Minecraft | Dry Commentary | How Game Design Can Trump Graphics

Now here is a game I never imagined would become what it has. Minecraft is basically ubiquitous in the younger gaming world, but has retained a lot of its older, 1st generation audience. I was first exposed to this game during its beta while I was in High School. Students would play it through the browser during lectures in computer literacy, so it spread like wildfire through the whole school before it was even released officially.

What has always impressed me about it is the nature of its engine, which was originally written in javascript. This workhorse programming language had been essential for running various web browser elements for about a decade at the time, and was used in a handful of browser only games. Java also has a bunch of commercial applications, and is known for being powerful, if occasionally obtuse to work with.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:40 Minecraft's Origin
1:32 Constrained Creativity
2:23 The Failures of Anthem
3:15 Minecraft By Comparison
4:00 Evolution in Design
4:32 Design & Success
5:23 Conclusion