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Wikipedia

Steve (Minecraft)

January 01, 1970

Steve is a player character from the 2011 sandbox video game Minecraft. Created by Swedish video game developer Markus "Notch" Persson and introduced in the 2009 Java-based version, Steve is one of nine default player character skins available for players of contemporary versions of Minecraft. Steve lacks an official backstory as he is intended to be a customizable player avatar as opposed to being a predefined character. His feminine counterpart, Alex, was introduced in August 2014 for Java PC versions of Minecraft, with the other seven debuting in the Java edition of the game in October 2022. Depending on the version of Minecraft, 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
Minecraft character
Official promotional art for Steve
First gameMinecraft (2009)
Created byMarkus Persson
Portrayed byJack Black (2025 film)
In-universe information
GenderMale
OriginOverworld

Steve became a widely recognized character in the video game industry following the critical and commercial success of the Minecraft franchise. Considered by critics as a mascot for the Minecraft intellectual property, his likeness has appeared in advertising and merchandise, including apparel and collectible items. In October 2020, Steve was added as a playable character to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he is ranked as the game's best character and has sparked controversy due to his power, leading to him being frequently banned from several tournaments for the game. Steve's design has additionally been used in unofficial media, such as the "Herobrine" creepypasta.

Concept and design

Steve was designed by game creator Markus 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 a goatee.[3] In the console editions, Steve is presented in different outfits, such as a tuxedo, a prison outfit, and an outfit based on Scottish attire.[4][5][a] 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 of Minecraft.[1] In spite of his masculine name and features, Steve's gender was never meant to be specific. In 2012, Persson explained that Minecraft's blocky graphics reinforced the "[traditionally] masculine" aesthetic of the game.[5][6] He emphasized that Minecraft was designed to be an inclusive game where "gender doesn't exist" and that the character model was supposed to be a genderless human being.[5][7] Admitting that limiting the gender options to just male would insinuate that Minecraft was a "boy game only", Persson said he once attempted to create a proper female character in Minecraft but 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 the Java Edition of Minecraft for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.[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 more feminine appearance: her orange hair is tied into a ponytail, and she has narrower arms.[5][10][11][12] Commenting on Minecraft's campaign for better gender representation compared to other video games, Helen Chiang, the Microsoft studio head responsible for the Minecraft franchise, explained in a 2018 interview that it is important for her company to use the Minecraft brand 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 to Minecraft added 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 to Minecraft using 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 character skins that are available to new players of Minecraft.[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 the visual appearance of 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][a] 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 of Minecraft being played.[15][20]

According to Lego 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 the Lego Club Magazine, it is told that Creepers had 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 in Minecraft are generally considered asexual, except for villagers and some animals, who can be seen having offspring in-game.[21]

Other appearances

Steve will appear in the upcoming 2025 film adaptation of Minecraft, where he will be portrayed in live-action by Jack Black.[22] Both Steve and Alex are skins in Minecraft Dungeons, with Steve being the most popular skin among players.[23] Outside of the Minecraft series, Steve appears as a playable character in the PC version of Super Meat Boy, where he is known as "Mr. Minecraft".[24] Steve also appears a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where Alex and some enemies from Minecraft are featured as alternate costumes.[25] Cosmetics based on Steve's head appear in Hybrid.[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 of Minecraft. He has been considered the face of the franchise in promotional and advertising materials;[18] some commentators consider Steve to be the closest character Minecraft has to a protagonist or 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 of Glixel and GamesRadar+,[27][28] with the latter considering Steve to be the "enduring symbol" of Minecraft and his character model as one of the most recognizable silhouettes in video game culture.[28] In 2024, a poll conducted by BAFTA with 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 on Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, due to the physical resemblance between the characters. It relied on a 2009 Tumblr post by Persson about Minecraft's development progress, where he confirmed that he used designs inspired by the Grand Theft Auto games. 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 of Vice City.[31] In 2010, Herobrine, a creepypasta that is a derivative design of Steve with white, solid eyes, was created on 4chan, gaining prominence amongst the Minecraft community and becoming an internet meme.[32]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The announcement and introduction of Minecraft-themed downloadable content (DLC) for Super 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 into Ultimate; after the reveal, social media website Twitter struggled with posts generated in response.[36][37] Ultimate Director Masahiro Sakurai tweeted "Perhaps Twitter has fallen ...?" once Twitter's services came back online.[38] Patricia Hernandez of Polygon and Nadia Fox of US Gamer noticed a suggestive animation featured at the character's win screen, which generated more publicity surrounding the character's imminent debut in Ultimate.[39][40]

