Jump to content

Steve (Minecraft)

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Steve
Minecraftcharacter
Artwork of Steve running and holding a diamond pickaxe.
Official promotional art for Steve
First gameMinecraft(2011)[a]
Created byMarkus Persson
Portrayed byJack Black(2025 film)

Steveis aplayer characterfrom the 2011sandbox video gameMinecraft.Created by Swedish video game developerMarkus "Notch" Perssonand introduced in the 2009 Java-based version, Steve is the first of nine default player characterskinsavailable for players of contemporary versions ofMinecraft.Steve lacks an official backstory as he is intended to be a customizableplayer avataras opposed to being a predefined character. His feminine counterpart,Alex,was introduced in August 2014 for Java PC versions ofMinecraft,with the other seven debuting in the Java edition of the game in October 2022. Depending on the version ofMinecraft,players have a choice of defaulting to either Steve or any other variant skins when creating a new account. However, the skin is easy to change from the game itself or website.

Steve became a widely recognized character in thevideo game industryfollowing the critical and commercial success of theMinecraftfranchise. Considered by critics as a mascot for theMinecraftintellectual property, his likeness has appeared in advertising and merchandise, including apparel and collectible items. In October 2020, Steve was added as a playable character toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,where he is ranked as the game's best character and has sparked controversy due to his imbalanced power, leading to him being frequently banned from severaltournaments for the game.Steve's design has additionally been used in unofficial media, such as the "Herobrine"creepypasta.He will be portrayed byJack Blackin theupcoming film adaptationof the video game, set for release on April 4, 2025.

Concept and design

Steve was designed by game creatorMarkus Persson.He is a human character with a blocky appearance, which is consistent with the aesthetic and art style of the game. His design consists of a light blue top, a pair of blue trousers, and shoes,[1][2]while his face is sometimes adorned with agoatee.[3]In the console editions, Steve is presented in different outfits, such as atuxedo,a prison outfit, and an outfit based onScottish attire.[4][5][b]While the name Steve originated as a joke due to Persson thinking it was "generic", the name was adopted by the community and became official in the Bedrock Edition ofMinecraft.[1]In spite of hismasculinename and features, Steve's gender was never meant to be specific. In 2012, Persson explained thatMinecraft'sblocky graphics reinforced the "[traditionally] masculine" aesthetic of the game.[5][6]He emphasized thatMinecraftwas designed to be an inclusive game where "gender doesn't exist" and that thecharacter modelwas supposed to be agenderlesshuman being.[5][7]Admitting that limiting the gender options to just male would insinuate thatMinecraftwas a "boy game only", Persson said he once attempted to create a proper female character inMinecraftbut said the final results had been "extremely sexist."[5]To keep the game gender-neutral, Steve's goatee was removed in 2009 but has reappeared in other media.[3]

From left to right: Sunny, Kai, Makena, Steve, Alex, Zuri, Efe, Ari, and Noor.

Alex, another complimentary default skin for all players, was added on August 22, 2014 to theJava Edition.[8][9]The character was added to the console and mobile versions at a later date.[5]Alex's character model is similar to Steve's but with a morefeminineappearance: her orange hair is tied into aponytail,and she has narrower arms.[5][10][11][12]Commenting onMinecraft'scampaign for better gender representation compared to other video games, Helen Chiang, the Microsoft studio head responsible for theMinecraftfranchise, explained in a 2018 interview that it is important for her company to use theMinecraftbrand as a tool to subvert gender stereotypes. By presenting Alex and Steve with similar abilities or qualities, Chiang said it would reinforce the studio's stance on gender equality.[13]In 2014, an update toMinecraftadded the ability for skins to have multiple layers, which allowed for more detail.[14]

In August 2022, an update implemented redesigns for Steve and Alex, using multiple layers and more texturing. Steve's redesign restored his goatee, which had been removed thirteen years prior.[3]In October of the same year, seven default skins were added toMinecraftusing the existing Steve and Alex character models to increase diversity within the game's community. These skins were named Noor, Sunny, Ari, Zuri, Makena, Kai, and Efe.[15]

