From Innovation to Plagiarism： The Controversy Around Mini World and Minecraft

My World (MC), a sandbox game that has stood the test of time for ten years, is truly a marvel in the history of sandbox gaming. It's hard to believe that such a globally popular game was born from a joke made by a friend of the developer, Notch. However, despite its popularity, there are accusations of plagiarism, with many arguing that Mini World, a game inspired by MC, has copied much of its essence.

Understanding the Accusations of Plagiarism

Many claim that Mini World is merely a "borrowing" of MC's concepts, but let's examine the evidence. Similarity levels of 40% are considered borrowing, 60% plagiarism, 80% serious plagiarism, and over 80% is copying and pasting. With various mods, the elements borrowed from MC in Mini World are said to be as high as 90%, if not more. This raises questions about the extent of borrowing and whether it crosses the line into plagiarism.

Comparing the Two Games

While some argue that the differences between the two games are significant, such as the block design, it's worth noting that the core elements, like the generation of forests, rivers, and terrain, are strikingly similar. The development of game code, which requires bug prevention and continuous debugging, is where the real challenge lies, but Mini World seems to have copied and pasted much of MC's code.

Mini World's Features and Criticisms

Mini World boasts a variety of features, such as terrain editing and a bio-editor, which allows players to customize creatures. However, critics argue that many of these features were originally present in MC, with some aspects like terrain editing later removed by Mojang due to its similarity to modification tools.

The Legal and Ethical Implications

The legal battle between Mini World and MC has been well-documented, with Mojang and Microsoft joining forces to take action against Mini World. The fact that many companies, including Mojang and Microsoft, are standing against Mini World suggests a strong stance against piracy.

The Impact on Players

Some argue that playing MC is an act of patriotism, as it encourages creativity, architecture, circuitry, and programming skills in children. The servers also help those who struggle with socializing. On the other hand, Mini World is seen as a less innovative game, with a strong reliance on copied elements from MC.

Conclusion

In the end, it's clear that while Mini World may offer some unique features, it heavily relies on the foundation laid by MC. The accusations of plagiarism are not without merit, and the legal battles have highlighted the ethical concerns surrounding the copying of intellectual property. For those who value originality and innovation, sticking with MC seems to be the better choice. As the saying goes, "This life, no regrets for entering MC, in the next life, I wish to be a block person!"