Minecraft is back and better than ever. The sandbox video game never stopped having a large player base: in 2018, Mojang reported that over 91 million players logged into the game every month across all of its platforms.
However, Minecraft’s success has always been relatively quiet, especially in comparison to the global phenomenon that is Fortnite. While Fortnite has been around for much less time than Minecraft, the former had over 200 million active players at the end of 2018. Considering that Fortnite has only been around for two years, as opposed to Minecraft’s ten, it’s easy to assume that Minecraft is dying out while Fortnite continues to grow. But that’s not quite the case.
Minecraft has made its way back into the spotlight right now. There’s been a steady rise in people searching up “Minecraft” on Google over the past twelve months.
Image Credit: Google Trends
In addition to this trend, several popular YouTubers have been featuring the game right now. More creators like PewDiePie and jacksepticeye have been putting out Minecraft content than ever before. Since the game gotits start in 2011, the players have mainly consisted of children 14 and under. Yet now, people of all ages seem to be playing the game. What’s causing this increase in Minecraft‘s popularity? In this article, we’ll look into three of the most compelling factors.
The first reason why Minecraft has seemingly risen from the dead is easy. There’s been an increase in game quality. When Minecraft was first released, it was fresh and new. But many players quickly found themselves to be bored by its simplistic concept: break blocks and gather resources in order to kill two bosses.
While Minecraft does offer many things to do, the game’s relative lack of objective can cause many gamers to log off. While killing the Ender Dragon is the final quest, the game doesn’t end even after the player does so. Playing vanilla Minecraft (without mods, that is) can sometimes feel tedious.
Recently, however, Mojang has been churning out new updates to the game every couple of months. The latest edition of the Java game was particularly exciting. In Update 1.14, a new hostile mob was added and village architecture was adjusted to fit the biome that it appeared in. The update also introduced new blocks and mobs including berry bushes, foxes, bamboo and pandas. These new additions to the game have simultaneously lured ex-players back and attracted newer crowds.
Another big selling point for Minecraft is the meme factor. Many teenagers have created humorous videos about Minecraft through the social media platform Tik Tok (formerly known as musical.ly). While their coverage of Minecraft may not have been entirely serious, it’s coverage nonetheless. The Minecraft trend on Tik Tok has undoubtedly convinced old players to redownload the game just for the purpose of posting a funny video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-zkaUjrGrc
If you’re still not convinced about just how powerful a joke can be, here’s some interesting information. CaptainSparklez, a popular Minecraft YouTuber, uploaded a Minecraft-themed parody of Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” over eight years ago. Right now, it’s sitting at #1 on the Genius Trending Charts, beating even Taylor Swift’s new single. Although the parody is seen as a joke, the Internet has enabled it to climb the charts and bring Minecraft back to life.
The final, and most compelling, reason for Minecraft‘s revival is nostalgia. The preteens who played Minecraftway back when have grown up now. It’s possible that they abandoned the game for fear of seeming juvenile, but now they’re too old to care about people who want them to feel embarrassed for playing such an “immature” game. Or perhaps they’ve returned to the game in an effort to replicate a simpler time, back when their life was less complicated.
How do I know this? Because it’s exactly what I, and a handful of my friends, have done. Minecraft is a game with endless possibilities, which makes some people feel as if it’s a pointless game to play. But in reality, it’s a game that requires you to stimulate your imagination and see the infinite opportunities to entertain yourself. In today’s society, many have had their imaginations snuffed out. Minecraft is a way to revert back to your childhood ways, where everything was easier. All you have to do to feel that way again is to log back on, brush the dust off your old account and start crafting.
Featured image via Minecraft Twitter
