(July 12, 2021) As miners, Minecraft and its blocky sandbox of online mineable treasure is a natural draw for at least a few of us – and our kids.
So, the fact that we’re specifically copper miners makes it super special that the enduring online game added copper ore to its pixelated fantasyland this spring as the first new ore added since 2013.
What’s more, Minecraft also gave its new mineral a singular quality: It’s the only ore in the game that oxidizes and, as a result, changes color.
Blocks of red metal can be smelted into ingots and finery and either keep its copper sheen or age au natural into a patina with veins of malachite green overtaking the copper over time. Copper also can be crafted into a lightning rod to protect your Minecraft mansion.
According to various online sources, about 140 million people out there are still playing the game, which was created in 2009. Minecraft reached its honeymoon of popularity with the world gaming public about 2012 and saw interest wane before a mysterious resurgence in 2019 that sprang up on college campuses.
And a word from a nerd to a newb: Stay the heck away from those spiders.
Photo: In the screenshot, a player constructed twin Statues of Liberty from copper in Minecraft.