Description

Character overview

Steve is one of nine default characterskinsthat are available to new players ofMinecraft.[16][17]A skin is the appearance of the player's avatar that represents the player in the game world, which can be changed, altered, or replaced by the player.[18]Players are allowed multiple options to change thevisual appearanceof their player character's skin.[17][18][19]

Prior to Alex's introduction, Steve was the only official skin available to players on the PC and mobile editions of the game, though players of the PC version could use skins they have designed themselves or found online. On the original console editions of the game, up to eight male variants of Steve were also offered, none of them female, in addition to a greater variety of characters that could be purchased from bundles.[5][b]Like Steve, Alex initially could not be selected in these console versions, and the skin chosen is randomly assigned whenever players start a new game.[1][5]As of 2022, Steve, Alex, and the other seven default skins can be manually selected in all versions of the game, either via an in-game menu or in the game launcher, depending on the version ofMinecraftbeing played.[15][20]

According toLego Club Magazine,Steve and Alex are in a romantic relationship and have distinct interests outside of their shared aptitude for building: Steve has a penchant for mining and alchemy, whereas Alex prefers exploring and hunting.[1]In the next bimonthly release of theLego Club Magazine,it is told thatCreepershad infiltrated their clubhouse and wrote over their original writings and that Steve and Alex are best friends, correcting the aforementioned statement in the prior release. Due to this, the characters inMinecraftare generally consideredasexual,except for villagers and some animals, who can be seen having offspring in-game.[21]

Other appearances

Steve will be portrayed byJack Blackin theMinecraftfilm

Steve will appear in the upcoming2025 film adaptationofMinecraft,wherein he will be portrayed in live-action byJack Black.[22]Both Steve and Alex are skins inMinecraft Dungeons,with Steve being the most popular skin among players.[23]Outside of theMinecraftseries, Steve appears as a playable character in the PC version ofSuper Meat Boy,in which he is referred to as "Mr. Minecraft".[24]Steve also appears a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,wherein Alex and some enemies fromMinecraftare featured as alternate costumes.[25]Cosmetics based on Steve's head appear inHybrid.[26]

Reception

Cultural impact

Critics believe Steve has achieved a level of cultural impact and viral recognition outside of the character's origin as a baseline for new players ofMinecraft.He has been considered the face of the franchise inpromotionalandadvertisingmaterials;[18]some commentators consider Steve to be the closest characterMinecrafthas to aprotagonistor main character.[16][17]This is in spite of the fact that his existence is not asserted by way of an official backstory or in-game dialogue unlike most other video game characters.[2]Steve has been considered one of the most iconic video game characters by the publication staff ofGlixelandGamesRadar+,[27][28]with the latter considering Steve to be the "enduring symbol" ofMinecraftand his character model as one of the most recognizable silhouettes invideo game culture.[28]In 2024, a poll conducted byBAFTAwith around 4,000 respondents named Steve as the thirteenth most iconic video-game character of all time.[29]

Steve has been the subject of multiple fan theories spread across Internet communities.[30]One theory alleged that Steve is based onTommy Vercetti,the protagonist ofGrand Theft Auto: Vice City,due to the physical resemblance between the characters. It relied on a 2009Tumblrpost by Persson aboutMinecraft'sdevelopment progress, where he confirmed that he used designs inspired by theGrand Theft Autogames. In 2020, Persson responded on social media and denied any connections between both characters, though he stated he had a subconscious connection due to him being a fan ofVice City.[31]In 2010,Herobrine,acreepypastathat is a derivative design of Steve with white, solid eyes, was created on4chan,gaining prominence amongst theMinecraftcommunity and becoming aninternet meme,even being featured in some official artwork for the game as well.[32]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The announcement and introduction ofMinecraft-themeddownloadable content(DLC) forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,which is primarily represented by Steve, was received positively from critics and players.[33][34][35]Some commentators suggested that much of the excitement was due to the character's unprecedented inclusion intoUltimate;after the reveal, social media websiteTwitterstruggled with posts generated in response.[36][37]UltimateDirectorMasahiro Sakuraitweeted "Perhaps Twitter has fallen...?" once Twitter's services came back online.[38]Patricia Hernandez ofPolygonand Nadia Fox ofUS Gamernoticed a suggestive animation featured at the character's win screen, which generated more publicity surrounding the character's imminent debut inUltimate.[39][40]

