I don't get Minecraft. Why is it so popular ?

[Scott McD]

Seems to have taken off again here in the UK. My first games console was the Sega Megadrive and it had 10x better graphics than this.



So what am i missing ? Kids seem to love it, yet they could easily be playing games which look and play much better.

My brothers kid is 10 and has numerous X-Box 360 games, yet it's only ever Minecraft she plays. It gives me a migraine when i look at it for more than 2mins

[EddyTheDog]

Same - I don't get it either...

[sandman!]

no idea but yea all kids seem to love that game.

[Sednub997]

My nephew plays it almost every day,first thing i said to him it that this game is very stupid and he shoud not play anymore.

[Harmon]

It's for kids you dumb mother fuckers. It's like Legos. Do you "GET" My Little Pony? Do you "GET" playing with Matchbox cars or Barbie? No, you're a fucking adult. It's gives them some freedom to create something while their parent's put them on their virtual babysitter AKA a computer

Maybe you should rethink how good the parenting is in your own family for sticking your kid on a computer, tablet or phone to play them in the first place. Go build them a tree house or something.

[okok]

Just think of it as Lego in a virtual world with tons more scale and complexity. If you don't see the appeal of Lego, you won't see the appeal of Minecraft.

[DoubleD]

I remember getting in on an early beta for Minecraft..not nearly as complex as it is today...never could get into it myself but yea the kids are nuts for it as are some crafting adults...the, "look at what I figured out to do!" mentality

[lucas131]

people who knows pure shit can dig there and get popular, it must be making your ego grow, when you know how to dig but poor minecrafters in real life ...

[Scott McD]

Originally Posted by Harmon

It's for kids you dumb mother fuckers.

No shit. That's why i said kids love it.

I was merely asking what it is kids enjoy so much about it when they have much better looking games available to them. Simple question really.

When you were a kid, did you stick with a NES or did you want to play the bigger and better games on the Super Nintendo, and then Nintendo 64 ?

Infact don't even answer that

[MrBottomTooth]

Its just awful. I would have more fun playing with real Lego.

[dehash]

I don't know too, but my kids love it and the guy who created this game did ~100 million $ (if I remember correct)

[deltav]

It's all about creation and building your own environments. The shitty block resolution makes it accessible for people so they can get right into the building aspect rather than learning a ton of rules. It fills a totally different need than the 10000 games where the object is to kill zombies (so original) or chop fools heads off.

[Wilbo]

My kid loves it. I made a server into VPS's and he has 3 servers on it with different worlds and game variations. I get texts from him all the time to restart a server or add something to it. He is 13 and would rather sit in his room all day and play games instead of go out.

[michael.kickass]

Definitely for kids, I couldn't play a game that looks like that.

[deltav]

Originally Posted by michael.kickass

Definitely for kids, I couldn't play a game that looks like that.

There are plenty of adults out there who play Dwarf Fortress, which is the same idea but a million times more complex and without any real graphics at all.

[mamaliga]

Originally Posted by Scott McD

No shit. That's why i said kids love it.

I was merely asking what it is kids enjoy so much about it when they have much better looking games available to them. Simple question really.

When you were a kid, did you stick with a NES or did you want to play the bigger and better games on the Super Nintendo, and then Nintendo 64 ?

Infact don't even answer that

i remember i was playing all day long cip and dales game on nintendo. i was the best at that game playing at double with two squirels.

[ilnjscb]

Lots of freedom, shareable persistent development, easter eggs galore, bright colors, no consequences, what's not to like?

[candyflip]

My kids play it on PS3, iPad, Android and on the desktops/laptops.

They are 4 and 5 and it blows my mind the things they come up with.

[Tdash]

Originally Posted by Harmon

It's for kids you dumb mother fuckers. It's like Legos. Do you "GET" My Little Pony? Do you "GET" playing with Matchbox cars or Barbie? No, you're a fucking adult. It's gives them some freedom to create something while their parent's put them on their virtual babysitter AKA a computer

Maybe you should rethink how good the parenting is in your own family for sticking your kid on a computer, tablet or phone to play them in the first place. Go build them a tree house or something.

You're wrong! It was a PC exclusive for a couple of years before it was ported to the consoles/other devices, which meant a majority(95%) of the players were adults.

[Tdash]

Originally Posted by Scott McD

Seems to have taken off again here in the UK. My first games console was the Sega Megadrive and it had 10x better graphics than this.



