I should probably give Minecraft some credit though. For a game with no story or "actual" gameplay, it sure is successful. I'm just having a hard time figuring out the source of its appeal.
It's ok to not like something, you know?
As for the definition of what is or isn't a "game", that's rather complex, and one of those things that irks me greatly since those who try to define it usually do so to dismiss what doesn't fit their definition.
This
article by Shamus Young encapsulates what I am talking about.
Personally, it bothers me that, for a community still facing a lot of opposition from the mainstream, we gladly give in to petty infighting for no good reason.
Sorry if I'm a bit rude today, bad day I guess.
Edit: As for Minecraft, I enjoy it on multiple levels. The repetitive mining and building has a zen-like quality to it, making it a relaxing experience after a hard day squishing my brain for code, specially since I can run a video on another window and kind of do both things at once.
And the intense moments you get from time to time are amazing. My latest was when I got lost in an underground cavern, loaded with precious minerals, low on food, with a half broken stone sword, and chased by pretty much
all the monsters. And I died. And then I frantically ran back, donning my best gear, cutting a path of utter destruction through the caverns in a desperate attempt to recover my stuff before it despawned. I failed, but it was epic.
This kind of emergent gameplay is extremely rare in most games, specially nowadays that
the story is god, and is probably the most amazing thing about Minecraft.
But yes, just like anchovies, it is an acquired taste, and not for everybody.