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    “Minecraft” most streamed video game in YouTube’s history

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments721 Views
    In this June 13, 2013 file photo, Jonny Rice wears a Minecraft-themed mask while promoting a video clip he created during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

    By Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    "Minecraft" has built a big reputation on YouTube.

    The video streaming service announced Wednesday that content featuring the virtual brick-building video game has been watched more than any other interactive title in the 10 years since YouTube launched.

    "There are over 42 million 'Minecraft' videos on YouTube today," said Ryan Wyatt, YouTube's global head of gaming content. "It's crazy because 'Minecraft' is also the second most searched term on YouTube. It's a testament to (publisher) Mojang understanding the marketing capacity and power of our content creators."

    The blocky indie game was originally released by Swedish studio Mojang and creator Markus "Notch" Persson more than five years ago and has gone on to become a cultural phenomenon spawning books, toys and other merchandise. The franchise's popularity prompted Microsoft to buy "Minecraft" for $2.5 billion in 2014.

    "Minecraft" videos on YouTube range from crafters showing off their digital creations to virtual explorers traversing the game's procedurally generated landscape.

    In honor of the streaming video site's 10th anniversary, YouTube released a list of the top 10 most popular games that have been streamed since the site debuted in 2005.

    Rockstar Games' gangster series "Grand Theft Auto" arrived in second place, followed by Riot Games' multiplayer arena title "League of Legends" in the third spot, and Activision's "Call of Duty" military shooter franchise in fourth place. Electronic Arts' soccer simulator "FIFA" rounded out the top five most streamed games.

    "It's funny that a lot of the titles on the list tie in with the theme of open imagination and entertainment," said Wyatt.

    Other titles on the list included "Garry's Mod," ''The Sims," ''Five Nights at Freddy's" and "Puzzles & Dragon." The complete list from YouTube:

    1. "Minecraft"

    2. "Grand Theft Auto"

    3. "League of Legends"

    4. "Call of Duty"

    5. "FIFA"

    6. "Garry's Mod"

    7. "The Sims"

    8. "Five Nights at Freddy's"

    9. "Puzzles & Dragon"

    10. "Dota 2"

    Tags:MinecraftYouTube



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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