MAKING SENSE OF THE POSSIBILITIES: COULD MINECRAFT FINALLY ARRIVE ON STEAM?

Few games in the colossal (and often ridiculously pedantic) universe of gaming earn the sort of international recognition and affection that Minecraft does. It’s a game of almost transcendent creativity, and of seemingly endless possibility. And yet it resides in such a wide-open niche that its absence on Valve’s monstrous PC gaming storefront, Steam, seems like a rather bizarre lack. Lately, there have been rumours pointing towards a little bit of shifting sands, though: a movement that would, perhaps, make perfect sense for a game of Minecraft’s scale and significance. And this coming change brings about a plethora of questions and possibilities for both the game and for the players. Why might Minecraft find a comfortable place on Steam? What would that mean for the Minecraft experience, and for its millions of players?

THE CURRENT STATE OF MINECRAFT ON PC

Minecraft, currently the best-selling video game of all time, has eschewed the traditional release structure of most other games. Because the Java Edition of the game uses its own launcher, and because the Bedrock Edition is only available through digital storefronts on consoles and the Microsoft Store, it has found itself on very few other platforms. This has long been the case for the Minecraft series as a whole, which has largely been absent from Steam, despite popular Minecraft spin-off titles – including Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Legends (currently in development) – being readily available on the platform.

A GLIMMER OF HOPE?

It all started with one small detail, but it could be a telling sign. At Xbox, an image advertising an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk for the latest version of Minecraft, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, mistakenly listed Steam as a supported platform: This confusion over one game might seem weirdly inconsequential, but it doesn’t explain why Microsoft left ‘Steam’ in that list through the original 10,000-unit giveaway, then on through the additional 15,000-unit giveaway, raising its head again on the next cycle, followed by yet more giveaways, keeping Steam in the box again. And again. And again. Minecraft has entered a phase where we see what we want to see, and deny all the rest. Why keep the Steam image around Teasing doesn’t usually happen out of the blue; there has to be an agenda for why Microsoft won’t simply go ahead and add ‘Steam’ to that list. And we all know what the endgame is here. Minecraft is coming to Steam.

ANALYZING THE CLUES

Steam isn’t just another storefront; it’s the 800lb elephant in the room of PC gaming, the foundational infrastructure, the centre of gravity, for players. Moving Minecraft to this platform wouldn’t be a mere change in availability for players. It might not even happen. But it could represent one of the biggest possible changes to how fans can access, play and extensify one of their most popular games. In particular, Minecraft modding via the Steam Workshop could provide unique new possibilities for one of the greatest sandboxes of all time.

WHY DOES MAKING THIS MOVE MAKE SENSE?

Bringing Minecraft to Steam also suits Xbox’s shift toward embracing both the console and the Windows PC platform, and recognising Steam’s centrality in the PC gaming world. The large and successful presence of Xbox first-party titles on Steam (every Xbox first-party title except Minecraft and Pinball FX2) suggests a synergy that deserves exploration.

THE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

And its highly integrated community features might make Minecraft feel like more of a social world. Even more importantly, there’s a possibility that it might acquire broader mod support, especially if it were to appear on Steam. It certainly feels likely that the notion of a ‘server’ would be less foreboding were it accessed through such a well-used platform.

THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

However logical the progression, moving Minecraft to Steam wouldn’t be a seamless venture, as was abundantly clear from discussions I had with Markus Persson of Mojang Studios, who is famously slow and conservative about changes to the Minecraft universe. What would be the technical requirements they’d have to meet to achieve a smooth port that preserves the game’s history while embracing a strange new future?

NAVIGATING THE UNCERTAINTIES

And, while Steam hasn’t been explicitly mentioned in relation to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk, nevertheless it’s a tantalising notion: a possibility for Minecraft on Steam we can only dream of. I certainly am. Minecraft’s continued cultural impact is a marvel to behold regardless, and live on as it does in the imagination of countless children and grandchildren becomes an ever-more exciting proposition. The support of the media is much appreciated.

REFLECTING ON THE SENSE OF IT ALL

At the centre of the opportunity in Minecraft on Steam is a question of access, community and expansion. It’s about making room for more players to purchase and enjoy a game that has already managed to do so much, to provide their audiences with more ways to play, create and share. It’s a no-brainer move on the part of Mojang and Xbox both as a business strategy and as a nod to its loyal and innovative community. Like a flower opening, Minecraft will find new ways to bloom.

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UNDERSTANDING SENSE

Sense then, if it’s something this article is really about, refers to a world of logical, win-win decisions – be it Mojang thinking about extending its market to Steam, or gamers exercising choice in relation to platforms where they can enjoy their games the most, or people choosing the optimal platform to, let’s say, sell and recycle electronic devices. It’s about finding ways to make one’s lives in – as well as through – digitally and games-dominated worlds.