There are very few games that continue to grow in user numbers a decade after first being released, but that’s exactly what Minecraft is doing. An astonishing product that is among the most impactful in gaming history, Minecraft is iconic. First launched in 2009 by Markus ‘Notch’ Persson, the game has ratcheted up sales, taking into account all formats, of over 200 million purchases. In 2020, over 130 million people played Minecraft at least once a month. And as for revenue generated, that came to $415 million in 2020.
There’s no doubting the figures, or the cultural impact, as even people who’ve never played it are likely to know the name, and have an awareness of the distinctive, blocky visuals. But why did Minecraft reach these levels of success, and what exactly is it that sets it apart?
Not Just a Game
More than just a game in the traditional sense, Minecraft operates as a platform. The realities generated within its parameters are enormous and freely explorable. Participants can make what they want of their in-world experience and the process is open-ended and can be navigated however you like.
Nothing is scripted, and there’s no fixed conclusion at which point you can say the game is complete. And as a platform, Minecraft is incredibly open to development, expansion and innovation, resulting in both competition and co-operation. As a result, many people look into Minecraft hosting, while communities and even mini-industries have built up around the game.
It’s Simple, in the Best Way
There is a killer gaming formula, and if a developer manages to hit upon it, then they’re onto a good thing. The elusive combination is simplicity plus addictiveness, and Minecraft pulls it off expertly. If the Minecraft world looks like an environment you can just jump into and play around with, it’s because that’s exactly what it is.
Minecraft doesn’t require long instructional sessions, and you don’t need to think about complex strategies or storylines. The way it works is, primarily, through trial, error, and reward. And blocks, lots of blocks. When a game is this simple, but keeps you coming back for more, it’s incredible success starts to make sense.
An Educational Experience
Minecraft can be played by anyone, and that includes kids. For children, its immersive, safe environment, and intuitive in-game mechanics make it not just a lot of fun, but sometimes even a beneficial educational tool.
Minecraft rewards creativity, and helps to develop valuable problem-solving skills. In addition, it allows for independence and self-autonomy, while also enabling and encouraging teamwork and co-operation. In Minecraft, you have to pick the right approach at the right time. Much like real life, both personally and in business. Furthermore, Minecraft is a globally connected platform, and gets kids into an open-minded way of thinking, while familiarizing them with new technology.
Influencers and Community
Minecraft is a phenomenon among social media and gaming influencers. There are countless channels dedicated to Minecraft, and fortunes have been made by some top influencers who play Minecraft.
This, along with the nature of the game itself, has had the effect of building huge, loyal communities, all around the Minecraft platform. In the internet age, the power of this kind of social media reach, and the loyalty among the communities forged, are absolutely tremendous, going beyond the reach of traditional marketing. What developed around Minecraft was akin almost to a social movement.
Those Graphics
Minecraft’s graphics are cool. That, of course, is a subjective statement, and there are plenty of ways you might disagree, but that’s part of what’s cool: its the very things that some people might dislike that make Minecraft’s visuals so distinctive, and that give the game its unmistakable character. For a game to be iconic, it usually needs to have its own look, even if it’s a style that divides opinion.
And in Minecraft’s case, we’re talking blocks. The graphics are angular, deliberately artificial-looking, and, admittedly, sometimes overly uniform. It’s reminiscent of classic, 8-bit games from the 1980s, although expanded into a gargantuan 3-D environment that would have been just science-fiction back then. It’s a style that’s nostalgic and charming, and the game has a friendly, retro-tech atmosphere. Not for everyone, perhaps, but it’s an aesthetic that has certainly made its mark.
Versatility and Creativity
With various modes of play, and an open-ended, versatile nature, the Minecraft experience can be whatever each participant wants. The Minecraft world exists to be dived into, and from that point on, it’s the player’s own character that determines what kind of game they will play.
Minecraft rewards creativity, but in a sense, just your manner of interacting with the Minecraft world is an act of creativity in itself. And when this becomes–potentially, if you prefer—a co-operative, community experience, then you know you’re on to something special. Minecraft fully deserves its iconic status, and as both a gaming experience and a wider platform it looks here to stay for a long time yet.