2PP can continue to visit the Mojang Specifications team and canvas industry experts for commentary and observations.

Investment is being incentivized with documentary soundtracks, Minecraft-related goodies, and special edition DVDs.

Watch the Minecraft HD documentary at: gametrailers.com/video/documentary-hd-minecraft/710788
Find out more about investing in Minecraft: The Story of Mojang at: kickstarter.com/projects/2pp
Play Minecraft at: minecraft.net