On Minecraft, an immensely popular online virtual world that is something like Second Life meets an infinite supply of Legos, a certain type of digital escapist that has emerged. Minecraft players — there are over 10 million of them — have built everything from a full-size copy of Versailles to a digital version of that TV game show where people fall into pools a lot. Now one group, of Minecraft/East Bay fans has built a virtual facsimile of downtown Oakland in just 10 days.
The undertaking was led by an Oaklander and virtual world artist who goes by the name of HuskerGirlKC, along with an assortment of Minecraft players, some of whom have never even been to Oakland and are working off of images from Google Street View. The project was done as an art piece for Oakland Museum of California and the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment. The whole thing goes on view at the Museum of California starting today and runs throughout the weekend.
