Games and software giant Microsoft has added a new education category to the Minecraft marketplace.
As announced in a blog post, Xbox boss Phil Spencer claimed the addition had been made due to millions of children being at home due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Much of this content was already available in the Education Edition of Minecraft, which is available to schools and other academic institutes, but the Xbox firm decided to bring it to the regular version of the blocky blockbuster to help kids stuck at home at the moment.
"I have previously stated that I believe gaming has a unique power to bring people together, to entertain, to inspire and connect us, and I believe that's even more true under these unique circumstances," said Spencer.
"Many are looking to gaming to remain connected with their friends while practising social distancing, and we are seeing an unprecedented demand for gaming from our customers right now."
There is a variety of content available, including exploration of the International Space Station thanks to a partnership with NASA. Furthermore, kids can visit famous landmarks in Washington D.C., learn to code with a robot and find and build 3D fractals. On top of this, children can learn about various careers, including marine biology.
"We understand the important role gaming is playing right now to connect people and provide joy in these isolating and stressful times, and our teams are working diligently to ensure we can be there for our players," said Spencer.
"To that end, we are actively monitoring performance and usage trends to ensure we're optimizing the service for our customers worldwide and accommodating for new growth and demand."
Spencer encouraged parents to use the family settings to keep the younger generation safe online.
"With so many turning to gaming, helping everyone stay safer online is also a top priority for us," said Spencer.
"This is why we provide family settings that help parents choose the screen time limits, content filters, purchase limits, communication, and sharing settings that are right for their families. While kids may be home from school, family settings can help balance gaming with offline schoolwork and other responsibilities."
Earlier this month, it was revealed that there had been an increased demand for Xbox Live as a result of people staying home and self-isolating from the pandemic. As a result of the virus, September's Minecraft Festival has been cancelled.
