Entire Dallas Mavericks stadium to be recreated in 'Minecraft'
You won't have to fly to Dallas to visit the Mavericks' home court. Soon you'll be able to stand on the hardwood inside Minecraft.
The Dallas Mavericks will launch Mavs World, a dedicated Minecraft hub for fans to experience American Airlines Center remade in all its blocky glory. Mavs World will include games and activities -- some focused on basketball, but others will include building competitions.
You May Also Like
To Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavs World is a way for fans to have fun with the Mavericks, but also inspire their love of tech.
"Minecraft makes you think. You have to be creative. Logical. Fun. Those are great foundations for learning," Cuban told Mashable.
Cuban has been a growing advocate in technology's role in children's learning. He called Minecraft "a creative and intellectual outlet" important for cultivating that interest in following a career in tech.
"Minecraft is not just a game, it’s a way for kids (and adults) to build, explore and learn the fundamentals of computer science.”
It's not all about learning though. Cuban stressed the play aspect was just as important for developing kids and young adults.
"It's essential. We are becoming overspecialized," Cuban said. "From year-round single sports -- which I think is horrible for kids -- to trying to make our kids into superstars in some adult-chosen endeavor, play is a break from it all. It allows kids to let their imaginations go wild, and who knows what will happen then?"
Mavs World will launch on the Mineplex servers later this summer, Mavs PR says, and will be free for all players.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Gaming
Chelsea Stark was the Games Editor for Mashable, where she covered everything from AAA titles, mainstream consoles, indie gems, mobile games and gaming culture. She handled news, feature stories and reviews. Before that, Chelsea was Mashable's Multimedia Producer, where she helped develop visual storytelling aids, whether they were photos of video. She came to New York in 2010 to pursue her master's degree in journalism at NYU's Studio 20 program, which focused on innovation as journalism is changed by new technology. Before coming to New York, Chelsea lived in Austin, where she did online journalism and social media for the local CBS affiliate. She loves good beer, classic Nintendo games, and all things geeky, and spends her time attempting to find anything close to good Tex-Mex in Brooklyn.
