Panos’s research investigated the digital economies that emerge from video game contexts. His PhD focused specifically on how Minecraft (one of the most successful modern video games) has become a lucrative business environment for many professional game creators, who use it as a tool to both create and sell content to various companies and organisations.
Panos submitted his PhD thesis entitled ‘Crafting Content: The Discovery of Minecraft’s Invisible Digital Economy’ in September 2017
and will be using this grant to:
Develop and maintain a Minecraft server for 6 months, commencing May 2018 to raise awareness and provide support as to what is involved in the creation of such online worlds.
The Craft Museum server is now up and running, serving as a means of communicating what Minecraft players are capable of creating through the game and providing an overview of the various steps involved in constructing a Minecraft build to give potential visitors an idea of how professional builders produce high quality contraptions inside the game. To access the Craft Museum server, please use the following IP in Minecraft: play.craftmuseum.co.uk.
Work with a builder to create in-game content to feature in an online exhibition which will demonstrate the various stages a builder is required to go through to create something for Minecraft.
Visitors to the Craft Museum can now go through a number of exhibitions and appreciate the intricate details of various creations produced by professional Minecraft builders.
Produce two commercial videos which will address the structure of Minecraft’s creative industry and raise awareness about some of the points that are crucial for the community.
Videos have been produced and are featured below and are also available on the Horizon CDT YouTube channel
