6 ms·

I'm really glad minecraft became popular with kids. It lets them use their imagination and flex their creative muscles, I'm sure that's why they were attracted

I'm really glad minecraft became popular with kids. It lets them use their imagination and flex their creative muscles, I'm sure that's why they were attracted to it. It's a good change of pace from the mindless stimulation that most video games provide where they are just a passive consumer of the content.

mruts 7y ago
Is it still popular with kids? I was under the impression that it was replaced by fortnite. And what do both games have in common? They're both free.
- sgarman 7y ago
  Minecraft hasn't been free until now.
  - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
    Minecraft Classic was free for a long time, it's just that it was taken offline at one point. (Note, Minecraft Classic ≠ "Minecraft Java" or whatever they're calling the primary pre-Microsoft PC version now)
    - ihuman 7y ago
      > Minecraft Classic ≠ "Minecraft Java It kind of is. Survival was added Java Edition Classic, then was spun out into its own version with Java Edition Indev. The modern Java version is a descendant of Indev.
      - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
        I guess, but they kept up "Minecraft Classic" for many years as a separate (and free) thing. And I'm pretty sure this is just Minecraft Classic again.
      - dangus 7y ago
        More of a technicality than the reality, Minecraft Classic is like a crude prototype compared to the years of additions that make up the current version of Minecraft (Java or Bedrock).
  - aequitas 7y ago
    There is Minecraft for raspberry pi edition which comes free with the standard raspbian desktop image. My daughter loves it. It ties in with the education stuff in that it has a python API. For the rest it is more limited compared to normal Minecraft.
- keithnz 7y ago
  I've noticed a lot of kids seem to have migrated from Minecraft to Roblox.
  - bdamm 7y ago
    My son tried to play Minecraft when he was 4, but he couldn't read yet so we gave him Blockcraft and later Roblox, both of which he can use without needing to read. That's because the interface is usable if you just click the defaults all the time, and he can clearly tell the difference between a blue button with text and a grey button with text. Although funnily enough, his desire to play Minecraft motivated him to learn to read. So it might be due to kids being exposed to and wanting to play these games earlier, which has perhaps caught Minecraft off guard resulting in a new generation that plays fast-following Minecraft clones instead of actual Minecraft.
  - shmerl 7y ago
    Roblox doesn't work on Linux even in Wine.
    - s_y_n_t_a_x 7y ago
      Most kids don't use Linux
      - beenBoutIT 7y ago
        The upside is that the smart kids will quickly grow to hate Windows at which point they'll discover Linux.
        devttyeu 7y ago
        I first got into Linux because Minecraft ran better on it... this was almost 8 years ago.
        z3phyr 7y ago
        John Carmack did not
rgoulter 7y ago
> most video games provide where they are just a passive consumer of the content. With books and videos, people are passive consumers of content. With videogames, players are active consumers of content, in that they need to be engaged in order to consume the content. The demand on creativity and imagination in videogames is usually at least in overcoming the obstacles/challenges of the game. With games like Minecraft, there's also a more tangible intermediate result in terms of building blocks. Though, mobile games might tend to be more "cow clicker" ish, and mainstream games can be linear sequences where the game makes it hard to fail.. there's less demand for creativity there.

mruts 7y ago

Is it still popular with kids? I was under the impression that it was replaced by fortnite. And what do both games have in common? They're both free.

sgarman 7y ago
Minecraft hasn't been free until now.
- Wowfunhappy 7y ago
  Minecraft Classic was free for a long time, it's just that it was taken offline at one point. (Note, Minecraft Classic ≠ "Minecraft Java" or whatever they're calling the primary pre-Microsoft PC version now)
  - ihuman 7y ago
    > Minecraft Classic ≠ "Minecraft Java It kind of is. Survival was added Java Edition Classic, then was spun out into its own version with Java Edition Indev. The modern Java version is a descendant of Indev.
    - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
      I guess, but they kept up "Minecraft Classic" for many years as a separate (and free) thing. And I'm pretty sure this is just Minecraft Classic again.
    - dangus 7y ago
      More of a technicality than the reality, Minecraft Classic is like a crude prototype compared to the years of additions that make up the current version of Minecraft (Java or Bedrock).
- aequitas 7y ago
  There is Minecraft for raspberry pi edition which comes free with the standard raspbian desktop image. My daughter loves it. It ties in with the education stuff in that it has a python API. For the rest it is more limited compared to normal Minecraft.
keithnz 7y ago
I've noticed a lot of kids seem to have migrated from Minecraft to Roblox.
- bdamm 7y ago
  My son tried to play Minecraft when he was 4, but he couldn't read yet so we gave him Blockcraft and later Roblox, both of which he can use without needing to read. That's because the interface is usable if you just click the defaults all the time, and he can clearly tell the difference between a blue button with text and a grey button with text. Although funnily enough, his desire to play Minecraft motivated him to learn to read. So it might be due to kids being exposed to and wanting to play these games earlier, which has perhaps caught Minecraft off guard resulting in a new generation that plays fast-following Minecraft clones instead of actual Minecraft.
- shmerl 7y ago
  Roblox doesn't work on Linux even in Wine.
  - s_y_n_t_a_x 7y ago
    Most kids don't use Linux
    - beenBoutIT 7y ago
      The upside is that the smart kids will quickly grow to hate Windows at which point they'll discover Linux.
      - devttyeu 7y ago
        I first got into Linux because Minecraft ran better on it... this was almost 8 years ago.
      - z3phyr 7y ago
        John Carmack did not

rgoulter 7y ago

> most video games provide where they are just a passive consumer of the content. With books and videos, people are passive consumers of content. With videogames, players are active consumers of content, in that they need to be engaged in order to consume the content. The demand on creativity and imagination in videogames is usually at least in overcoming the obstacles/challenges of the game. With games like Minecraft, there's also a more tangible intermediate result in terms of building blocks. Though, mobile games might tend to be more "cow clicker" ish, and mainstream games can be linear sequences where the game makes it hard to fail.. there's less demand for creativity there.