Minecraft isn't my thing but because it is so popular, I started thinking about other platforms that we might be able to use in the library. Unfortunately our computers in out training/program lab aren't new and so we have decided to shelve this idea for now. I am disappointed because not everyone can afford a computer or a gaming console so I thought it might be nice if people could come to the library to play games.
I checked YouTube, and Minecraft isn't my thing either.
There might be a purpose in allowing children access to other game genres besides the "action" type, but it's not necessary to have a new "gaming" computer for that. Old DOS games that run in DOSBox won't need anything special in the way of a video card.
There are also new (and newish) games that not only run natively on current versions of Windows, but which don't require new video cards. Some of these games are free, such as the ones at
***Crystal Shard***. The only thing the free games would require from you is your time -- time to install, play, and make sure they are age-appropriate. And there wouldn't be any licensing issues to worry about if you used free games.
There are some games that are now free but which used to be retail games, such as Beneath a Steel Sky and Flight of the Amazon Queen. These are downloads for free games at ScummVM
http://scummvm.org/gamesIn other words, I wouldn't start out by suggesting that a library invest in a new computer. I'd go for free (or low cost) games that introduce children to non-Minecraft-style games. If offering different genres is popular, and is considered a success, you can consider broadening the variety of games offered (and investing in a new computer to play them).