In his review of the Steve DLC for Ultimate, Mitchell Saltzman of IGN described 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 of Minecraft into Steve's moveset.[41] Kotaku staff were divided over the iteration of Steve in Ultimate. Ian Walker considered Steve as one of the most exciting characters to play in Ultimate after 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 in Ultimate.[43]

Since Steve's addition, the character was regarded as overpowered within the game's competitive 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 professional Ultimate players 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 influence Bayonetta had on Super 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 publication 100 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 to sandbox 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 is non-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 that Minecraft's player 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 in Minecraft, 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 the real world.[18]

Notes

  1. ^ a b A distinction is made between the differences of the two different editions of Minecraft. 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 to Mojang.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Coles, Jason (December 24, 2020). "Everything you need to know about Steve in Minecraft". PC Gamer. from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jaime Banks; Robert Mejia; Aubrie Adams, eds. (June 23, 2017). 100 Greatest Video Game Characters. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. pp. 184–186. ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5.
  3. ^ a b c Phillips, Tom (August 22, 2022). "Minecraft Steve regrows beard after more than a decade". Eurogamer.net. from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Machkovech, Sam (April 27, 2015). "Minecraft adds free female avatar to console versions". Ars Technica. from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Harwell, Drew (April 27, 2015). "Minecraft is finally fixing its huge gender problem". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  6. ^ Persson, Markus (July 28, 2012). . tumblr. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved September 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. from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Webster, Andrew (April 27, 2015). "You can finally choose to play as a girl in Minecraft". The Verge. from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Bergensten, Jens (August 22, 2014). . Mojang. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  10. ^ *Jones, Owen (April 27, 2015). . mojang.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  11. ^ Chalk, Andu (July 17, 2014). "Minecraft developer says narrower arms provide a more feminine look". PC Gamer. from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Messina, Lynn (October 2, 2015). "Dear Minecraft Villagers: I'm Worried About You". New York Times. from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved September 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. from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  14. ^ "Minecraft's latest PC update has taken nearly a year to develop". Eurogamer.net. September 2, 2014. from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Minecraft skins get seven more inclusive options". PCGamesN. October 24, 2022. from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Goldberg & Larsson 2013.
  17. ^ a b c Smolčec, Marijana (August 2014). "Using Minecraft for Learning English" (PDF). The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language. 18: 9. (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d Lane, 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, ISBN 978-0-12-809481-5, retrieved September 26, 2021
  19. ^ "Minecraft: Java Edition Skins". Minecraft Help Center. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  20. ^ Witman, Emma; Antonelli, William (June 10, 2022). "How to change your character's skin in Minecraft to give them a different appearance". Business Insider. from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 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. from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 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). Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Gilbert, Ben (December 2, 2010). "Mr. Minecraft is a god in Super Meat Boy". Engadget. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  25. ^ Faulkner, Cameron (October 1, 2020). "Steve and Alex from Minecraft are coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on October 13th". The Verge. from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  26. ^ Groen, Andrew (July 17, 2012). "Minecraft helmets to appear in 5th Cell's Summer of Arcade title, Hybrid". GamesRadar. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  27. ^ . Glixel. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016.
