I spent the weekend with 12,000 Minecraft fans and it was amazing (MSFT)

Over the weekend, I made my way down to Anaheim, California, right on Disneyland's doorstep, for Minecon 2016the fifth annual gathering of Minecraft players and enthusiasts from all over the world.I went in not sure what to expect: I play Minecraft with my nephews, but I had never been around so many other Minecraft fans before, and I'm not what you'd call a super-fan.With an estimated 12,000 Minecraft loversin attendance,this was digging myself in deeper than ever before. Still, it means that just about two years after Microsoft bought Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion, the game's growth has not slowed down whatsoever.The first thing I learned was that Minecraft videos on YouTube are serious business. Any time YouTube was even mentioned, the sheer level of cheering and clapping from the many kids in attendancefelt like being at an Elvis Presley/One Direction double bill concert.But the bigger thing I came away with was just how much Minecraft means to the kids of the world, and how much of a family affair the game really is. If nothing else, I'm more convinced than ever that Minecraft is here to stay for a very long time.Here's what it was like on the ground at Minecon 2016.SEE ALSO:I spent the weekend playing Minecraft with a 9-year-old, and now I get why Microsoft paid $2.5 billion for itThe day kicked off with the opening ceremonies, where all 12,000 attendees -- mostly kids with their parents -- packed into the main conference hall to hear what they were in for at Minecon 2016.The best part of those opening ceremonies were the crowd's reaction: Any time a presenter mentioned YouTube, or a YouTube celebrity made an appearance, the crowd went wild.During the opening ceremonies, the host asked three kids from the crowd what they were most excited for. All three of them said "the chance to meet YouTubers."Down on the show floor, Minecon did a great job bringing the world of Minecraft to life, to the total delight of the kids in attendance. I even managed to get a picture with Steve, the default male Minecraft characterSee the rest of the story at Business Insider
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