Ask HN: Why didn't Microsoft use C# to rewrite Minecraft? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why didn't Microsoft use C# to rewrite Minecraft?

6 pointsnikolqy7 comments

So Microsoft bought Minecraft, a game written in Java, their direct competitors language (Oracle). I've seen many things that claim that the biggest reason people are learning Java and interested in Java is because of Minecraft. People are developing mods, servers (plugins) and so much more (With Java), and Microsoft has had absolutely no direct involvement in any of this. So why would Microsoft rewrite a Java game in C++ when they literally made C#? C# is cross platform too, and if there weren't game libraries already created, they could create them. Microsoft made a key/value database in C# that could do like 250 million requests per second. (Proof of concept, but still). This was Microsoft biggest opportunity to promote their own programming language.

Microsoft is in big trouble though because Hypixel Minecraft server made something called Hypixel Studios and started the development of a new game called Hytale. And guess what? It's written in C#, but the servers are going to be written in Java for some reason. The game is gonna be a Minecraft clone with likely better performance and it will also support scripting, modding etc. out of the box.

Long story short, Hytale is aiming to be everything Minecraft is not, and more. They're actually going to build a community. I'm not complaining about Microsoft staying our of the community. Because they did, that's probably why we have SpigotMC, Bukkit, Curse, Twitch, Minecraft Forums, Planet Minecraft and so much more, but I still see one of the biggest failed opportunities of all time.

Anyways, either Microsoft missed an opportunity or it's just the fact that they're big tech-- Microsoft bought Minecraft to expand profits, not make it better for players. Any thoughts? Agree/Disagree?

(I wrote most of this at at like 3:00AM a day or two ago, so I'm sure what I wrote seems a little weird... but just go with it lmao-- I'm too lazy to rewrite it)

MS has had a lot of game design experience, so I'd assume their choice is valid. Within any of their development setups, C++ has been a first class citizen along-side C#

Also, iirc Bedrock integrates a JS engine, plus an websocket server, both for the sake of scripting (with WS, pretty much allowing any practical language)

For hytale

26 posts in 2019 13 posts in 2020 2 posts in 2021

And they spend a significant amount of the last blog telling about their experiments like, "climbing a 2 block high wall" and "climbing a 1 block high incline"

I don't think MS has much to worry about from HS encroaching on the king

I think MS bought it just for the IP, the sheer amount of pull MC has as a brand, with collabs with lego, netflix, book authors, their own official books, MC dungeons, etc etc, that's just pure power

And IMO they are still leading it in the right direction, trying to fill out a lot of areas without complicating the base system (e.g. only adding cosmetic blocks pretty much, there isn't much that needs improving of the wood, stone, iron, (gold), diamon, tiers)

Yeah. It’s really hard to understand the Minecraft demographics tbh. I’m not sure if most Java players are playing on servers or doing survival. I’m sure depending on what people mostly did with the game, that’s what Microsoft is investing their money in, so really the brand.

>So why would Microsoft rewrite a Java game in C++ when they literally made C#?

The simple answer is that this never happened. Pocket edition (now called bedrock edition) was released even before Minecraft left beta.

You have plenty of successful games written in C# using Unity. So rewriting a Java and C++ game in C# for marketing purposes was not necessary.

Isn't C++ just capable of being a lot lower level and faster because of it? Aren't all (or almost all) AAA games written using C++? I don't think C# can match C++ performance, even if it is closer than Java.

> Microsoft made a key/value database in C# that could do like 250 million requests per second. (Proof of concept, but still).

Can you share more details on this?

I think I saw an article saying it could get 250m, but here I’m seeing Microsoft recorded it up to about 160m/second. It’s way better for read heavy stuff, and there are some trade offs. It’s written in C++ and another clone in C# from them https://microsoft.github.io/FASTER/ https://github.com/Microsoft/FASTER/wiki/Performance-of-FAST... https://microsoft.github.io/FASTER/

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