For the last little while, I’ve been meaning to write something about Minecraft. About how the limitations breed creativity and how simple, approachable, and rock-solid systems (even though it is a rolling alpha) provide a supportive foundation for complex creation.
But Jacek Antonelli’s just said all of that, and probably better than I could have. Go and check that out and have a think about how simple, limited, comprehensible systems can support, foster and encourage complex systems and acts of creation, and all of the things that surround them.
Part of the wonderfulness of legos back in the day was that there were a limited variety of shapes and yet people could still come up with some amazing constructions from them. They really exercised the imagination and creativity.
Are you waiting till it’s got a final release to do a “play it now” column ?
heheh Minecraft is evil 🙂 me n’ my housemate are both addicted, we renamed it minecrack. I am seriously into building functional things such as automated minecart systems and monster traps, he prefers the form building massive pyramids and he is currently working on a world containing an Authank (apologies for spelling) like construction from Lord of the Rings.
I really can’t wait until the server software catches up to where the single player is and then we can run a house server 🙂