How having two versions of Minecraft makes development hard for Mojang
Minecraft has become the highest-selling game of all time and makes a ton of money. Despite this, it doesn’t get many updates, and fans have often wondered why. The game has two versions, the Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, and Mojang finds it challenging to maintain and update both editions simultaneously.
Although having two versions of Minecraft attracts more players, it also poses a major challenge to the developers. Updates take longer to develop and are more difficult to implement since every new feature must work perfectly with both editions.
Differences between Bedrock and Java Editions of Minecraft
The Bedrock Edition of Minecraft has cross-play between mobile, console, and Microsoft Store users. Known for its ease of access and seamless multiplayer experience, players can purchase items like skins, texture packs, and add-ons through its built-in marketplace.
On the other hand, the Java Edition is the original version and is mainly used on PCs. Since Java has been around for a longer time, there are a lot more shaders and modifications available for it.
Compatibility issues between versions
When Mojang decided to merge mobile, console, and PC platforms into two main versions of the game, they inadvertently created a complex development environment. Both editions have to be updated simultaneously, and these features must work across different platforms. This means updates are required to be compatible with both versions.
The Java Edition uses a completely different programming language than Bedrock, which uses C++. So, Mojang has to make sure updates function properly across platforms and this adds to their workload. Features that work well in Java might have to be rewritten to function properly in Bedrock.
This naturally costs them more time and resources, making development way harder than it's supposed to be.
Managing different control schemes and user interfaces
Apart from coding Mojang has to make sure that the new features work with various control methods. This is another challenge brought on by having two versions of Minecraft. Players can use anything from a touchscreen mobile phone to controllers or even a mouse and keyboard to play the game.
This makes development more complicated and time-consuming, as features that are simple on one platform may not translate well to others. Mojang must consider how a new gameplay element will function with each of these control methods so that no version of the game seems clumsy or difficult to use.
For example, the "off-hand" feature has not been added to the Bedrock Edition because it is difficult to modify for small screens on mobile devices. This is only one such difference, and it's quite difficult to come up with solutions for these issues.