Different platforms people can play Minecraft on;

PC
Playstation 3+4
Xbox 360+One
Minecraft pocket edition
Nintendo switch
Psvita

People wanting the full experience would play on PC as that is where the most content is.
people who want a simpler experience and just want to have fun with some friends would pick the other options as it is easier to join together on the same server on the consoles + mobile phone.

Different ways people can play Minecraft;

Creative mode - people who just want to build with infinite resources
Survival mode- people who want a challenge and survive with finite resources
Hardcore mode- like survival but you get 1 life
Adventure mode- playing custom maps made by other players
Minecraft story mode
Minecraft servers with minigames within
Minecraft education edition
Minecraft realms