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Minecraft sales top 100 million

I honestly don't believe anyone that says they don't understand why it's so popular. Maybe it's boring for you, that's fine, but the general appeal isn't hard to see.

The type of closed mindedness that is required to be oblivious to the appeal is exactly what would make someone completely uninterested, so I can believe it.
 

Chris1

Member
Pretty sure that list only counts paid sales/downloads.

Either way Tetris doesn't really count, Minecraft is just Minecraft. Tetris there's like a billion different versions out. That's a list of best selling video games and lumps the entire tetris game franchise into 1. I know why cause it's basically the same thing, but yeah I think Tetris is cheating slightly.
 

kiguel182

Member
From the TIG thread:

I did. I just have my doubts whether it is a good idea to make every single block "cost" something. Why would anyone want to spend half his play time mindlessly gathering resources? It's no fun.

Also:

Also, while I'm making suggestions: a slow-walk key (e.g. Shift) would be cool to make the whole bridge building thing a bit easier, I just keep falling off a lot...

This person was helping make the biggest game of all time. So crazy.

That entire three is crazy.
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
having sold 53,000 copies per day during the course of 2016

Going by their numbers that's

10.600 PC copies a day
21.200 console copies a day
21.200 mobile copies a day

Which puts it at roughly
10.600 * 27 = $ 286.200
21.200 * 20 = $ 424.000 (minus 15 % (Xbox Live and PSN) = $ 360.400
21.200 * 7 = $ 148.400 minus 30 % (Android and iOS) = $ 103.880
-------------------------------------------------------------------
= a cool $ 750.000 a day

or about 114 million in game sales this year alone. Merchandising is probably another 100 million a year by now, so they make about 370 million a year. Of which 90 % will be pure profit. That is insane. At this rate the two billion they paid for will be recouped by 2021. And that's not even including potential movies or a successor.
 

Aaron D.

Member
The type of closed mindedness that is required to be oblivious to the appeal is exactly what would make someone completely uninterested, so I can believe it.

Nah.

Everyone just goes through a Special Snowflake phase at some point in their lives. ("Wake up, sheeple!")

I know I did. :p
 

Chris1

Member
Going by their numbers that's

10.600 PC copies a day
21.200 console copies a day
21.200 mobile copies a day

Which puts it at roughly
10.600 * 27 = $ 286.200
21.200 * 20 = $ 424.000 (minus 15 % (Xbox Live and PSN) = $ 360.400
21.200 * 7 = $ 148.400 minus 30 % (Android and iOS) = $ 103.880
-------------------------------------------------------------------
= a cool $ 750.000 a day

or about 114 million in game sales this year alone. Merchandising is probably another 100 million a year by now, so they make about 370 million a year. Of which 90 % will be pure profit. That is insane. At this rate the two billion they paid for will be recouped by 2021. And that's not even including potential movies or a successor.
Microsoft when Minecraft 2 comes out
giphy.gif


I actually want that game to come out soon just to see how much it sells. Games will break practically every sales record going.
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
I still wonder why they haven't done a Minecraft themed special version of the Xbox One for the holidays. All they ever did was a Minecraft themed packaging.
 
As far as I'm concerned, nothing matches the sense of exploration that Minecraft provides. Cresting a hill to see some insane natural formation in the distance, or spelunking deeper and deeper...and deeper into some huge cave formation.

Same for me. My kids love building weird stuff or fighting mobs. But I spend all my time exploring.
 

I Wanna Be The Guy

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I got the game for free due to a PSN glitch and tried so hard to understand the game and played for a good couple hours attempting to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do. I never did. I tried. I really did. I wasn't even trying to enjoy the game. Enjoyment can possibly come later. I was just trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. I don't think I've ever come across such a confusing game before.
 

Noobcraft

Member
Going by their numbers that's

10.600 PC copies a day
21.200 console copies a day
21.200 mobile copies a day

Which puts it at roughly
10.600 * 27 = $ 286.200
21.200 * 20 = $ 424.000 (minus 15 % (Xbox Live and PSN) = $ 360.400
21.200 * 7 = $ 148.400 minus 30 % (Android and iOS) = $ 103.880
-------------------------------------------------------------------
= a cool $ 750.000 a day
The 15% going towards Xbox Live is still going towards Microsoft technically.
 
What's truly amazing is that AAA publishers didn't immediately jump on it and rip it off.

Also, if Microsoft announces Minecraft 2 at E3... Game Over.
 
I got the game for free due to a PSN glitch and tried so hard to understand the game and played for a good couple hours attempting to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do. I never did. I tried. I really did. I wasn't even trying to enjoy the game. Enjoyment can possibly come later. I was just trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. I don't think I've ever come across such a confusing game before.
You're not supposed to do anything. There's no end goal.


Well, I guess there is an end goal killing the ender dragon, but that's never told to you in game because it's not the point. The point is to explore and build stuff. It's as simple and pure as that.
 

