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Minecraft: Denmark Replica Disrupted by 'cyber Vandals' Minecraft: Denmark replica disrupted by cyber vandals 7 May 2014 A virtual replica of Denmark designed to aid in the education of children has been disrupted by "cyber vandals". Minecraft servers A few pieces of it were blown up, despite a ban by its creators, the Danish Geodata Agency (DGA) on the use of "dynamite". Large US flags were placed at the starting area along with red, white and blue "America" signs. The state-owned agency believed that it was "vandalism" and claimed that the damage was repaired. Images showing the changes were first posted to the fan site minecraftforum.net by one user who wrote:"I Americanized this place a little." Chris Hammeken, chief of press at the Danish Geodata Agency, stated to the BBC that only a small portion of the area was destroyed. "The flags appeared exactly where the players begin, so I'm sure the people who placed them there wanted to draw as many people as they could." Hidden 'dynamite' "Minecraft is about building and reshaping," said Mr Hammeken who said the incident was part of Minecraft's "nature of play." Virtual explosives were used to destroy buildings. It was banned on the Danish server. Users discovered that it could be hidden in mining carts, and then detonated. Mr. Hammeken stated that "it was the players who cleaned up the mess and replaced it with green grass, and flowers the next morning." The city was not "hand-built" but topographical data from Denmark was transferred into Minecraft. Minecraft is also accessible for download on the DGA's site. Anyone who downloads the data are able to upload it to their own private Minecraft server, which will provide a restored city and shield users from threats. The replica has already been downloaded more than 220,000 times since the start of the month. Virtual field excursions The DGA created an imitation of Denmark to generate interest in spatial data, with an emphasis on education for children. The website says: "There are real addresses in the game, therefore it's possible to engage in an exchange of information about place names and their significance." The agency also suggested that the replica could be used to take students on virtual field excursions. "We've observed that children are more engaged when they are able to see something familiar," stated Mr Hammeken. He said that Minecraft is extensively used in Denmark as an educational tool for a long period. It is unclear who the "vandals" were or why they were able to target Denmark. Minecraft is more than a video game 7 September 2013 Minecraft gamer eyes big money 7 March 2014 The gamer's Minecraft videos 11 April 2014 Similar Internet Links Geodatastyrelsen The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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