So what am i missing ? Kids seem to love it, yet they could easily be playing games which look and play much better.

My brothers kid is 10 and has numerous X-Box 360 games, yet it's only ever Minecraft she plays. It gives me a migraine when i look at it for more than 2mins

Gameplay > Graphics

[kane]

There are a ton of adults that play this game. For many people who are in their late teens and into their 20's there is something hip and cool about 8 bit graphics.

I saw a video a little while back from a Minecraft convention and it was mostly adults there. Also there is a book I plan to read about how the guy who made it took this simple idea and turned it into one of the most popular games ever. I once played it for about 20 minutes and was bored, but I am fascinated with its success and popularity.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by kane

There are a ton of adults that play this game. For many people who are in their late teens and into their 20's there is something hip and cool about 8 bit graphics.

I saw a video a little while back from a Minecraft convention and it was mostly adults there. Also there is a book I plan to read about how the guy who made it took this simple idea and turned it into one of the most popular games ever. I once played it for about 20 minutes and was bored, but I am fascinated with its success and popularity.

It's called nostalgia

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Tdash

You're wrong! It was a PC exclusive for a couple of years before it was ported to the consoles/other devices, which meant a majority(95%) of the players were adults.

It's called nostalgia

[kane]

Originally Posted by Harmon

It's called nostalgia

There is some of that for sure, but these games are also big among people that are way too young to be nostalgic about that kind of stuff. For a certain generation there is a certain hipness to it. There are 8 bit artists, 8 bit musicians and other things. For some people it is just hip to be retro even if they were not alive when 8 bit was first popular.

[GetSCORECash]

Originally Posted by candyflip

My kids play it on PS3, iPad, Android and on the desktops/laptops.

They are 4 and 5 and it blows my mind the things they come up with.

Just this past weekend, I was talking to a parent who informed me that Minecraft is being used to teach kids how to program.

https://java4kids.java.net/minecraft...013/index.html

I personally don't see the appeal of Minecraft but it is addicting and teaches them to build/destroy.

[livexxx]

LOL, I am guessing everyone who doesn't get don't have "teen" on the end of their age. Chalk it down to getting old (Chalk was a substance used to write on black boards, or boards of ethnic diversity as they are now known)

[mineistaken]

Let's relate to OP, but steer the question a little bit:
Why don't they release the same game with good graphics and make it even bigger hit?
Or is bad graphics part of the charm?

[Wellness Cash]

Because kids today are dumb as rocks due to failing education systems so there isn't as much need for nicer looking graphics all they want to do is click buttons and see a result.

[Scott McD]

Originally Posted by Wellness Cash

Because kids today are dumb as rocks due to failing education systems so there isn't as much need for nicer looking graphics all they want to do is click buttons and see a result.

Sad, funny, and true all at the same time...

[deltav]

Originally Posted by mineistaken

Let's relate to OP, but steer the question a little bit:
Why don't they release the same game with good graphics and make it even bigger hit?
Or is bad graphics part of the charm?

Like kane said - there's a whole 8-bit retro aesthetic that has been a 'thing' for a while. And like I said, the simple graphics makes it visually straightforward and accessible, plus boils the world's objects down to their elements. Makes it possible to create & customize your own elements that fit in with the game world's simple visuals without being a master artist or programmer yourself. It's all a design choice.

Originally Posted by Wellness Cash

Because kids today are dumb as rocks due to failing education systems so there isn't as much need for nicer looking graphics all they want to do is click buttons and see a result.

If anything, I'd say Minecraft is a refreshing change back to simplicity & substance & actually being creative instead of the newest, flashiest, noisiest spectacle which seems to be the standard for entertainment these days.

[kane]

Originally Posted by deltav

Like kane said - there's a whole 8-bit retro aesthetic that has been a 'thing' for a while. And like I said, the simple graphics makes it visually straightforward and accessible, plus boils the world's objects down to their elements. Makes it possible to create & customize your own elements that fit in with the game world's simple visuals without being a master artist or programmer yourself. It's all a design choice.



If anything, I'd say Minecraft is a refreshing change back to simplicity & substance & actually being creative instead of the newest, flashiest, noisiest spectacle which seems to be the standard for entertainment these days.

If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend a movie called "Indie Game: The Movie." It is a documentary that follows three people as they work to create a video game and get it to market. One guy is making a video game with 8 bit graphics. When he shows the demo for it at a gaming convention he gets a huge response from people who are excited for the 8 bit graphics. It is strange and interesting at the same time.

