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[Monsterfurby]

To be honest, the payment model sadly is the main thing that gave Minecraft its attention. 90% of the news around the game were not about the game itself, but actually about how much money it made / how the paypal account was blocked and so forth. That was the actually important advertisement.

Strange, but true. These news actually showed up before Minecraft was making millions - they started pretty much around the DF-donation level. Google it, you will be amazed how actually taking money for stuff can make it more popular.

[Internet Kraken]

To be honest, the payment model sadly is the main thing that gave Minecraft its attention. 90% of the news around the game were not about the game itself, but actually about how much money it made / how the paypal account was blocked and so forth. That was the actually important advertisement.

Strange, but true. These news actually showed up before Minecraft was making millions - they started pretty much around the DF-donation level. Google it, you will be amazed how actually taking money for stuff can make it more popular.

I also suppose people are more likely to give more attention and time to a game they had to pay for, and are thus more likely to talk about it.

[Max White]

No clue. Apparently there is an insane amount of joy to be found in having legos on your computer that you need to pay for.

*Gets out lego blocks*
*Puts on top of computer*
This is a lot better then minecraft! Now I have lego!

[lordnincompoop]

Legos are also horribly expensive and come in limited quantities. Minecraft is cheaper, a one-time purchase and is virtually unlimited in terms of blocks.

[Immacolata]

Also, charging for your product sends a signal: I think it is so important that I charge for it. Plus, let us be frank here, Dwarf Fortress isn't exactly welcoming new players with open arms and a warm embrace. It is more like a warm !!embrace!! at least. Dwarf Fortress doesn't even look like a game at first, but Minecraft is insta-cute with its blocky pigs and square trees.

Now, I paid money to both Minecraft alpha and Dwarf Fortress alpha - and I think I got more !!fun!! out of DF so far than Minecraft.

[lordnincompoop]

Minecraft and DF were made for different purposes; Minecraft was in fact supposed to make money for the guy, and that money goes to his company, so he has a use for shitloads of it. DF was made for enjoyment, and if none of us were here Toady'd still be making the game. He has no plans for a large company or something like that. He detests it, even. While he would of course enjoy living a more comfortable lifestyle, he has no way to use millions upon millions of dollars that would benefit the game directly.

Thus the differing systems, I guess.

[dwarfguy2]

Dwarf Fortress is like a mixture of Dungeon Keeper, Lord of the Rings, Command Prompt and the entire universe. Only more complicated.

Then who's the Meta Knight of DF, huh?

Captain Ironblood.

And Galacta knight?

[breadbocks]

Dwarf Fortress is like a mixture of Dungeon Keeper, Lord of the Rings, Command Prompt and the entire universe. Only more complicated.

Then who's the Meta Knight of DF, huh?

Captain Ironblood.

And Galacta knight?

Uhh....

Urist?(You know. The old original one. The female one. You know who I'm talking about.)

[Cruxador]

It's true though. DF was actually starting to get some more mainstream attention before Minecraft took off and stole its thunder.

What exactly happened to make Minecraft so popular? Before I saw people talk about it around as much as Dwarf Fortress, then suddenly it was FUCK YEAH MINECRAFT!!!!!

Well, the sounds lend a lot to it. The creeper hisses in particular tend to scare people more than any horror game. And the sounds the ghasts make contribute to the scariness of Minecraft's hell significantly. This is a short-lived fame, and will go away within a year, probably. Dwarf Fortress will likely be as it has always been.

[Max White]

Well, the sounds lend a lot to it. The creeper hisses in particular tend to scare people more than any horror game. And the sounds the ghasts make contribute to the scariness of Minecraft's hell significantly. This is a short-lived fame, and will go away within a year, probably. Dwarf Fortress will likely be as it has always been.

I guess the horror aspect does have something to it, especialy when you first start playing and you bumker down in a tiny shelter where the undead can yell in your ear, but once you get brave and do try for outside at night, its not even nearly as bad as you first thought, so the 'UNHOLY TERROR OF THE NIGHT!!!' aspect tends to were off, and your left with blocks...

[Internet Kraken]

You know what I really don't like about Minecraft? There are only about 6 enemies in it, as far as I know. One of the things I like about Dwarf Fortress is that it has dozens of different creatures, not including the procedurally generated ones that can result in thousands of different foes.

[Patarak]

Minecraft is more popular because it is infinitely more accessable. That's about all there is to it.

[Internet Kraken]

Minecraft is more popular because it is infinitely more accessable. That's about all there is to it.

Is it really that easy to learn? Everytime I tried playing Minecraft I wasn't sure about what I should be doing. When I started playing Dwarf Fortress I at least knew what I was trying to do. I just kept failing miserably at it.

[nbonaparte]

Generally, you want to survive. In DF, that involves providing for your dwarves and keeping baddies out. In Minecraft, that involves digging a hole and hiding all night. Not much else you actually have to do. Minecraft's required activities are a lot easier.

[metime00]

As much as I love to compare Minecraft to Dwarf Fortress and have it be smacked down every time, I think it's kind of pushing it to start doing that every time the two are even partially mentioned together.


On topic(kinda): Minecraft almost certainly got its attention from being sold as opposed to being free. That is most definitely a huge factor in the attention it's been garnering.

Also, I think, it is popular because it feels like a fringe, unique game to the mainstream people. Like a scale.


           Mainstream                     Niche                                 
<-----------------------|----------------------->
                               ^                                 ^
                          Minecraft                        Dwarfort

Most of the people who play Minecraft are more mainstream gamers. Minecraft is the perfect balance of an obscure feel, like the players feel like they're part of a niche and accessibility, so they don't get confused. They are completely unaware that they haven't even crossed the border into obscure and niche games. They feel like it's unique because the majority of them are only aware of Call of Duty 12 and such, when there are far more interesting and unique games farther to the right of the scale.

It's accessible enough to be played by mainstream people, and unique and niche enough for people to be like, "Wow! This is so unique!". It doesn't help their sense of entitlement though, but that's another story entirely...

This making any sense to people?

EDIT: cleaned up the scale