<P> Multiplayer in Minecraft is available through direct game - to - game multiplayer, LAN play, local split screen, and servers (player - hosted and business - hosted). It enables multiple players to interact and communicate with each other on a single world . Players can run their own servers, use a hosting provider, or connect directly to another player's game via Xbox Live . Single - player worlds have local area network support, allowing players to join a world on locally interconnected computers without a server setup . Minecraft multiplayer servers are guided by server operators (op for short), who have access to server commands such as setting the time of day and teleporting players . Operators can also set up restrictions concerning which usernames or IP addresses are allowed or disallowed to enter the server . Multiplayer servers have a wide range of activities, with some servers having their own unique rules and customs . Player versus player combat (PvP) can be enabled to allow fighting between players . Many servers have custom plugins that allow actions that are not normally possible . In 2013, Mojang announced Minecraft Realms, a server hosting service intended to enable players to run server multiplayer games easily and safely without having to set up their own . Unlike a standard server, only invited players can join Realms servers, and these servers do not use IP addresses . Minecraft: Java Edition Realms server owners can invite up to twenty people to play on their server, with up to ten players online at a time . Minecraft Realms server owners can invite up to 3000 people to play on their server, with up to ten players online at one time . The Minecraft: Java Edition Realms servers do not support user - made plugins, but players can play custom Minecraft maps . Minecraft Realms servers support user - made add - ons, resource packs, behavior packs, and custom Minecraft maps . At Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, it was announced that Realms would enable Minecraft to support cross-platform play between Windows 10, iOS, and Android platforms starting in June 2016, with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch support to come later in 2017, and support for virtual reality devices . On 31 July 2017, Mojang released the beta version of the update allowing cross-platform play . Realms also supports the Xbox One, Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Kindle platforms . </P> <P> Markus "Notch" Persson began developing the game as a project . He was inspired to create Minecraft by several other games such as Dwarf Fortress, Dungeon Keeper, and later Infiniminer . At the time, he had visualised an isometric 3D building game that would be a cross between his inspirations and had made some early prototypes . Infiniminer heavily influenced the style of gameplay, including the first - person aspect of the game, the "blocky" visual style and the block - building fundamentals . However, unlike Infiniminer, Persson wanted Minecraft to have RPG elements . </P> <P> Minecraft was first released to the public on 17 May 2009, as a developmental release on TIGSource forums, later becoming known as the Classic version . Further milestones dubbed as Survival Test, Indev and Infdev were released between September 2009 and February 2010, although the game saw updates in - between . The first major update, dubbed alpha version, was released on 28 June 2010 . Although Persson maintained a day job with Jalbum.net at first, he later quit in order to work on Minecraft full - time as sales of the alpha version of the game expanded . Persson continued to update the game with releases distributed to users automatically . These updates included new items, new blocks, new mobs, survival mode, and changes to the game's behaviour (e.g. how water flows). </P> <P> To back the development of Minecraft, Persson set up a video game company, Mojang, with the money earned from the game . On 11 December 2010, Persson announced that Minecraft was entering its beta testing phase on 20 December 2010 . He further stated that bug fixes and all updates leading up to and including the release would still be free . Over the course of the development, Mojang hired several new employees to work on the project . </P>

When was the first version of minecraft made