Minecraft Vs. SL Which One Is Best?

So we have been working in Minecraft (MC) for the last few weeks. I am compelled to say that I simply do not like it as much as SL or OS. This is due to several reasons:

1. The building ecosystem in MC feels gimmicky and overly complex. I suspect this is because it is intended to appeal to a younger audience who enjoy questing, collecting, and accumulating objects to combine them- like Yugio cards! I found this to be needlessly tedious and confusing. I much prefer the more direct building style of OS and SL. While technically more "difficult," I find that SL building is much more purpose oriented and better suited for educational (vs. entertainment) purposes
2. MC feels like a "less complete" ecosystem. Yes, I do realize that there is an entire economy and social system built around MC and that it probably has more activity than SL, however, it doesn't feel that way to me. I enjoy exploring SL and seeing all the different ways that developers and amatuers have monetized SL- many of them are very clever!
3. SL is much more immersive than MC. Whenever I am navigating a MC world, I really feel like I am moving through and environment constructed of Lego pieces. This, along with the pixelated, cartoonish nature of the interface prevents me from feeling immersed. By contrast, SL is extremely immersive. I can recall, for example, visiting Whitechapel during Jack The Ripper's reign of terror and being absolutely horrified at some of the crime scenes rendered in SL.

Although I personally do not like MC, however, I can see how the exact features that I dislike make it such a great platform for lower and middle school students. All told, being able to experience MC in detail and actually being forced to build a lesson plan was a great experience for me as it forced me to overcome some of my biases and it taught me that the newest technology is not always the best or most engaging to learners. I now have a new appreciation for how MC has continued to thrive for so many years!