  28. ^ a b Weber, Rachel (November 8, 2021). "50 iconic video game characters". gamesradar. from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  29. ^ Ollie Reynolds (April 3, 2024). "Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Rundle, Michael (January 19, 2015). "This Theory Might Change The Way You Think About 'Minecraft'". HuffPost UK. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  31. ^ Coulson, Josh (October 25, 2020). "Was Minecraft's Steve Really Inspired By Tommy From GTA Vice City?". TheGamer. from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  32. ^ Morton, Lauren (February 1, 2021). "The story of Herobrine, Minecraft's decade-old creepypasta mystery". PC Gamer. from the original on September 18, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  33. ^ "Ranking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's New Character Introductions Over The Last 5 Years". Kotaku. December 20, 2021. from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 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. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  35. ^ Good, Owen S. (October 14, 2020). "You can't beat Minecraft Steve's Smash Bros. victory screen". Polygon. from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  36. ^ Gabe Gurwin (October 3, 2020). "Twitter Crashes And Reacts To Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Minecraft Steve Reveal". GameSpot. from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  37. ^ Kim, Matt (October 2, 2020). "The Internet Thinks Minecraft in Smash Bros. Crashed Twitter". IGN Southeast Asia. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  38. ^ Sakurai, Masahiro (October 1, 2020). "もしかして、Twitter落ちましたね……?" [Perhaps Twitter has fallen?]. Twitter (in Japanese). from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  39. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (October 21, 2020). "Smash Bros. patches out Minecraft Steve's meat". Polygon. from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  40. ^ Oxford, Nadia (October 21, 2020). . USGamer. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  41. ^ Mitchell, Saltzman (October 16, 2022). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Review – Minecraft Steve". IGN Southeast Asia. from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  42. ^ Walker, Ian (July 20, 2020). "Smash Player Effs Up Opponent". Kotaku. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  43. ^ Notis, Ari (October 14, 2020). "Minecraft's Steve Is Super Weird In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Kotaku. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  44. ^ a b Varnson, Fletcher (July 6, 2022). "Smash Bros. Ultimate: Pros & Cons Of Banning Steve". ScreenRant. from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  45. ^ a b Plant, Logan (March 7, 2023). "Why Minecraft Steve Is Causing Drama in the Super Smash Bros. Community". IGN. from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  46. ^ a b Pabriga, Cedric (February 28, 2023). "Minecraft Steve is on the verge of becoming Smash Ultimate's first character ban". Dot Esports. from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  47. ^ Williamson, Riley (July 11, 2022). "Why Competitive Smash Ultimate Players Want to Ban Minecraft's Steve". CBR. from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  48. ^ Gwilliam, Michael (June 20, 2022). "Smash Ultimate pros demand Steve ban after 15-year-old Acola wins major". Dexerto. from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  49. ^ Winslow, Levi (August 15, 2022). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Competitive Community Really Hates Steve From Minecraft". Kotaku. from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  50. ^ Carter, Chris (August 15, 2022). "Steve from Minecraft was the big winner at Super Smash Con 2022". Destructoid. from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  51. ^ Shepard, Kenneth (March 3, 2023). "Long-Hated Steve From Minecraft Is Being Banned In Competitive Smash Bros". Kotaku. G/O Media. from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.

Further reading

  • Ames, Morgan G.; Burrell, Jenna (February 25, 2017). "'Connected Learning' and the Equity Agenda" (PDF). Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. CSCW '17. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 446–457. doi:10.1145/2998181.2998318. ISBN 978-1-4503-4335-0. S2CID 19654526. (PDF) from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  • Anderson, Emma; Walker, Justice; Kafai, Yasmin B.; Lui, Debora (August 14, 2017). "The gender and race of pixels". Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games. FDG '17. Hyannis Massachusetts: ACM. pp. 1–10. doi:10.1145/3102071.3102094. ISBN 978-1-4503-5319-9. S2CID 23685632. from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  • Bayle-Spence, Callum (August 2020). Minecraft's Sandbox: Play in a Virtual World of Creative Exploration (Master of Arts in Child Development thesis). Sarah Lawrence College. from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  • Garrelts, Nate (2014). Understanding Minecraft: Essays on Play, Community and Possibilities. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-0-7864-7974-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Goldberg, Daniel; Larsson, Linus (2013). Minecraft: The unlikely tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the game that changed everything. Translated by Hawkins, Jennifer. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 978-1-60980-686-6.
  • Ohlendorf, Roman (April 21, 2016). "Playing with the Legend: Ostension and Extra-Textual Production in Minecraft". Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet. 10. doi:10.17885/heiup.rel.23547. from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  • Wolf, Mark J. P., ed. (2017). The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315637525. ISBN 978-1-315-63752-5. from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2021.

