Notes

Minecraft shouldn't ever Feel Clingy, Mojang Says



Minecraft shouldn't ever be a clingy feeling, Mojang says

Mojang continues to be attentive to the success of other survival games.



Mojang asked me what the future of Minecraft was like before the latest Minecraft 1.19 (opens new tab) update was released. Game director Agnes Larsson and developer Nir "Ulraf" Vaknin weren't willing to discuss specific features for the next major update-no surprise, they're likely saving this for the next Minecraft Live showcase. Instead, we discussed how they're still learning from other crafters and how they want to "keep the excitement of Minecraft" for the next 10 years or more.



When Minecraft's alpha launched in 2010 it brought crafting and survival on the map. There are a myriad of other crafting games later-on, many of which were also based on voxels-Mine remains the gold standard in Sandbox-based creativity. Mojang may easily become smug after having wore the crown for so long I would imagine. It could then be easy to become insular and get ideas only from its own developers and players.



Both Larsson and Vaknin have said that they wouldn't think Minecraft any better than the rest. (I would, though. It's not a risk to sound boastful from me). But they do say that knowing what makes Minecraft apart means they can maintain it.



Larsson said it was intrinsic motivation. "We should encourage and empower players to be imaginative in their own ways," she said, "but never dictate, never pressure anything."



Vaknin agreed with the assertion that Minecraft's success lies in encouraging players to be self-motivated "A many games are veering from that because many players are looking for more direction and that's fine."



Over the years, I've tried many survival crafting games. I was most recently drawn to Valheim's Viking crafting which I thoroughly enjoyed for a few months. I also enjoyed the session-based survival in Icarus and V Rising for vampire crafting for several days. Even Valheim that I was enthralled by for over 100 hours , and was a part of the lobbying for as our game of the year (opens in a new tab) in 2021, hasn't kept me coming back the way Minecraft has.



Vaknin said that he's been keeping track of the competition as well. He was also interested in how hunger and food in Valheim work. It made me reconsider the way I viewed food. In Minecraft for instance I was not allowed to skip food systems or treat all food items equally. He says, "I spend time thinking about this and thinking about whether there are any lessons to be learned from it."



Vaknin said that V Rising has a very unique goal and boss tracking system. t-launcher.net He also spoke about the need to track down bosses throughout the map to locate them. "It reminded me of how you find the End stronghold in Minecraft through the eyes of ender."



Vaknin hopes Minecraft will not chase its users, even though it learns from Minecraft.



"Minecraft isn't clingy at all," is how he put it later in our chat as he compared it to a long-time friend who will be there for you even when you decide to leave and come back months later.



Vaknin shared a common experience in the Minecraft community: playing a lot for a few years ago and now returning to the game on a regular basis when the mood strikes. This is how I've dealt with for a long time, and I'm glad it's a pattern Mojang is confident in to cultivate.



"So many other games you play and feel that they try to pull you too far, and then once you've finished playing, you're not going to want to come back. I am awestruck that Minecraft doesn't do this. It is so important to me that this is maintained."



"One thing that has been added to our core values is that you play Minecraft because you want to, not because you feel forced to," Larsson added.



As I start looking ahead to the impending announcement of Minecraft version 1.20 It's nice to know that the folks in charge are confident enough to keep up with the latest crafting and survival trends without necessarily chasing them.


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