Creators Simon Kokkendorf and Thorbjørn Nielsen Geodatastyrelsen aspire to educate their fellow Danish citizens on the geography and design of their country's cities. According to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the entire country of Denmark was recently recreated on a 1:1 scale in the world of Minecraft, allowing players to log in, explore, and modify their model. As a "sand box" game, Minecraft allows players to design and construct every aspect of their environment in a nearly infinite amount of space-placing unlimited possibility in the hands of gamers and, apparently, entire countries. A Virtual Denmark: Minecraft as a Learning Tool for Danish StudentsĬonsider Minecraft, the largest-selling independent video game ever made.
While strictly classified as video games, city builders and "sand box" games are having a major impact on real world urban design by inspiring dialogue and educating individuals on how to create sustainable cities. Not surprisingly, with the capacity to create futuristic, functional, and realistic looking cities, the popularity of these games has grown exponentially. With increasingly advanced software and the rise of the "sand box" gaming genre (video games that enable players to freely design their environments) has come a flurry of city building simulators.īeginning in 1989 with Sim City, these games have allowed players to architect their own city, virtually constructing anything from roads and bridges, to parks, shopping malls, and skyscrapers. The real world is looking a lot more digital. Players have the choice to create a green, healthy city, or ruthlessly industrialize.