External links

  • Steve on Minecraft Wiki
  • Steve's entry on NameMC—a searchable skin database

January 01, 1970
steve, minecraft, steve, player, character, from, 2011, sandbox, video, game, minecraft, created, swedish, video, game, developer, markus, notch, persson, introduced, 2009, java, based, version, steve, nine, default, player, character, skins, available, player. Steve is a player character from the 2011 sandbox video game Minecraft Created by Swedish video game developer Markus Notch Persson and introduced in the 2009 Java based version Steve is one of nine default player character skins available for players of contemporary versions of Minecraft Steve lacks an official backstory as he is intended to be a customizable player avatar as opposed to being a predefined character His feminine counterpart Alex was introduced in August 2014 for Java PC versions of Minecraft with the other seven debuting in the Java edition of the game in October 2022 Depending on the version of Minecraft 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 SteveMinecraft characterOfficial promotional art for SteveFirst gameMinecraft 2009 Created byMarkus PerssonPortrayed byJack Black 2025 film In universe informationGenderMaleOriginOverworld Steve became a widely recognized character in the video game industry following the critical and commercial success of the Minecraft franchise Considered by critics as a mascot for the Minecraft intellectual property his likeness has appeared in advertising and merchandise including apparel and collectible items In October 2020 Steve was added as a playable character to Super Smash Bros Ultimate where he is ranked as the game s best character and has sparked controversy due to his power leading to him being frequently banned from several tournaments for the game Steve s design has additionally been used in unofficial media such as the Herobrine creepypasta Contents 1 Concept and design 2 Description 2 1 Character overview 2 2 Other appearances 3 Reception 3 1 Cultural impact 3 2 Super Smash Bros Ultimate 3 3 Analysis 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksConcept and designSteve was designed by game creator Markus 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 a goatee 3 In the console editions Steve is presented in different outfits such as a tuxedo a prison outfit and an outfit based on Scottish attire 4 5 a 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 of Minecraft 1 In spite of his masculine name and features Steve s gender was never meant to be specific In 2012 Persson explained that Minecraft s blocky graphics reinforced the traditionally masculine aesthetic of the game 5 6 He emphasized that Minecraft was designed to be an inclusive game where gender doesn t exist and that the character model was supposed to be a genderless human being 5 7 Admitting that limiting the gender options to just male would insinuate that Minecraft was a boy game only Persson said he once attempted to create a proper female character in Minecraft but 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 nbsp 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 the Java Edition of Minecraft for Windows Macintosh and Linux 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 more feminine appearance her orange hair is tied into a ponytail and she has narrower arms 5 10 11 12 Commenting on Minecraft s campaign for better gender representation compared to other video games Helen Chiang the Microsoft studio head responsible for the Minecraft franchise explained in a 2018 interview that it is important for her company to use the Minecraft brand 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 to Minecraft added 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 to Minecraft using 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 DescriptionCharacter overview Steve is one of nine default character skins that are available to new players of Minecraft 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 the visual appearance of 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 a 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 of Minecraft being played 15 20 According to Lego 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 the Lego Club Magazine it is told that Creepers had 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 in Minecraft are generally considered asexual except for villagers and some animals who can be seen having offspring in game 21 Other appearances Steve will appear in the upcoming 2025 film adaptation of Minecraft where he will be portrayed in live action by Jack Black 22 Both Steve and Alex are skins in Minecraft