User description

Minecraft: Denmark replica disrupted by 'cyber vandals' 7 May 2014 A virtual replica of Denmark designed to aid in the education of children has been disrupted by "cyber vandals". Small portions of it were destroyed, despite a ban by its creators, the Danish Geodata Agency (DGA), on the use of "dynamite". Large US flags were placed in the starting point and also blue, white, and red "America" signs. The state-owned agency believes the "vandalism" was intended to draw attention, and said the damage was fixed. Images of the changes initially were posted on the fan site minecraftforum.net posted by one user who wrote: "I americanlized [sic] the area a bit." Chris Hammeken, chief of press at the Danish Geodata Agency, stated to the BBC that only a small portion of the area was destroyed. "The flags were right where the players begin, so I believe the people who put them there wanted to draw as many people as they could." Hidden 'dynamite' "Minecraft is about building and reshaping," said Mr Hammeken, who said the incident was part of Minecraft's "nature of play." Virtual explosives were used to demolish buildings. It was banned on the Danish server. Users discovered that it could be hidden in mining carts, and then detonated. Mr Hammeken stated that "it was the players who cleaned up the mess and replaced it with new grass, flowers the next morning." The city was not "hand-built" The topographical data of Denmark was transferred into Minecraft which is available for download as a free download on the DGA's website. The users who download the data can then upload it to their personal Minecraft server and it will create the city with a new look and shield users from attacks. The replica has been downloaded over 220,000 times since the beginning of the month. Virtual field excursions The DGA created a replica of Denmark to create interest in spatial data, with particular focus on education for children. The website states: "There are real addresses in the game, so it's possible to engage in discussions about the names of places and their meanings."Minecraft servers The agency also suggested that the replica could be used to transport students on virtual field excursions. "We've observed that children are more motivated when they see something familiar," stated Mr Hammeken. He stated that Minecraft has been used in Denmark as a tool for education for a long time. It isn't clear who the "vandals" were, or why they targeted Denmark. Why Minecraft is more than just another video game 7 September 2013 Minecraft gamer eyes big money 7 March 2014 Gamer's Minecraft videos have become a global sensation 11 April 2014 Similar Internet Links Geodatastyrelsen The BBC is not responsible for the content on external websites.