Mining games have always had a place in gamers' hearts, dating back to the late 1980s when the genre first emerged, followed by the astonishing success of Minecraft, which cemented the genre as one of the most profitable and important in the industry. Although some games will go through a lull once they experience mesmerizing success, or gamers might cool their interest and move on to other themes, it doesn’t feel like that’s ever happened with mining games.
More recently, it feels like the rise of browser games and innovative gaming technology has breathed a new lease of life into an industry that, in all honesty, didn’t even need one. But what is behind this continued success, and how are innovations laying the foundations for mining games to succeed for the next decade and beyond?
Dealing with saturation in the gaming market
Often, when a genre has one huge standout name spearheading interest, a cluster of other popular titles is close behind. This is usually followed by several attempts to cash in on the success of companies that are simply looking to make a quick buck. Now, this isn’t a criticism; it is just how any industry works.
We saw it when Grand Theft Auto took over the world in the early 2000s, and we’ve witnessed it with casino gaming over the last decade as it has continued to post record profits and grow into previously undiscovered areas of the US and Canadian market. Whenever an industry reaches such a mammoth level of success, it inevitably becomes saturated. That’s a fact of life.
Unlike mining games, which often require trial and error for those who enjoy seeking them out and playing them, casino gaming has adjusted to this tsunami of new providers by creating expert review sites that task some of the industry’s most knowledgeable professionals with rating providers holistically on their broader product.
For instance, thousands of casino sites are in operation, and many host thousands of slot games. As this market becomes so competitive, the emergence of niche games has also created further competition in the casino gaming world. The MyStake Chicken game (https://www.irishluck.ie/mystake-chicken-game)
might look like a slot game at first glance, but it’s all about picking out the right plates, with the right chicken. Like classic mining-based games from yesteryear like Minesweeper, the game involves picking the right squares, and if you pick one with bones instead of chicken – then it’s game over.
The emergence of free promotions in casino gaming has also provided a route for gamers to shop around more, just as free-to-play games created a massive audience for both in-play ads and purchases, and innovative design ideas within the genre. So, companies are wising up to the problems posed by market saturation, and changing their game designs and promotions accordingly.
The success of microtransactions
The first starting point is understanding that the emergence of free-to-play ideas meant designers could innovate new ways to develop microtransactions. They’vebecome an industry worth nearly $200 billion, and anything that can generate a profit equal to that of a small country’s GDP will continue inspiring game designers to come up with fresh ideas to continue tapping into this colossal global gaming market.
Mining games continue to be a hit among gamers because the amount of money they generate attracts the brightest game design minds in the world. Ultimately, this ensures the highest quality product, which trickles down into the quality of the game. As long as the microtransactions market is as healthy as it is in the mining gaming world, this isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Good old problem solving
We are, by our very nature, problem solvers. It’s ingrained in our DNA – we enjoy finding solutions and learning new skills, and naturally want to solve puzzles and quests. Mining games speak directly to this part of our nature. In fact, gaming as a whole does. But mining games especially drill further into this idea – pun intended. Look at how Wordle took over the world and how chess is one of the most popular games, adapting effortlessly to the digital switch.
Sometimes, though, it feels like ChatGPT could be on the cusp of solving every human problem we’ve ever encountered. We barely need to lift a finger as we undertake in-depth studies, seek answers about complex social topics or task ChatGPT with planning every moment of our vacation.
Sorry for getting sidetracked on the ChatGPT rant there – the point is that mining games speak directly to our very need as humans to want to solve problems. When we combine this with the amount of money involved in microtransactions in gaming and how it influences the elite quality and output of the game designs, we begin to see the picture of why they’re such a hit among the gaming community.
The power of simulation
For many gamers, simulating mining rather than actually going out and getting involved in the complex, tedious and dangerous science of physical mining is a much better alternative.
It’s like those gamers who enjoy playing UFC games – building a character and winning a world title is much safer and more enjoyable than trying it for yourself in real life and ending up in a chokehold.
Removing the physical danger but cherry-picking the best aspects of what makes mining so enthralling and engrossing is another crucial reason mining games continue to attract such a large global audience. Simulations also allow the inclusion of cartoon characters, playable levels and elements you wouldn’t get in traditional mining, adding further layers of entertainment to the experience.
Conclusion
All of the elements we’ve explored today contribute to the continued success of mining games. If we had to pin down one main reason, it would have to be how mining games speak to our human need to solve problems and find solutions. As a fan of mining games, I find it gripping to be presented with a problem and then think of ways to get around it in the game.
Of course, mining games, like any game, can be infuriating if you run into a proverbial brick wall, but this is also part of the attraction. If they were easy to play and solve, they’d get boring quickly, just like any game does when you can coast through it in first gear.
But as long as mining games continue to command the audience they do and the investment that comes with it, they’ll be an essential genre for years to come.