Multiplay i49 draws huge family crowd with Minecraft and Sky

Since Minecraft launched on the PC two short years ago, sales have been nothing short of phenomenal. With over 10 million Minecrafters worldwide, the game is still selling strong on existing platforms and it has now been confirmed as a PlayStation 4 launch title. So just how enthusiastic are Minecrafters? KitGuru measures the queues at Multiplay i49.

As you know from our previous report on Multiplay's i49 up at the Telford International Centre over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, that the organisers have primed the pumps with 12,000 tins and 18,000 ice cream portions – but who is going to be licking and slurping this stuff?

A significant amount of this stash will be claimed by Minecrafters – mostly attacking the tuck stand in family formations.

We spoke with families that drove down from Scotland for the event. One of the main draws was a chance to meet with ‘Sky' and get something signed by this rather popular Minecrafter (with 5 million subscribers on YouTube).

Having attended the last 20 Multiplay Insomnia events, going back more than 7 years, we can say with certainty that we have never seen so many families and children in attendance.

The main tournaments are all BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer), with gamers buying £92 tickets for the Friday to Monday stint. Hardcore gamers can buy an additional £15 pass that gets them in on Thursday for early set up and to guarantee that they can be next to their mates – in the gaming halls and out on the massive campsite.

But this year, the ‘Day Passes' and ‘Family Tickets' have also sold out.

These shots from around the huge Minecraft area show why.

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KitGuru says: While the sale of hardware and components might fluctuate, there is an underlying upward trend in gaming. There is expansion and, from what we have seen, inclusion. It's great to see the next generation of Insomniacs being initiated into the cult of this great event.

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