The Story of Minecraft Rubies: A Missed Opportunity
Back in the early days of Minecraft, the developers at Mojang had big plans to introduce rubies as a new trade currency with villagers. The idea was to add rubies to Minecraft version 1.3, allowing players to use them for trading purposes. However, this plan hit a roadblock when Nathan “Dinnerbone” Adams, a developer at Mojang, raised a crucial concern.
The Colorblindness Issue
It turns out that Dinnerbone, who is red-green colorblind, pointed out a significant problem with the introduction of rubies. The color of rubies was too similar to that of redstone, making it extremely difficult for him and others with colorblindness to distinguish between the two. This posed a serious accessibility issue for a portion of the player base.
The Replacement with Emeralds
As a result of this revelation, Mojang made the decision to remove rubies from the game and replace them with emeralds. While this move ensured that the game remained accessible to a broader audience, it also meant that the original plan for rubies as a trade currency never came to fruition.
A Missed Opportunity?
While the decision to replace rubies with emeralds was made with good intentions, it does leave players wondering if there could have been an alternative solution. Could Mojang have introduced a colorblind mode to address the issue, allowing players with colorblindness to distinguish between rubies and redstone? It’s a question that remains unanswered, but it’s an interesting point to ponder.
So, while rubies never made it into the game, their brief existence in snapshot 12w21a serves as a reminder of the challenges that game developers face when striving to create an inclusive and accessible gaming experience for all players.
