Have you ever waited years for one of your favorite media properties to get better? Do you grasp onto anything good that comes out in hopes it'll soon stay like this? Is there just one major change they'd need to make and you'd be a superfan again?
There is an inherent issue with how criticism is thrown at companies with the expectation that they can change, and sometimes the alternative blinds us with how strict copyright laws can be. I'm sure you've seen other Minecraft update criticisms before. The game doesn't take big risks, elements of Beta are more mechanically interesting, mods do the game better, too much bloat, and it doesn't feel like Mojang ever listens to the community.
Do you think that's going to get better? When Mojang eventually releases the End overhaul and the portal to the Deep Dark finally goes to a new dimension, will you feel satisfied that the good updates are back? Mojang and its structure as a company inherently goes against what players want, it has to be this way to survive, and its learned how to survive well, just like a lot of other media companies.
In the latest Minecraft Live, Agnes noted: "... is that Minecraft is and should continue to be a generational game." "...because its designed and evolved to last for generations." "This long-term thinking has inspired a stewardship approach to the way we develop Minecraft." "...This also means that we have a very long-term vision for Minecraft"
Mojang as a company has been structured with the hope that Minecraft will last forever. It has refined its craft as a merchandise producer, a mod store, a hype generator, and last but very least a game producer. While there can be benefits to how this structure is run, it is inherently built on retaining a steady flow of capital. Minecraft's new schedule of quarterly drops and its snapshot system is the perfect flow to keep hype generating on a consistent basis. By the time all the features are done and an update is ready to release, a new Minecraft Live is out teasing next week's snapshot features.
Each drop comes with a required amount of new blocks, mechanics, and a quirky mob to make merch for. Back when we had the Mob Vote this was similarly set up so the most beloved mob- and therefore the most profitable- would be added in. Each update must be appealing, marketable, hypable- instead of practical and refining.
Minecraft itself is a content farm, and on top of that, Mojang's #1 priority is to piss of as little players as it can. It cannot remove blocks or significantly rework them- or that would ruin worlds. It cannot change major mechanics like hunger or combat, or entire paid mods, maps, gamemodes, people's entire careers or reason of playing would be ruined. Parity can never be achieved between either game because stuff like Quasi-connectivity would shatter untold amounts of builds.
Its content is also split between two versions that can never be undone. Mojang can't just move development to a single version because too many millions of people play both editions. Bedrock loses out on the granular build-out of Java snapshots and moddability. Java loses out on FPS and visual updates like Vibrant Visuals because of its aged codebase and the incentive to have nicer visuals on the higher player-count edition (alongside this edition being used for marketing and promotions). Some items like bundles and features like block-entity pushing get delayed years because one edition has issues with implementation.
Mojang has the resources to have either game become both the definitive version and mass playable on needed devices. But tiny past mistakes snowballed into immovable objects for all areas of development.
Minecraft is now a commodity, a service, a structure, and something relied upon by millions. It has lost all sense of being an art piece and a piece of entertainment. Its developers can still have fun yes, and interesting choices are always being added, but this is under the guise of continuing this generational game. Its not there to make a statement, to go on its own path, to be its own thing. Its soldified into this mass that can only be tweaked and added to.
And despite all that capital, it doesn't even lead into interesting sub-projects. Nobody can walk into Mojang one day and say "I wanna lead Minecraft 2", or "I wanna make something that's not Minecraft." Nobody can have a second team take a split from main development to craft weird and interesting mods (outside of the April Fools updates, which just loop back to testing upcoming features and are only a one time thing focused on playing things for laughs). People perceive Mojang as a better company because it has the backing of Microsoft- who makes infinitely more money. Microsoft can keep Mojang from insolvency forever, so Mojang unlike other companies doesn't need infinite growth but rather sustainability.
But Mojang doesn't pass on that same stability to form new ideas. It never tries and fails to make new art. Its a company solely dedicated to Minecraft and Minecraft's general audience approved spinoffs. You see it in stuff like the Minecraft Movie too.
You know what a Minecraft movie would entail? Imagination, creativity, something formed not like a typical movie. I'd envision something like a silent protagonist just trying to survive, maybe meeting a friend, and the fun builds that come from it.
Mojang instead thought they needed celebrities, pop music, a large cast of main characters to appeal to as many audiences as possible, meme/trailer moments, a hyper-realistic art-style for hollywood sensibilities, it even being live action in the first place, and a multi-act structure with a villain to beat.
A Minecraft Movie is the safest, sloppiest focus tested garbage I've ever seen outside of maybe the Mario Galaxy Movie. It does nothing and it says nothing, its not art, its a money generator. Mojang is not here to make statements or art, it is here to stay alive.