In his review of the Steve DLC forUltimate,Mitchell Saltzman ofIGNdescribed Steve as one of the most complex fighters ever introduced in the game in terms of gameplay mechanics and highlighted the ways developers incorporated the resource collection and item crafting mechanics ofMinecraftinto Steve's moveset.[41]Kotakustaff were divided over the iteration of Steve inUltimate.Ian Walker considered Steve as one of the most exciting characters to play inUltimateafter observing an event where a player used Steve's construction capabilities.[42]Ari Notis took a less favorable view and called him the strangest character he had ever played, describing the visual and gameplay dissonances he observed from the implementation of Steve inUltimate.[43]

Since Steve's addition, the character was regarded as overpowered within the game'scompetitive community,who cited Steve's unorthodox playstyle and rapid rise in high placements at competitions.[44]In February 2023, a tier list created by several professionalUltimateplayers considered Steve the best character in the game.[45][46]Players began advocating for Steve to be banned from tournaments, fearing the character's dominance could negatively affect viewership similarly to the influenceBayonettahad onSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.Some opposed the ban, stating that effective counterplay had yet to be developed.[47][44][46]As more players selected the character and had raised their win rates increased, calls for a ban intensified.[48][49][50]By March 2023, Steve was banned in several tournaments due to the discovery of a new technique that removes the consequences from opponent attacks, effectively allowing Steve to immediately retaliate. This method is known as the "Phantom MLG."[51][45]

Analysis

In an entry from the 2017 publication100 Greatest Video Game Characters,Chris Bailey explained that the sparse knowledge on Steve shows how video game avatars are being perceived in relation to player identity; the character embodies and conducts the spirit of freedom and customization inherent tosandbox games.[2]He elaborated that Steve exemplifies the "centrality" of relatable avatars in affording players their own creative agency in and around video games; while other games allow a certain level of customization, Steve embodies this possibility more than most by allowing users to change the entire surface of the body beyond changing between pre-defined hairstyles or skin colors. This process is visible through the proliferation of online communities set up to share user-generated adapted skins.[2]

While Persson asserted that Steve's gender isnon-binary,Bailey took the view that it is "initially difficult" to account for the inclusion of an avatar with an "evidently gendered name".[2]Nevertheless, Bailey observed thatMinecraft'splayer communities have embraced the game's openness due to their enthusiasm in customizing their avatars' appearances.[2]This is achieved through the process of overlaying a new skin over Steve.[2]Similarly, H. Chad Lane said the concept of skins inMinecraft,with Steve and Alex as starting points for the player to create their avatar, can act as a reflection of the player's identity and self-perceptions, regardless of whether it is similar to or in contrast to thereal world.[18]

Notes

  1. ^The date Steve appeared was May 13, 2009.
  2. ^abA distinction is made between the differences of the two different editions ofMinecraft.This article refers to the game on consoles and smartphones where customization of skins is limited to skins that exist in the virtual store. This is in contrast with the Windows, Linux, and Macintosh versions where skins are completely customizable, as users may upload image files toMojang.

