Minecraft is a blast! You can buy it and then throw the awful Microsoft launcher in the trash. There areuch better bootleg launchers (i.e. don’t force login). Or just get the bootleg launcher without buying the game.
I have bought the game five times on different platforms by now. I’m not buying it anymore.
My kids also had a lot of fun choosing and figuring out the plethora of mods available.
We’re competing with “it’s already installed” though, not installing Windows from scratch.
Installing any OS is a huge step up for most people.
The real change comes when manufacturers start giving the choice of pre-installed OS. Some already do but they are pretty niche (e.g. Steam Deck).