And what if Mojang would die off? Would Minecraft be any less popular or played? Do we need Mojang? Is there a reason we always come back to Mojang?
Once again copyright is one of the greatest sins put onto our way of life. You stick to Mojang because being 'official' means more than being good. There can never be a natural disassociation from an author, or a shift to a better path for the media, because diverting from the masses means a less enjoyable time socializing and talking about a media.
And sometimes a company relinquishes just enough of the control as to quell true outrage. You might be thinking about Minecraft mods. Don't a lot of people play and cover mods?
Correct, and you know what those mods can't do? They can't overtake the main game. They can't release on mobile- or Xbox, or Switch. They can't make their own merch or sell it on Steam. They can't infringe on Microsoft's Terms & Conditions or copyright. We can't vote with our wallets because Mojang prohibits competitors and the cultural mass is too big for merchandise sales to drop.
And while I hate companies and personally feel all art should be free, that doesn't change the fact that removing the option of competition under the same piece of art gives the rights holder so much power. Can you imagine how that'd make Microsoft feel if someone made "Minecraft 2" and it became more popular than the original? Using *their* Creeper and *their* Steve? Can you imagine a mod like *Better Than Adventure* topping the charts on Steam? Mojang would actually have to do drastic things to win people back!
But they can rest easy knowing the cultural grip of their IP means the next Minecraft clone has to work like hell to even attempt to not die out within a year.
This is the same situation with every other long-lasting IP. Team Fortress 2 is in the exact same boat. Mods were technically forbidden until they were stealing so many players even after takedowns that Valve's hand was forced to allow them on Steam, but still under the condition they be free and not interfere with their money printing hat system.
Star Wars can never decanonize the sequel trilogy despite how much fans would love it because Disney would have to admit a mistake- and that would rock the boat and scare shareholders. Just like Minecraft and having two versions, Disney's mistake is now a brick wall that every other Star Wars media must write around. And can you imagine if the community came together to make their own Star Wars movies and shows and merchandise to do it better? It would be so fun but we're talking Disney!
Pokemon is in the exact same situation but even worse. Its games are pumped out as a reason to sell merch. No matter how much people hate the game's direction, it still pumps out ungodly amounts of money. And Nintendo is the strictest when it comes to wiping out fangames the moment they even get a bit popular. No matter how much you like Pokemon you'll never even get to witness someone try and do it better without being a completely different IP.
And making art that's different is good! But we all know how much we latch on to stories and characters for years. There can be Pokemon clones, but there won't be alternatives to official Pokemon.
Some franchises let unofficial art flourish, but no matter how much control they relinquish they have all opportunities to change the rules and rip it away. You're probably thinking that I didn't mention the Bedrock Store for Minecraft. People can sell mods and make crazy money on there, but that's under Microsoft's eye. They get a cut from your work, you can't modify the game past its limits, you play into their predatory Minecoin system that hides the real cost being paid, and you can never release a mod that's transgressive or adult.
You're essentially an employee of Microsoft, making art under their discretion, and you can never put you all into it under the chance they ban you and rip away your income stream.
But under all this, what are you supposed to do? For one, just understand things won't get better when your IP gets large enough. I still enjoy seeing Minecraft updates and Star Wars shows, but I don't assume we're just a year away from leadership changing and things turning out for the better. There's gonna be a threshold where art turns into capital, and you need to be willing to accept that so you can direct your energy somewhere else.
You know what's better than bitching at Mojang about how to make Minecraft better? Supporting a mod you love and giving them that feedback instead. Individuals and teams can make actual change, companies can string you along and make money.
You liked how provoking the Deep Dark was and its portal to who knows where? I'm glad the dev team had an opportunity to fit in an amazingly crafted biome, but they're not getting around to that dimension for probably another decade. Take that excitement and that hype and make your own mod finishing the other side. Make and support art rather than hoping the official thing will be good or even what you wanted.
And when the art is a physical good, break away to support alternatives like fan-merch. One of the best things was the systems of copyright failing LEGO to where they can't control other people producing their bricks. You can now vote with your wallet while still getting the same products with something like GoBricks and some fan instructions for new sets.
And if you make your own art, consider making it public domain from the start. Will it hurt if people turn on you for the direction you're wanting to go if someone does it better? Yes, but be glad your audience isn't forced to focus on you alone and grow bitter when you don't listen- or you give up creative integrity and be like Mojang, pissing off the least amount of people while never really doing much.
You should not copyright your works because you think you're just an embarrassed future millionaire who's gonna sell your billion dollar game to Microsoft. Don't strong-arm your community because you worry someone's gonna make more money off your property than you. Be glad you get to share and collaborate off the love of your art to truly make it something people will love.
References
- World Generation
- Minecraft LIVE May 2026
- Better Than Adventure
- GoBricks
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