References

  1. ^abcdColes, Jason (December 24, 2020)."Everything you need to know about Steve in Minecraft".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on December 24, 2020.RetrievedApril 15,2022.
  2. ^abcdefgJaime Banks; Robert Mejia; Aubrie Adams, eds. (June 23, 2017).100 Greatest Video Game Characters.Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. pp. 184–186.ISBN978-1-59582-768-5.
  3. ^abcPhillips, Tom (August 22, 2022)."Minecraft Steve regrows beard after more than a decade".Eurogamer.net.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2022.RetrievedOctober 23,2022.
  4. ^Machkovech, Sam (April 27, 2015)."Minecraft adds free female avatar to console versions".Ars Technica.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 7,2024.
  5. ^abcdefghHarwell, Drew (April 27, 2015)."Minecraft is finally fixing its huge gender problem".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  6. ^Persson, Markus(July 28, 2012)."Gender inMinecraft".tumblr.Archived fromthe originalon July 28, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 25,2021.
  7. ^Good, Owen (July 28, 2012)."'Minecraft Guy' Isn't Supposed to Be a Guy—or a Girl, Says Game's Creator ".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  8. ^Webster, Andrew (April 27, 2015)."You can finally choose to play as a girl in Minecraft".The Verge.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  9. ^Bergensten, Jens(August 22, 2014)."Minecraft 1.8 Pre-release – The Bountiful Update".Mojang.Archived fromthe originalon August 22, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 25,2021.
  10. ^*Jones, Owen (April 27, 2015)."New skins! Achievements! Music!".mojang.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 27, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  11. ^Chalk, Andu (July 17, 2014)."Minecraft developer says narrower arms provide a more feminine look".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  12. ^Messina, Lynn (October 2, 2015)."Dear Minecraft Villagers: I'm Worried About You".New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 25,2021.Recently, they added the first default female character. All human beings are no longer automatically a stubble-hewn male guy named Steve.
  13. ^Fessler, Leah (August 2, 2018)."Minecraft's head says American employees should get a gap year like they do in Sweden".Quartz.Archivedfrom the original on August 3, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  14. ^"Minecraft's latest PC update has taken nearly a year to develop".Eurogamer.net.September 2, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 7,2024.
  15. ^ab"Minecraft skins get seven more inclusive options".PCGamesN.October 24, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2023.RetrievedJuly 26,2023.
  16. ^abGoldberg & Larsson 2013.
  17. ^abcSmolčec, Marijana (August 2014)."Using Minecraft for Learning English"(PDF).The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language.18:9.Archived(PDF)from the original on January 22, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  18. ^abcdLane, H. Chad; Yi, Sherry (2017),"Playing With Virtual Blocks: Minecraft as a Learning Environment for Practice and Research",Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts,Elsevier, pp. 145–166,doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-809481-5.00007-9,ISBN978-0-12-809481-5,retrievedSeptember 26,2021
  19. ^"Minecraft: Java Edition Skins".Minecraft Help Center.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 25,2021.
  20. ^Witman, Emma; Antonelli, William (June 10, 2022)."How to change your character's skin inMinecraftto give them a different appearance ".Business Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2022.RetrievedOctober 23,2022.
  21. ^"Max Comic".Lego Club Magazine.The Lego Group.September 2016. p. 2.In the August issue of Club Magazine, Minecraft Creepers got into our clubhouse and wrote over our words! Steve and Alex are actually best friends!
  22. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 2, 2024)."Jack Black Levels Up For 'Minecraft' At Warner Bros – The Dish".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on January 2, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 2,2024.
  23. ^Minecraft Dungeons [@dungeonsgame] (June 14, 2022)."The Dungeons 2nd Anniversary Event is quickly approaching its finale, so we've gathered and compiled the latest stats from your adventures in the Overworld, Nether, and End. Feast your eyes upon our history and enjoy!"(Tweet).RetrievedOctober 23,2022– viaTwitter.
  24. ^Gilbert, Ben (December 2, 2010)."Mr. Minecraft is a god in Super Meat Boy".Engadget.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedApril 16,2022.
  25. ^Faulkner, Cameron (October 1, 2020)."Steve and Alex fromMinecraftare coming toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateon October 13th ".The Verge.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  26. ^Groen, Andrew (July 17, 2012)."Minecrafthelmets to appear in 5th Cell's Summer of Arcade title,Hybrid".GamesRadar.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedOctober 10,2021.
