If anyone has ever engaged in discussion about updates to Minecraft, there is always one person who finds something negative about the update. Many people say the game needs to stop updating, that nobody asked for a certain feature, or that the updates feel too much like mods. All these games seem to suffer a similar fate in discussions with updates being “nothing but bloat,” but I want to delve into each side and how each argument holds up.
Now, I won’t say I have any form of moral high ground. I myself have engaged in the less-than-charitable side of the argument. However, I will say, as someone who creates mods for Minecraft, I have a different perspective to the typical player, and I do have something else to bring to the table.
What makes Minecraft so special?
To understand all the criticisms that Minecraft gets with each update, we have to look at Minecraft itself and the kind of audience it has fostered. Simply put, Minecraft has garnered a wide audience of players because of the versatility of game mechanics. You could be a casual player that is happy to build to their heart’s content, or an engineering wiz that dabbles in all kinds of Redstone circuitry, and this does not account for the communities fostered by modifying the game.
Minecraft has also taken the time to garner such a wide audience because of how long it has been around for. With the game lasting for over a decade, it is no stretch to call it an “old” game, and yet it continues to update. This means that the age of each player varies in range, from those who have picked up the game in the past year to those playing in the early years of the game. This, of course, means there are a wide variety of opinions about how the game has continued to evolve. Many people see new content as good content, but others see a wave of clutter for what they believed was a perfect game.
Why is there so much friction when it comes to the update debate? Because there’s so much of a variety in players, everyone’s needs are unable to be met with each version, and as such, it leads to heated arguments. Yet, this still doesn’t explain why they get heated, so I want to take a dive into some of the arguments and see what people have to say and what points each argument has.
More Updates means Longer Life
On the left, what Minecraft used to look like back in 1.0, and to the right, what Minecraft looks like as of 1.21.8.
This is the first argument I hear in defence of updates. Most especially, this argument is paired with the fact that the game’s updates are free, so we should be grateful for them. Of course, this does make sense - a game that updates with new content brings eyes onto the game to check out what’s new. If a game doesn’t get a steady stream of updates, then popularity dies out.
However, I don’t think this alone is enough to keep an audience engaged. Yes, updating the game means there’s something for players to return to and check out. That being said, small updates that add a handful of new, miscellaneous features aren’t enough to bring back an audience. Especially with an audience with a broad and diverse set of interests and communities, an update may not pique their interest. This is not to say that every update is meaningless, but there have been some updates to Minecraft that simply did not bring much to the table. Not for players, that is.
There is an argument to be had as well that even though the game continues to update, Minecraft permits starting the game with an older version of the game. As such, any argument that a game should stop updating would be invalidated, but this argument has a notable flaw. Each update to the game brings various fixes, but also security updates that protect users. For older versions of the game, it makes people vulnerable to malicious attacks, and for these kinds of people, they may not want a content update with a security update. In a way, it’s almost like a punishment for wanting an older version of the game.
There is too much Content
New content is bountiful in each major update, but for some players, they see all this as meaningless fluff.
One argument against updates that appears often is that the game already has enough content. It’s also often paired with the argument that the game doesn’t need updating anymore. While the sentiment that a game no longer needs updating isn’t quite true, the idea that a game has too much content is a mixed bag of opinions and expectations.
Having played Minecraft for long enough, I do admit that it’s hard to make the point that the game is adding too much content compared to newer players. After all, there was a time when we had no Enchantments or Potions, certain renewable items were once dungeon loot, and not to mention many new varieties of blocks to build with. It’s easy for me to say there’s too much content simply because I first started playing on a much older version of the game.
However, there is a point to be had about too much content, but it all comes down to perspective. While it can be argued that there’s bloated content in Minecraft, if I take a look at specific content, there’s a different story to be told. Taking a look at tool progression, it has barely changed since the early days of Minecraft. Aside from 1.9, where combat changed to include weapon cooldown and a Shield, and 1.16 introduced the Netherite tier of tools, progression has ultimately remained stagnant. In this sense, updates can be seen as bloat as gameplay has not changed in this particular aspect.
For people who prefer the exploration aspect, on the other hand, they have an endless glut of content. New cave generation, new biomes, new structures to loot, and much more to complement the exploration part of the sandbox. As such, content updates have been beneficial for these players as there has been something new for them to come back to. Players who enjoy this kind of content may not be receptive to the idea that the updates they enjoy are not meaningful enough.
These Updates feel more like Mods
Is it vanilla, or is it modded? What differentiates content created by the developers and created by talented members of the modded community?
This one is an interesting point to make, and it’s often the most overlooked because only the surface of the argument is scratched.
Due to the platforms these arguments are made on, the only point people can make is that an update feels like a mod without any room to rationalize their thinking. What I believe people are saying with the game feeling more modded is that the updates seem more outlandish and random rather than something more grounded. Why people might also say this is that game updates can’t necessarily be opted out of, and for some games, an update means that’s the only available version. If a game feels more modded, then it means that it feels like people are installing mods they don’t want.
Now, as someone who has played with and created mods, do I think anything I have to say is invalid? I don’t think so, because there is still a point to be made. Not everyone plays mods the same way, and some may even find some modpacks too bloated in content. I find that I prefer modpacks that take it simple and are lighter on the changes. Even with a modpack with as little as 50 mods, I find myself only interacting with a few mods and ignoring the rest. In a way, this would be the same as playing the base game with all this new content but not exploring it due to it being white noise.
The big question is what constitutes a feature as fitting for the game and what is best suited as a mod. This seems to change depending on who you talk to, as each player has their own idea of what a mod does. That is where this argument becomes much more gray simply because the definition of “modded” is not the same for everyone. Where the sentiment does come from are people who think that the content isn’t what they feel is right for them. It ultimately comes down to perspective, where someone feels like they are having a mod they don’t want installed.
So, are updates bloated?
At the end of it all, what are updates for games like Minecraft these days? Are they meaningful and contribute to the gameplay cycle and life, or are they nothing more than a way to stoke attention?
Ultimately, I don’t think the answer actually matters.
When it comes down to it, updates will happen regardless of whether the community asks for them. There are plenty of games out in the wild that could do with more updates or had an update slated, only for the developers to leave it. Other games do update just for the engagement, and it ends up hurting the game more than it should.
Everyone can say what they want about what, when, and how a game should update, but it’s what the game developers choose that determines game updates. I think it’s best to let an opinion just be what it is, and if there’s a gripe you have with the opinion, then it just shows that there’s a difference in perspective. A negative opinion against a game should not sway how you feel about it, nor should new content be a deterrent to playing the game.
Each player has their own way of playing a game and what content they engage with. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone else to show how to make good use of an update’s content to understand how it integrates into a game. Why not get together and show each other what’s new? All you need to get started is to purchase a plan, and you can create a server in just a couple clicks. Don’t forget to join our Discord to catch up on the latest news and talk about Minecraft with other players.