Discussion Time: Minecraft as a Genre

[Squideey]

I read the posts about how Blockland didn't get greenlit. Some of them were criticizing games with gameplay similar to Minecraft. This spur some thought, and I think I've got something we should discuss. I'm posing an idea that perhaps Minecraft should actually be viewed as a budding genre.

Before Minecraft was introduced and later popularized, the amount of true sandbox-building games was rather limited. You had Blockland, Roblox, and to a lesser extent Garry's Mod. After this point, there's been a visible increase in these types of games. The timeless concept of building out of simple shapes has always been a popular activity for children. However, people are getting the wrong idea. I keep seeing complaints about how many "Minecraft clones" there are, but it's perfectly acceptable for these games to exist. As I've said before, building things with blocks is hardly a new idea. If Minecraft is reintroducing this concept, then it's understandable to begin labeling its play-style as a legitimate gameplay genre instead of something more independent. Just like RPGs and platformers, maybe we can call this one the "sandbox-building" genre?

TL;DR: Minecraft, more specifically its block-building gameplay, should be considered a genre instead of an independent game.

Tell me what you think.

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[DrenDran]

Blockland and minecraft are not even simular.
The only real simularity is that you can build stuff in both. (and the peices are vaugly rectangular)

[Cybertails1998]

the most gear-grinding thing though, is when the rabid fans gimp completely unrelated games as Minecraft clones. (ie blockland)

Also, good Christ, Yogventures.

[Squideey]

Blockland and minecraft are not even simular.
The only real simularity is that you can build stuff in both. (and the peices are vaugly rectangular)

the most gear-grinding thing though, is when the rabid fans gimp completely unrelated games as Minecraft clones. (ie blockland)

Also, good Christ, Yogventures.

With that logic you can also say that Counterstrike and Call of Duty are not at all the same, even though they share familiar gameplay styles. Both Minecraft and Blockland involve the same basic principles of putting rectangles on each other. I'm proposing that we can link these games together with a common theme instead of comparing them all to Minecraft. It's a compromise for both sides. There would be much less hostility with this system.

[fred da kiko]

Minecraft is not a genre. Block building games are not a genre. Defining a game by a single aspect of its design is bad. Minecraft is a survival sandbox, blockland is not.

[CopBlock]

With that logic you can also say that Counterstrike and Call of Duty are not at all the same, even though they share familiar gameplay styles. Both Minecraft and Blockland involve the same basic principles of putting rectangles on each other. I'm proposing that we can link these games together with a common theme instead of comparing them all to Minecraft. It's a compromise for both sides. There would be much less hostility with this system.

you can compare call of duty and counterstrike but they dont play in anyway close to the other, the same way as blockland can be compared to minecraft but they dont play the same way. regardless, this topic wont change anything, we are but one forum.

[fawkes..]

He's not trying to change anything, he just wants a discussion on it.

[CopBlock]

He's not trying to change anything, he just wants a discussion on it.

thats what he says in the op, but not what he said in his second post. its a good idea and all, itll probably happen eventully but i dont think this forum will help much

[fawkes..]

You have a point, it's hard to tell because his second post was worded pretty badly. He did say 'I'm proposing' though.

[Isjix]

10 year old kid shows up > kid: CLONE! > rate down
probably why we haven't got greenlit yet