Dungeons with Steve being the most popular skin among players 23 Outside of the Minecraft series Steve appears as a playable character in the PC version of Super Meat Boy where he is known as Mr Minecraft 24 Steve also appears a playable character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate where Alex and some enemies from Minecraft are featured as alternate costumes 25 Cosmetics based on Steve s head appear in Hybrid 26 ReceptionCultural 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 of Minecraft He has been considered the face of the franchise in promotional and advertising materials 18 some commentators consider Steve to be the closest character Minecraft has to a protagonist or 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 of Glixel and GamesRadar 27 28 with the latter considering Steve to be the enduring symbol of Minecraft and his character model as one of the most recognizable silhouettes in video game culture 28 In 2024 a poll conducted by BAFTA with 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 on Tommy Vercetti the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto Vice City due to the physical resemblance between the characters It relied on a 2009 Tumblr post by Persson about Minecraft s development progress where he confirmed that he used designs inspired by the Grand Theft Auto games 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 of Vice City 31 In 2010 Herobrine a creepypasta that is a derivative design of Steve with white solid eyes was created on 4chan gaining prominence amongst the Minecraft community and becoming an internet meme 32 Super Smash Bros Ultimate The announcement and introduction of Minecraft themed downloadable content DLC for Super 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 into Ultimate after the reveal social media website Twitter struggled with posts generated in response 36 37 Ultimate Director Masahiro Sakurai tweeted Perhaps Twitter has fallen once Twitter s services came back online 38 Patricia Hernandez of Polygon and Nadia Fox of US Gamer noticed a suggestive animation featured at the character s win screen which generated more publicity surrounding the character s imminent debut in Ultimate 39 40 In his review of the Steve DLC for Ultimate Mitchell Saltzman of IGN described 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 of Minecraft into Steve s moveset 41 Kotaku staff were divided over the iteration of Steve in Ultimate Ian Walker considered Steve as one of the most exciting characters to play in Ultimate after 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 in Ultimate 43 Since Steve s addition the character was regarded as overpowered within the game s competitive 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 professional Ultimate players 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 influence Bayonetta had on Super 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 publication 100 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 to sandbox 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 is non 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 that Minecraft s player 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 in Minecraft 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 the real world 18 Notes a b A distinction is made between the differences of the two different editions of Minecraft 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 to Mojang References a b c d Coles Jason December 24 2020 Everything you need to know about Steve in Minecraft PC Gamer Archived from the original on December 24 2020 Retrieved April 15 2022 a b c d e f g Jaime Banks Robert Mejia Aubrie Adams eds June 23 2017 100 Greatest Video Game Characters Rowman amp Littlefield 2017 pp 184 186 ISBN 978 1 59582 768 5 a b c Phillips Tom August 22 2022 Minecraft Steve regrows beard after more than a decade Eurogamer net Archived from the original on October 23 2022 Retrieved October 23 2022 Machkovech Sam April 27 2015 Minecraft adds free female avatar to console versions Ars Technica Archived from the original on February 7 2024 Retrieved February 7 2024 a b c d e f g h Harwell Drew April 27 2015 Minecraft is finally fixing its huge gender problem Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on January 11 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Persson Markus July 28 2012 Gender in Minecraft tumblr Archived from the original on July 28 2012 Retrieved September 25 2021 Good Owen July 28 2012 Minecraft Guy Isn t Supposed to Be a Guy or a Girl Says Game s Creator Kotaku Archived from the original on July 13 2019 Retrieved September 26 2021 Webster