[Klen]

Originally Posted by Scott McD

Seems to have taken off again here in the UK. My first games console was the Sega Megadrive and it had 10x better graphics than this.



So what am i missing ? Kids seem to love it, yet they could easily be playing games which look and play much better.

My brothers kid is 10 and has numerous X-Box 360 games, yet it's only ever Minecraft she plays. It gives me a migraine when i look at it for more than 2mins

Same here,i watched once youtube video and i got one of worst headaches ever.

[Wellness Cash]

Originally Posted by kane

If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend a movie called "Indie Game: The Movie." It is a documentary that follows three people as they work to create a video game and get it to market. One guy is making a video game with 8 bit graphics. When he shows the demo for it at a gaming convention he gets a huge response from people who are excited for the 8 bit graphics. It is strange and interesting at the same time.

Yeah that's a good documentary.

[phasic]

I shit you not, first question I get on my Mac Mini ebay auction:




WTF DO YOU THINK?

[bronco67]

It's about the gameplay. Not the graphics.

[pornmasta]

It's about the gameplay. Not the graphics.

indeed...

[Eric]

Adults may or may not get the appeal, but just like the guy who takes legos and makes a replica of Darth Vader or the Empire State Building. People still do some pretty amazing shit with this game...

http://westeroscraft.com/

[lakerslive]

Originally Posted by Scott McD

No shit. That's why i said kids love it.

I was merely asking what it is kids enjoy so much about it when they have much better looking games available to them. Simple question really.

When you were a kid, did you stick with a NES or did you want to play the bigger and better games on the Super Nintendo, and then Nintendo 64 ?

Infact don't even answer that

Go ask a kid and not an adult.

[John-ACWM]

Life as a kid was great!

[seeandsee]

nobody really find what is interesting in this, so it must be something with kids loving it they also love Bieber

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by Scott McD

No shit...

You just answered your own question, regarding the reason I PERSONALLY (As an 'ADULT') don't play it...

[pornguy]

My son loves it. He has made some amazing houses and we are hoping that it works towards leading him to working in architecture of some sort.

[Scott McD]

Originally Posted by phasic

I shit you not, first question I get on my Mac Mini ebay auction:




WTF DO YOU THINK?

Haha, incredible !

[Deej]

Minecraft is not just for kids. Sure at first glance you get voxel blocks and a lego feel. Its far more than that.

first, you ca download texture packs that make it look muchb etter than standard. still voxel, yes but higher resolutions and better overall feel.

then comes the complexities. THere is a electro circuit system. there is trading dynamics. There is a huge list of unseen awesomeness without playing.

thats all just vanilla minecraft. If you start jumping into the modded platforms... OMFG it gets far more in depth then.


You may not get it by looking at it... but youre probably missing out by not giving it a shot.

I do recommend trying it on a server though with freinds... it can be short lived alone.

[EonBlue]

It's all about the creativity - no matter what age. At it's core it's a shell for an adventure game with unique worlds that you can customize and build whatever you want. The creative mode gives you free reign to do whatever you want without worrying about being killed or running out of resources. The survival mode forces you to think about resource acquisition and management so you can create the necessary objects to survive.

Then there are things like this:

[Colmike9]

Originally Posted by Deej

Minecraft is not just for kids. Sure at first glance you get voxel blocks and a lego feel. Its far more than that.

first, you ca download texture packs that make it look muchb etter than standard. still voxel, yes but higher resolutions and better overall feel.

then comes the complexities. THere is a electro circuit system. there is trading dynamics. There is a huge list of unseen awesomeness without playing.

thats all just vanilla minecraft. If you start jumping into the modded platforms... OMFG it gets far more in depth then.


You may not get it by looking at it... but youre probably missing out by not giving it a shot.

I do recommend trying it on a server though with freinds... it can be short lived alone.

Mods and playing with friends is a big part of Minecraft.

If I had a kid, I'd go outside and build real treehouses and potato guns and stuff with him, though..

[SiMpLe]

I love to chill out and play - It's my legos

[MarkDeus]

I'm 29 and I own a Minecraft Server.

Nothing childish about it. It's like lego blocks for adults. Very good for creativity and spacial awareness.

[Lichen]

I rather play Battlefield 4

[ThatOneGirl]

Not gonna lie. I play the shit out of this game on the ps3. No I am not in my teens. I love the simplicity of it. I love making things, little barns giant hotel looking buildings. I have castles and underground houses. Its a fun way to waste time.