Microsoft 'Minecraft: Education Edition' First Year Free for 'MinecraftEdu' Buyers

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Mojang, maker of the highly-popular sandbox game “Minecraft,” has announced that they will be releasing a version of the game intended for educational purposes dubbed “Minecraft: Education Edition.”

GameSpot reported that this new edition is the result of Microsoft's acquisition of a third-party version of the original “Minecraft” game titled “MinecraftEdu,” which is a licensed program created by a group from Finland named TeacherGaming.

Microsoft acquired both “Minecraft” and its developer Mojang in 2014. Now, it has acquired “MinecraftEdu” as well. Acquisition details, however, are not disclosed.

Mojang's Owen Hill said in a press release that “MinecraftEdu” has been used in different countries since 2011, helping educators teach things in many ways.

“Over the past few years, educators around the world have been using Minecraft to explore subjects that might not spring to mind when you think of our block-based game,” Hill said. “Since 2011, MinecraftEdu - a version of Minecraft built for the classroom - has been used in over 40 countries. Lots of people have learned loads of things since then.”

This new “Minecraft: Education Edition” is Microsoft's plan to build on what “MinecraftEdu” has succeeded in. Apparently, the popular sandbox game is one that sparks a lot of creativity and ingenuity and, when used the right way, it could be more than just a game.

“Of course, every Minecraft player learns essential life-skills like tree-punching and good Creeper-defence but, when used in the right way, Minecraft can help people around the world to learn lots more,” Hill explained.

Mojang said in a FAQ that the new “Education Edition” is a new version of the game that is intended for classroom use. It retains the same level of engagement that the core game has, but is easier for teachers to set up. It also has added features and controls for classroom use.

Mojang added that they are working on “Education Edition” so that it could also host lesson plans and give users a place to communicate ideas and give feedback.

“Minecraft: Education Edition” will have a free trial available this summer. Prices for the new version aren't known as of now but Mojang said they are planning on keeping “the price at $5 per user per year.” Those who purchased “MinecraftEdu,” however, will be able to use “Minecraft: Education Edition” for the first year for free.

This will be a fun way for teachers to teach and students to learn.