  27. ^"50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of the 21st Century".Glixel.November 23, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon November 23, 2016.
  28. ^abWeber, Rachel (November 8, 2021)."50 iconic video game characters".gamesradar.Archivedfrom the original on November 30, 2022.RetrievedNovember 18,2021.
  29. ^Ollie Reynolds (April 3, 2024)."Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads".Nintendo Life.RetrievedApril 8,2024.
  30. ^Rundle, Michael (January 19, 2015)."This Theory Might Change The Way You Think About 'Minecraft'".HuffPost UK.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  31. ^Coulson, Josh (October 25, 2020)."Was Minecraft's Steve Really Inspired By Tommy From GTA Vice City?".TheGamer.Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2023.RetrievedMarch 17,2024.
  32. ^Morton, Lauren (February 1, 2021)."The story of Herobrine, Minecraft's decade-old creepypasta mystery".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on September 18, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 26,2021.
  33. ^"Ranking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's New Character Introductions Over The Last 5 Years".Kotaku.December 20, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2022.RetrievedApril 16,2022.
  34. ^Carter, Chris (October 14, 2020)."Minecraft's Steve is one of the zaniest Smash Ultimate additions yet, but by God it works".Destructoid.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  35. ^Good, Owen S. (October 14, 2020)."You can't beat Minecraft Steve's Smash Bros. victory screen".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  36. ^Gabe Gurwin (October 3, 2020)."Twitter Crashes And Reacts To Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Minecraft Steve Reveal".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2022.RetrievedApril 14,2022.
  37. ^Kim, Matt (October 2, 2020)."The Internet Thinks Minecraft in Smash Bros. Crashed Twitter".IGN Southeast Asia.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  38. ^Sakurai, Masahiro(October 1, 2020)."もしかして, Twitter lạc ちましたね……?"[Perhaps Twitter has fallen?].Twitter(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on November 1, 2023.RetrievedNovember 1,2023.
  39. ^Hernandez, Patricia (October 21, 2020)."Smash Bros. patches out Minecraft Steve's meat".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  40. ^Oxford, Nadia (October 21, 2020)."Unlike Arby's, Minecraft's Steve No Longer Has the Meat".USGamer.Archived fromthe originalon May 7, 2021.RetrievedApril 15,2022.
  41. ^Mitchell, Saltzman (October 16, 2022)."Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Review – Minecraft Steve".IGN Southeast Asia.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2022.RetrievedOctober 11,2021.
  42. ^Walker, Ian (July 20, 2020)."Smash Player Effs Up Opponent".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedApril 14,2022.
  43. ^Notis, Ari (October 14, 2020)."Minecraft's Steve Is Super Weird In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedApril 14,2022.
  44. ^abVarnson, Fletcher (July 6, 2022)."Smash Bros. Ultimate: Pros & Cons Of Banning Steve".ScreenRant.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2022.RetrievedOctober 14,2022.
  45. ^abPlant, Logan (March 7, 2023)."Why Minecraft Steve Is Causing Drama in the Super Smash Bros. Community".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 8,2024.
  46. ^abPabriga, Cedric (February 28, 2023)."Minecraft Steve is on the verge of becoming Smash Ultimate's first character ban".Dot Esports.Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2024.RetrievedMarch 2,2024.
  47. ^Williamson, Riley (July 11, 2022)."Why Competitive Smash Ultimate Players Want to Ban Minecraft's Steve".CBR.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2022.RetrievedOctober 14,2022.
  48. ^Gwilliam, Michael (June 20, 2022)."Smash Ultimate pros demand Steve ban after 15-year-old Acola wins major".Dexerto.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2022.RetrievedOctober 14,2022.
  49. ^Winslow, Levi (August 15, 2022)."Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Competitive Community Really Hates Steve From Minecraft".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2022.RetrievedOctober 14,2022.
  50. ^Carter, Chris (August 15, 2022)."Steve from Minecraft was the big winner at Super Smash Con 2022".Destructoid.Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2022.RetrievedOctober 14,2022.
  51. ^Shepard, Kenneth (March 3, 2023)."Long-Hated Steve From Minecraft Is Being Banned In Competitive Smash Bros".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2023.RetrievedMarch 14,2023.

Further reading

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_(Minecraft)&oldid=1232709031"