Java is an entirely reasonable place to start, but not because Minecraft was written in it. (Minecraft could just as well be written in any other mainstream language, and a number of more obscure ones.) Blindly copying things is not a good way to learn to program, nor is jumping in without a decent reference point. Whilst it's entirely possible to teach yourself online, this does make life that little bit harder, not least because there is a great deal of terminology to learn at the start (so you don't even know how to correctly express what you're looking for) but also because of the inconsistencies which you'll bump into from the start, and because you don't have a convenient path through the material already planned for you.

I think you would be best to start with a book (perhaps this one, although I have no experience with it and am going purely by reviews and content listings) and use the web to find alternative explanations of things where the book doesn't suit you. In terms of software you need, you probably want the Java Development Kit (JDK) and an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like Eclipse or NetBeans, although there are many alternatives to this setup.

Java is an entirely reasonable place to start, but not because Minecraft was written in it. (Minecraft could just as well be written in any other mainstream language, and a number of more obscure ones.) Blindly copying things is not a good way to learn to program, nor is jumping in without a decent reference point. Whilst it's entirely possible to teach yourself online, this does make life that little bit harder, not least because there is a great deal of terminology to learn at the start (so you don't even know how to correctly express what you're looking for) but also because of the inconsistencies which you'll bump into from the start, and because you don't have a convenient path through the material already planned for you.

I think you would be best to start with a book (perhaps http://www.amazon.com/Java-Program-Harvey-M-Deitel/dp/0136053068]this one[/url], although I have no experience with it and am going purely by reviews and content listings) and use the web to find alternative explanations of things where the book doesn't suit you. In terms of software you need, you probably want the Java Development Kit (JDK) and an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like Eclipse or NetBeans, although there are many alternatives to this setup.