Sorry if this sounds a bit dry, but I think the reason it's so popular is because it has a much more open-ended play space than almost all other child-friendly games, giving them the opportunities to set their own goals and practice structuring their own time without the finality of having an outside party set the win conditions (such as trophies/achievements). Sure, there are some of those things in the background, but it's an opportunity for kids to exercise executive creativity.
I set up a couple ‘bedrock’ servers on a NUC. Without a doubt, one of the best uses of that computer.
One world is pretty much wide open-
Cheats and creative mode allowed. Extended family also allowed to play, build, explore. The other server is survival mode only with no cheats and just me and my son allowed to play.
It’s been so much fun switching between the worlds and getting different experiences in the same game. We have strict rules about screen time, but even off-hours it’s a great bonding experience talking about plans for next time we play. I say this as someone who used to be really into gaming growing up but cannot seem to ‘get into’ any game anymore. It’s the bonding that makes the difference.
One more note, it’s not all about screen time. The other day we went on a short hike at a park. ‘Went exploring’, kids aren’t interested in hikes. Anyway, it started sprinkling and had potential to go negative. But instead: ‘Dad, this is just like exploring in Minecraft!’. <3
They do it because of the same reasons they do the brainrot activity?
I used to watch a lot of streams about another videogame (shooter). It is calming, no hard thinking, sometimes the streamer reads your comments which is the dopamine moment, also there is an ability to listen to some kool kid without a risk to be bullied. In my case it was a learning about how to play shooter games, what is FPV/TPV, where the danger is coming from typically, how to play while being on a low ground, or a high ground, how to use different gun parts. Sometimes donaters use to send payed challenges for the streamer like win the game having some handicap for which is always give some extra bits of entertainments because I know the streamer has a hard time.
Last but not least is the reason that my computer is a bit slow so connecting to the game takes a lot of time and there is a risk to be killed early which means at least 10 minutes of concentrated mind wasted, but seeing the streamer killed means I am in one click from another game on the culmination point.
What is not understandable by me is why Minecraft is interesting at all. Watching a proper shooter game is mostly the same as watching some military expert telling (for example) about how to clear a building, but playing blocks stopped being interested for me as soon as I have been introduced to some real-life activity like soldering some electronics - but there were no brainrot in my childhood.
Something like that eh!
As a gen X survivor of the creeping, never ending instutionalisation of everything, the restrictions placed on children is sureal and bizare.
The very likely fall out is going to be that the west is going to be flat outcompeted by countrys that can mantain a balance between fostering a true competitive environment for children to grow and learn in, vs, chaos, or, this nightmare, enforced "saftey world" we live in here,now.
Cant run around beating each other with sticks, but they can run to a "guidance councellor" and apply for non reversable surgical alteration to there bodys.....but that's somehow, "safe"
or resort to mind numbing OCD in a vid game......
yay! yay! your doing so goood! purrrs the psch advisor.
fuck
Sorry if this sounds a bit dry, but I think the reason it's so popular is because it has a much more open-ended play space than almost all other child-friendly games, giving them the opportunities to set their own goals and practice structuring their own time without the finality of having an outside party set the win conditions (such as trophies/achievements). Sure, there are some of those things in the background, but it's an opportunity for kids to exercise executive creativity.
I set up a couple ‘bedrock’ servers on a NUC. Without a doubt, one of the best uses of that computer.
One world is pretty much wide open- Cheats and creative mode allowed. Extended family also allowed to play, build, explore. The other server is survival mode only with no cheats and just me and my son allowed to play.
It’s been so much fun switching between the worlds and getting different experiences in the same game. We have strict rules about screen time, but even off-hours it’s a great bonding experience talking about plans for next time we play. I say this as someone who used to be really into gaming growing up but cannot seem to ‘get into’ any game anymore. It’s the bonding that makes the difference.
One more note, it’s not all about screen time. The other day we went on a short hike at a park. ‘Went exploring’, kids aren’t interested in hikes. Anyway, it started sprinkling and had potential to go negative. But instead: ‘Dad, this is just like exploring in Minecraft!’. <3
Blocks have always been a popular toy with children. What I can't understand is why kids spend hours watching minecraft videos on youtube.
They do it because of the same reasons they do the brainrot activity?
I used to watch a lot of streams about another videogame (shooter). It is calming, no hard thinking, sometimes the streamer reads your comments which is the dopamine moment, also there is an ability to listen to some kool kid without a risk to be bullied. In my case it was a learning about how to play shooter games, what is FPV/TPV, where the danger is coming from typically, how to play while being on a low ground, or a high ground, how to use different gun parts. Sometimes donaters use to send payed challenges for the streamer like win the game having some handicap for which is always give some extra bits of entertainments because I know the streamer has a hard time.
Last but not least is the reason that my computer is a bit slow so connecting to the game takes a lot of time and there is a risk to be killed early which means at least 10 minutes of concentrated mind wasted, but seeing the streamer killed means I am in one click from another game on the culmination point.
What is not understandable by me is why Minecraft is interesting at all. Watching a proper shooter game is mostly the same as watching some military expert telling (for example) about how to clear a building, but playing blocks stopped being interested for me as soon as I have been introduced to some real-life activity like soldering some electronics - but there were no brainrot in my childhood.
The same reason lots of children like watching TV, or reading a book. It’s nice to think about a fantasy world
i consider it more of a toy than a game, you can do whatever you want in there.
i still clock a few hours a week at 51. sometimes its just to occupy the brain, rip down a mountain, work on digging a perimeter..
other times its exploring modpacks and having a goal like more traditional games.
like that there are communities doing even more with it (mostly the well known groups similar to and including Hermitcraft)
Because it's dangerous and borderline illegal to play outside?
Something like that eh! As a gen X survivor of the creeping, never ending instutionalisation of everything, the restrictions placed on children is sureal and bizare. The very likely fall out is going to be that the west is going to be flat outcompeted by countrys that can mantain a balance between fostering a true competitive environment for children to grow and learn in, vs, chaos, or, this nightmare, enforced "saftey world" we live in here,now. Cant run around beating each other with sticks, but they can run to a "guidance councellor" and apply for non reversable surgical alteration to there bodys.....but that's somehow, "safe" or resort to mind numbing OCD in a vid game...... yay! yay! your doing so goood! purrrs the psch advisor. fuck
“The children yearn for the mines”
“The desire to build”