Andrew April 27 2015 You can finally choose to play as a girl in Minecraft The Verge Archived from the original on April 28 2015 Retrieved September 26 2021 Bergensten Jens August 22 2014 Minecraft 1 8 Pre release The Bountiful Update Mojang Archived from the original on August 22 2014 Retrieved September 25 2021 Jones Owen April 27 2015 New skins Achievements Music mojang com Archived from the original on April 27 2015 Retrieved September 26 2021 Chalk Andu July 17 2014 Minecraft developer says narrower arms provide a more feminine look PC Gamer Archived from the original on June 11 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Messina Lynn October 2 2015 Dear Minecraft Villagers I m Worried About You New York Times Archived from the original on April 18 2022 Retrieved September 25 2021 Recently they added the first default female character All human beings are no longer automatically a stubble hewn male guy named Steve Fessler Leah August 2 2018 Minecraft s head says American employees should get a gap year like they do in Sweden Quartz Archived from the original on August 3 2018 Retrieved September 26 2021 Minecraft s latest PC update has taken nearly a year to develop Eurogamer net September 2 2014 Archived from the original on February 7 2024 Retrieved February 7 2024 a b Minecraft skins get seven more inclusive options PCGamesN October 24 2022 Archived from the original on July 26 2023 Retrieved July 26 2023 a b Goldberg amp Larsson 2013 a b c Smolcec 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 Retrieved September 26 2021 a b c d Lane 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 ISBN 978 0 12 809481 5 retrieved September 26 2021 Minecraft Java Edition Skins Minecraft Help Center Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved September 25 2021 Witman Emma Antonelli William June 10 2022 How to change your character s skin in Minecraft to give them a different appearance Business Insider Archived from the original on October 23 2022 Retrieved October 23 2022 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 D Alessandro Anthony January 2 2024 Jack Black Levels Up For Minecraft At Warner Bros The Dish Deadline Archived from the original on January 2 2024 Retrieved January 2 2024 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 Retrieved October 23 2022 via Twitter Gilbert Ben December 2 2010 Mr Minecraft is a god in Super Meat Boy Engadget Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved April 16 2022 Faulkner Cameron October 1 2020 Steve and Alex from Minecraft are coming to Super Smash Bros Ultimate on October 13th The Verge Archived from the original on April 28 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Groen Andrew July 17 2012 Minecraft helmets to appear in 5th Cell s Summer of Arcade title Hybrid GamesRadar Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved October 10 2021 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of the 21st Century Glixel November 23 2016 Archived from the original on November 23 2016 a b Weber Rachel November 8 2021 50 iconic video game characters gamesradar Archived from the original on November 30 2022 Retrieved November 18 2021 Ollie Reynolds April 3 2024 Random BAFTA s Iconic Game Characters Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads Nintendo Life Retrieved April 8 2024 Rundle Michael January 19 2015 This Theory Might Change The Way You Think About Minecraft HuffPost UK Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Coulson Josh October 25 2020 Was Minecraft s Steve Really Inspired By Tommy From GTA Vice City TheGamer Archived from the original on May 24 2023 Retrieved March 17 2024 Morton Lauren February 1 2021 The story of Herobrine Minecraft s decade old creepypasta mystery PC Gamer Archived from the original on September 18 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Ranking Super Smash Bros Ultimate s New Character Introductions Over The Last 5 Years Kotaku December 20 2021 Archived from the original on April 28 2022 Retrieved April 16 2022 Carter Chris October 14 2020 Minecraft s Steve is one of the zaniest Smash Ultimate additions yet but by God it works Destructoid Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Good Owen S October 14 2020 You can t beat Minecraft Steve s Smash Bros victory screen Polygon Archived from the original on May 22 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Gabe Gurwin October 3 2020 Twitter Crashes And Reacts To Super Smash Bros Ultimate s Minecraft Steve Reveal GameSpot Archived from the original on April 14 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 Kim Matt October 2 2020 The Internet Thinks