Notes

Minecraft Shouldn't Ever Feel Clingy, Mojang Says

Right before the most recent Minecraft 1.19 (opens in new tab) update launched, I asked Mojang what the future of Minecraft looks like. Agnes Larsson, the game director, and Nir “Ulraf” Vaknin the developer weren't willing or able to give me specific details about the next major update. This is no surprise as they are likely to save that for the next Minecraft Live show. Instead, we discussed how they still learn from other crafting competitors and how they plan to "keep the magic and charm of Minecraft" for 10 more years.



Minecraft's alpha launch in 2010 put crafting and survival on the map. There have been a thousand other crafting games, many of which are also made with voxels, but Minecraft remains the benchmark for sandbox creativity. Mojang could easily fall into a complacency after having worn the crown so long. I imagine it becoming insular, and sourcing ideas only through its own developers.



Larsson and Vaknin both insisted they wouldn't call Minecraft better than all the rest. (I would, though. It's not boastful from me, but it does not risk sounding boastful. They do however say that they know what makes Minecraft unique and can therefore maintain it.



Larsson called this intrinsic motivation. Larsson said that it was important to inspire and allow players to be creative in their own ways. "But never dictate, never force anything."



Vaknin agreed, saying that Minecraft excels in asking players for self-motivation. "A lot" of games are moving away from this because a lot more players want to be more direct.



I've tried every type of survival crafting game over the years. I was most recently drawn to Valheim's viking crafting, which I enjoyed for several months. I also enjoyed session-based survival in Icarus, and V Rising's vampire crafting for a few days. Even Valheim which I enjoyed for over 100hrs and helped lobby to be named our game-of-the-year in 2021 has not kept me coming back as much as Minecraft.



Vaknin said that he keeps up with the competition. Like me, he was curious about the way hunger and food work in Valheim. It made me rethink how I treated food. In Minecraft, for example, I was not allowed to skip food systems or treat all foods equally. He said, "I spend a lot of time thinking about it and trying to figure out if there is anything we can learn from it."



Vaknin said that V Rising has a very unique goal and boss tracking system. He also mentioned the need to track down bosses across the map in order to find them. It reminded me of the way you find the End stronghold of Minecraft with the eyes ender.



Vaknin hopes Minecraft won't chase its players, even though it learns from Minecraft.
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"Minecraft really isn't clingy," is how it was described by him later in our chat. He compared it to a long-time friend who will be there even if he leaves and comes back months later.



Vaknin described a common experience among the Minecraft community. He said that he used to play a lot for a time, but then returned on a yearly basis when the mood struck. This is how I have dealt with it for years. It's a pattern Mojang is proud to cultivate.



"So many games you play can pull you in a bit too hard and then you don't want it to end. I love that Minecraft doesn't do that.


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