Since 2011 for me too. I sometimes step away for half a year at a time, but I always end up back.
As much as the modern image of Minecraft might be obnoxiously shouty youtube shorts, that’s not all there is to it.
You have the groups of talented builders recreating the Lord of the Rings world of Middle Earth at 1:1 scale, and then the crazy redstoners building fully working computers inside the game.
Minecraft has always been for everyone, and I hope it always will be.
Market segregation.
LED gamer builds uses to be the “premium” segment, but they figured out that all the kids who want a “Gaming PC” don’t care how loud it is or what the quality is like as long as it matches the “gamer” aesthetic.
Conversely, someone who cares about sound decibels and airflow as a primary concern is now part of a niche demographic, so they can charge you more.