Minecraft is one of those games that everyone remembers fondly. Ten years have passed since the release of what it would later become a gaming behemoth, and it is back stronger than ever.
The first time I played Minecraft was with a group of friends with the sole task of creating a village, each of us would make our own houses along with all the stuff that a town would have. It was an ambitious project, especially on Survival Mode. We didn’t finish the project. Not because we lost interest, but because we had so much fun doing other things (while dying often) and enjoying the journey that we never reached the end. Of course, after a while, each of us went to do our own thing. But now, the game has had a sort of renaissance, and I wanted to explore a little bit about the reasons why Minecraft is as popular as it is.
YouTubers everywhere
Youtube had a lot to do with the game’s popularity, with a variety of gaming channels uploading content on the game. It got to the point where every Let’s Play or gaming channel would dedicate at least a couple of videos to Minecraft. And once they saw those numbers of views going up, they made more. Some even went as far as only uploading Minecraft content.
Fast forward a few years, and with the release of Fortnite, the Google and Youtube search engine showed us that Fortnite was now dominating. But then we have the so-called Pewdiepie Effect.
At the start of June of 2019, the king of Youtube, Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg, uploaded a gameplay video of him playing, you guessed it, Minecraft. It soon turned into a full-blown series, and the views came like wildfire.
Minecraft never stopped being popular
Another thing we have to consider is that, when we look at the numbers, Minecraft never stopped being popular. It was still up there in terms of the player base next to giants like GTA V and World of Warcraft.
When Fortnite streamer Ninja announced he would move to Mixer, another streaming platform competing with Twitch, there was a significant drop of interest for the game in said platform. Add to that the new array of updates that were released recently, and you got a recipe for a great comeback to the top.
However, those arguments only scrape the surface. Trying to explain the external reasons as to why an already popular game became the top choice once again is not doing any justice to the actual reasons it’s popular in the first place.
What makes Minecraft great
To those of us who grew up playing this seemingly simple game, it wasn’t just a game. It was an opportunity to let our imagination run wild with projects to build, impose each other challenges in survival mode, dive into multiplayer levels, or simply joke around with friends. It was a myriad of opportunities to explore and create. And while a big part of why Minecraft is as popular as it is has to do with the influence of YouTubers, the truth is that the game was destined to become a phenomenon. Why? Because with such a simple premise and the option to go around the game and basically do whatever you wanted.
The real answer is freedom. Once you give a player a taste of true freedom, the opportunities are endless. You may be wondering, but we’ve had open world games before, right? Well, yes and no.
Most open-world games have huge maps that allow you to play in a sandbox-like manner. And while some of the best games have come out of that formula, it’s still restricted in terms of size and activities. Minecraft is restricted too by its mechanics, don’t get me wrong, but rather than showing you a big map with a bunch of icons that lure you to go to them and do whatever activity they offer, Minecraft is one of those games that just let you do your own thing. Complete freedom.
When you think about it, it’s no wonder that some of the games that give us the most freedom happen to be some of the most popular ones. The GTA series is one of those games that fit into all of the characteristics above. You have a massive map with icons on it that you can choose to do or not do them, but unlike other sandbox games, like Assassin’s Creed, for example, you are allowed to do whatever you want.
In most games, you’re not allowed to kill civilians, while the GTA series is known for running over people at 200mph. It all comes down to that. In Grand Theft Auto, however, despite the fact that you technically have the freedom to explore the world and do a myriad of side activities at your own leisure, the main missions are usually very constricted and have to be completed in a certain order. Of course, it would have to play out that way. Otherwise, the narrative would make no sense.
Then, there’s Zelda Breath of the Wild, in which there are a narrative and a clear goal, but you’re free to roam in any direction you want. While you are somewhat limited to your current level compared to the enemies, it’s your choice on how to handle each situation. And the ultimate path to success it’s almost entirely up to you.
We have the same concept in Minecraft but multiplied a thousandfold. Since the world you inhabit is randomly generated, you don’t know what to expect or where you’ll find the resources you’ll need. Your spawn point could mean the difference between an easy, fortunate run, and an unlucky and difficult travesty.
There is an order to it all, of course. You have to make wooden tools before you can make iron tools, and you have to make those before diamond tools. And this is handled beautifully, but you also have a truly open world where you can actually go wherever you want. With countless mobs and enemies to encounter, each player’s experience is different.
What’s next?
At the moment of writing this, there’s the upcoming release of Minecraft Earth in 2020 and a Minecraft movie scheduled for 2022. But those are not what I want to explore since they will offer completely different experiences to what I’m talking about. However, there is a game coming out that I’m excited about, one that has the potential to be even more popular than Minecraft.
As it turns out, Hypixel, one of the biggest servers in the Minecraft world, has revealed that the servers co-founders created an indie studio Hypixel, backed by Riot Games to create Hytale, an open world inspired by Minecraft’s aesthetics and mechanics. The game is currently being developed and on its beta state. It seems like the team behind this game has taken everything that worked great for Minecraft and expanded on it to such extent that it’s now its own thing.
The game will offer three different experiences for all kinds of gamers. If you want to explore the world, kill mobs, and upgrade your gear. Or if you’re going to play competitive mini-games with your fellow players along with your customizable character. And for creators, who’ll have a wide range of tools to model, animate, and create what they want.
Hytale looks promising, and I’m sure that I’m not the only geek looking forward to its release.