Minecraft shouldn't be a Clingy Thing, Mojang Says
Mojang is paying close attention to what other survival games are making right.
Right before the most recent Minecraft 1.19 (opens in a new tab) update was released I asked Mojang what the future of Minecraft will look like. Game director Agnes Larsson and developer Nir "Ulraf" Vaknin weren't willing to discuss specific features for the next major update. It's not a surprise, they're likely to save that for the next Minecraft Live showcase. Instead, we discussed how they're still learning from other competitors in the crafting industry and how they want to "keep the fun of Minecraft" for another 10 years and beyond.
When Minecraft's alpha version launched in 2010, it put survival and crafting on the map. There are a myriad of other crafting games later-many also made from voxels-Minecraft remains the gold standard for Sandbox-based creativity. Mojang could easily become complacent after having wore the crown for so long, I imagine. It's easy to become insular and get ideas only from its own players and developers.
Both Larsson and Vaknin insist that they don't think of Minecraft as any more superior than the rest. (I would, though. It doesn't risk sounding boastful coming from me). However, they do say that they know what makes Minecraft unique and can therefore maintain it.
Larsson described it as intrinsic motivation. "We must inspire and allow the players to be creative in their own ways," she said, "but never dictate, never force anything."
Vaknin agreed with the statement that Minecraft's success is due to the fact that it requires players to be self-motivated "A many games are veering from that because many players want to be guided, and that's okay."
Over the years, I have 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's vampire crafting for a few days. Even Valheim which I was obsessed with for over 100 hours , and helped to lobby for as our game of the year (opens in a new tab) in 2021 isn't keeping me from returning in the same way that Minecraft has.
Vaknin said that he's been keeping up with competition. Like me, he was interested in the way that food and hunger work in Valheim. It made me think about how I treated food. In Minecraft for instance, I was not allowed to skip food systems or treat all foods equally. "I am always thinking about it and thinking what we can learn from it," he says.
"V Rising has an interesting goal and boss tracking system," Vaknin also said in reference to the fact that you have to follow a boss around the map to find them. "It reminded me of the way you locate the End stronghold in Minecraft by looking through the eyes of the ender."
Vaknin hopes Minecraft will not chase its players even though it can learn from Minecraft.
"Minecraft isn't clingy at all," is how he said in our chat later, likening it to a friend who will be there for you, even if you choose to leave and return months later.
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Vaknin described a common experience that is common in the Minecraft community: playing heavily for a time several years ago, and then returning on a yearly basis depending on the mood. It's a way I have employed for years and it's a method that Mojang is confident in cultivating.
"So many games you play can draw you in a little too hard and then you're not ready for it to end. It's incredible that Minecraft doesn't do this. It is very important to me that this is maintained."
Larsson said, "One thing we recently added to our core principle is that you play Minecraft because you want to do, not because you feel pressured to," Larsson added.
As I start looking ahead to the inevitable announcement of Minecraft version 1.20 It's nice to know that the people in charge are confident enough to keep up with all the latest crafting and survival trends without having to chase them.