Audience- Minecraft

• On average, 23-year-old Males play Minecraft the most with there being 75% of them, 24% being female and the remaining 1% being non-gender.
• Usually, 53% of players play Minecraft for 6-7 days a week over 30 minutes with only 5% playing for 0-1 days.
• The game audience is most interested in the community( teams and chatting) and being least interested in the story.
• Most gamers are core- means they play regularly but aren't very competitive.
• The motivation model includes: action, social, mastery, achievement, immersion and creativity- these are the categories of why they play Minecraft.

Audience and Industry Table

Information 
-The PC version was noted for its modding scene where prosumers would alter the gameplay mechanics, change the assets and develop new skins and textures for other fans to use.
-The game is a global and commercial success and also praised by several high profile critics and gaming institutions. The game has amassed such a following that Minecon conventions can be found all around the world.
-In July 2017, a ‘cross-play’ feature was developed, meaning there was less emphasis on showing brand-loyalty to one specific console. Despite audiences possibly owning more than one device by the same company, there does seem to be more focus on only developing content for newer devices. 
For example, the recent Nintendo versions are not supported on 2DS and 3DS but on newer models. This highlights an ongoing concern about the proliferation of technology and sustainability of audiences being able to afford new consoles, just to play a game. 
-There is evidence that mobile and handheld devices are really driving Minecraft forward- PlayStation Vita Version boosted sales by 79%, outselling PS3 and PS4 releases and making it the largest launch on a PlayStation console.
-The continued development of fan-made media across social media platforms and dedicated fan sites/blogs mean there is an active community of gamers who share a common interest linked to Minecraft.

How Audiences are grouped and categorised by media industries including age, gender and social class as well as lifestyle and taste:
Minecraft has universal appeal. It is useful to explore how such a game can appeal to different aged and genders etc. The variety of different modes is certainly a contributing factor to the game's success, but also the way in which audiences can control and shape their own worlds and create new identities through mods and altering textures and maps.

How media producers target, attract, reach, address and potentially construct audiences:
Minecraft and subsequent versions and variations of the game offer familiar pleasures to existing fans (narrative features, open-world gameplay etc) along with new elements to target a wider audience (e.g. story mode). The creation of Minecraft Realms was a well-considered way to attract and encourage audiences to use the game on dedicated servers and increase subscription revenues. There already exists an established network of fans across the internet who share game footage, tutorials, mods and hacks so that gamers can get new experiences from the game.

How media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of media products and through the ways in which they're marketed, distributed and circulated:
Initially, there was little work done to advertise the original version; it was simply word of mouth across forums that created a buzz about the game. Now that Minecraft is established and owned by a division of a conglomerate, the methods used to distribute and market the game are similar to popular mainstream releases.

The interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response:
Youtube, Facebook and online fan communities has enabled Minecraft's audience to have an active voice in its ongoing production through detailed feedback and commentary on modifications and beta tests. There are several niche forums that should be investigated across the internet.

How the audiences interpret the media, including how they may interpret the same media in different ways:
There are now several formats/versions to play Minecraft, however, one of the most important developments has been the introduction to "cross-play" which means players no longer need the same console to play against each other. The development of cross-play is just one example which enables gamers(the audience) to experience online play with other Minecraft players at the same time.