Minecraft in Smash Bros Crashed Twitter IGN Southeast Asia Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Sakurai Masahiro October 1 2020 もしかして Twitter落ちましたね Perhaps Twitter has fallen Twitter in Japanese Archived from the original on November 1 2023 Retrieved November 1 2023 Hernandez Patricia October 21 2020 Smash Bros patches out Minecraft Steve s meat Polygon Archived from the original on April 28 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Oxford Nadia October 21 2020 Unlike Arby s Minecraft s Steve No Longer Has the Meat USGamer Archived from the original on May 7 2021 Retrieved April 15 2022 Mitchell Saltzman October 16 2022 Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC Review Minecraft Steve IGN Southeast Asia Archived from the original on April 28 2022 Retrieved October 11 2021 Walker Ian July 20 2020 Smash Player Effs Up Opponent Kotaku Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 Notis Ari October 14 2020 Minecraft s Steve Is Super Weird In Super Smash Bros Ultimate Kotaku Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 a b Varnson Fletcher July 6 2022 Smash Bros Ultimate Pros amp Cons Of Banning Steve ScreenRant Archived from the original on October 14 2022 Retrieved October 14 2022 a b Plant Logan March 7 2023 Why Minecraft Steve Is Causing Drama in the Super Smash Bros Community IGN Archived from the original on February 8 2024 Retrieved February 8 2024 a b Pabriga Cedric February 28 2023 Minecraft Steve is on the verge of becoming Smash Ultimate s first character ban Dot Esports Archived from the original on March 2 2024 Retrieved March 2 2024 Williamson Riley July 11 2022 Why Competitive Smash Ultimate Players Want to Ban Minecraft s Steve CBR Archived from the original on October 14 2022 Retrieved October 14 2022 Gwilliam Michael June 20 2022 Smash Ultimate pros demand Steve ban after 15 year old Acola wins major Dexerto Archived from the original on October 14 2022 Retrieved October 14 2022 Winslow Levi August 15 2022 Super Smash Bros Ultimate Competitive Community Really Hates Steve From Minecraft Kotaku Archived from the original on October 14 2022 Retrieved October 14 2022 Carter Chris August 15 2022 Steve from Minecraft was the big winner at Super Smash Con 2022 Destructoid Archived from the original on October 13 2022 Retrieved October 14 2022 Shepard Kenneth March 3 2023 Long Hated Steve From Minecraft Is Being Banned In Competitive Smash Bros Kotaku G O Media Archived from the original on March 5 2023 Retrieved March 14 2023 Further readingAmes Morgan G Burrell Jenna February 25 2017 Connected Learning and the Equity Agenda PDF Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing CSCW 17 New York NY USA Association for Computing Machinery pp 446 457 doi 10 1145 2998181 2998318 ISBN 978 1 4503 4335 0 S2CID 19654526 Archived PDF from the original on July 20 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Anderson Emma Walker Justice Kafai Yasmin B Lui Debora August 14 2017 The gender and race of pixels Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games FDG 17 Hyannis Massachusetts ACM pp 1 10 doi 10 1145 3102071 3102094 ISBN 978 1 4503 5319 9 S2CID 23685632 Archived from the original on December 5 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 Bayle Spence Callum August 2020 Minecraft s Sandbox Play in a Virtual World of Creative Exploration Master of Arts in Child Development thesis Sarah Lawrence College Archived from the original on September 26 2021 Retrieved September 26 2021 Garrelts Nate 2014 Understanding Minecraft Essays on Play Community and Possibilities Jefferson North Carolina ISBN 978 0 7864 7974 0 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Goldberg Daniel Larsson Linus 2013 Minecraft The unlikely tale of Markus Notch Persson and the game that changed everything Translated by Hawkins Jennifer Seven Stories Press ISBN 978 1 60980 686 6 Ohlendorf Roman April 21 2016 Playing with the Legend Ostension and Extra Textual Production in Minecraft Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet 10 doi 10 17885 heiup rel 23547 Archived from the original on September 26 2021 Retrieved September 26 2021 Wolf Mark J P ed 2017 The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds New York Routledge doi 10 4324 9781315637525 ISBN 978 1 315 63752 5 Archived from the original on October 16 2022 Retrieved September 26 2021 External linksSteve on Minecraft Wiki Steve s entry on NameMC a searchable skin database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Steve Minecraft amp oldid 1221313326, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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