Pixel art is very space efficient. Thats how pixel art originally came about, back when computers/consoles/cabinets didn’t have memory for bigger textures, or the capability to even display the full resolution and colour palette of the monitor/tv within the time of one frame.
In part - the entire game takes only a few hundred megabytes and can be played on anything but a toaster.
But it’s also the great concept, the simplicity, the legacy, the compatibility, and the insane amount of mods able to significantly alter your gameplay or visuals.
As a simple but deep and visually appealing sandbox, it managed to capture many audiences - creatives of all kinds, replica makers, casual survival players, automation/industrialization fans, computer enthusiasts, and many more.
It also helped that Minecraft is extremely easy to pirate and also long-lived, making many enter it as pirates and purchasing a copy later on (or staying pirates and still generating a lot of content for the community).
I redownloaded Stardew Valley last night and was amazed to find it’s still less than a Gigabyte.
I know it’s not the same as a hyperrrealistic 3D game, but I’m still amazed at how much stuff he keeps adding, but it hasn’t even scratched a GB.
Hehe yeah, the whole game is the size of one objects collection of textures in some other games.
Pixel art is very space efficient. Thats how pixel art originally came about, back when computers/consoles/cabinets didn’t have memory for bigger textures, or the capability to even display the full resolution and colour palette of the monitor/tv within the time of one frame.
is that why Minecraft is so popular?
In part - the entire game takes only a few hundred megabytes and can be played on anything but a toaster.
But it’s also the great concept, the simplicity, the legacy, the compatibility, and the insane amount of mods able to significantly alter your gameplay or visuals.
As a simple but deep and visually appealing sandbox, it managed to capture many audiences - creatives of all kinds, replica makers, casual survival players, automation/industrialization fans, computer enthusiasts, and many more.
It also helped that Minecraft is extremely easy to pirate and also long-lived, making many enter it as pirates and purchasing a copy later on (or staying pirates and still generating a lot of content for the community).