Podge293

Member
They are still nowhere near getting their investment back ($2.5b), and likely never will in pure cash flow, but that's not how (probably) they look at it.

As an investment of cash flow that was stranded abroad to avoid taxes, all it had to do was bring more than a 10% roi per year to be worth it.
The game alone did $50m in 2 years, so barely made it into black territory (vs having the money just sitting somewhere and making dividends), but the franchise likely made them some extra pocket change with spin offs (Minecraft story mode) and merchandising (toys, books, etc.).

So, not really a rousing success compared to the level of investment, but again, better than having that money just laying there making a fixed%. (Plus the brand value might increase as well, but that will depend on MS's management of it).

Reminds me, I need to get a copy for my 7 yr old who has been dying to play after going through story mode.

Tablet or Console version?
Might have to get both... (the lack of x buy also probably being a big reason of constant sales)

Haven't they already announced they broke even on the investment like 6 months ago?

Also I took it as 50m units sold not 50m in revenue. At 53000 units a day

At an average price of 10 euro that's 81million euro alone in 6 months. Not including merchandise and the DLC packs


Edit: using darkinstinct maths it's actually 115 million made in 6 months

Second edit: forgot about sunk costs. But at the rate they're going they'll make the 2.5bil back. Especially accounting for synergies and what not
 
I mean, I get that. I truly do, but: Everytime I've played Minecraft for programs at work: I just get bored to death by the "gathering" materials to "craft" things with.

Honestly, I'd rather just mess with legos. At least there's no "hmmm, I need four wool to create a brick" going on there.

I never thought I'd say this with a straight face in regards to Minecraft. but, you know, this is the sort of thing that flies when it comes to much much harder games so for a game as easy as Minecraft I'll just fkin say it ok m8

git gud

the other day I started playing on a server my little bro and his friends put together. I was overwhelmed at first. They had built a town already and had all the supplies they'd ever need. I had nothing.

So I took 5 minutes to grab some wood to build some starter tools, and then like 45 minutes to mine/gather up stuff like sugar cane and food. That's really all it takes to get all the materials you need, most of the time. And after that, I had everything. Crates, a bed, a hut, building supplies, iron and diamond, a map, etc. etc. Anything I had forgotten how to make was just a quick wiki search away. And after that, the world was my oyster. Now I'm building a massive and I mean MASSIVE tower by myself, overlooking their town, and I can do that because I spent a little time and effort just gathering the lego bricks I needed.
 

golem

Member
I'd argue it's the ultimate role playing game, in the purest sense of the word. Want to be an explorer, or fight monsters, or do battle royales with friends, or learn the basic of programming with redstone, or recreate Manhattan to scale, and so on

Yeah the building aspect I think is hard for some people to get over but at its core its a RPG. You can easily ignore the building (although you'd want a shelter at least Im guessing and why not make it nice) and go craft some gear, get some friends together, explore the world and bash some heads. Theres even bosses and an endgame.
 

Shauni

Member
I just don't understand why people are buying like...8 copies of this game across so many platforms. I get the appeal, even though it's not my thing, but...why in the world would you buy so many copies?
 
I just don't understand why people are buying like...8 copies of this game across so many platforms. I get the appeal, even though it's not my thing, but...why in the world would you buy so many copies?

MC can be enjoyed in small bursts just as much as long sessions. It can be a very comfort-food style of game when you're just putting in little bits of 'work' into whatever or just building stuff in creative mode while you have some downtime. Also, because it has such universal appeal across age groups, many people I know have MC in multiple formats to just have at the ready for visiting family and friends. MC is very open just down to the pace and creative possibilities. I bought two PC copies, two console copies, and one mobile copy.
 

Shauni

Member
MC can be enjoyed in small bursts just as much as long sessions. It can be a very comfort-food style of game when you're just putting in little bits of 'work' into whatever or just building stuff in creative mode while you have some downtime. Also, because it has such universal appeal across age groups, many people I know have MC in many places to just have at the ready for visiting family and friends. MC is very open just down to the pace and creative possibilities. I bought two PC copies, two console copies, and one mobile copy.

I guess, but would you say you really need all of those copies? I understand having a mobile version, a console/PC version, and then maybe another for a relative/child/what have you. But I guess I'm not seeing the situation where you would need that many copies of the same game. Unless you were, in some way, between multiple households a lot? I really don't know.
 
I guess, but would you say you really need all of those copies? I understand having a mobile version, a console/PC version, and then maybe another for a relative/child/what have you. But I guess I'm not seeing the situation where you would need that many copies of the same game. Unless you were, in some way, between multiple households a lot? I really don't know.

No, I don't need that many copies. The entry price is impulse level and the core experience strong enough even without mods on the PC or having the largest-possible worlds or even online play. Not like many if not most of us who own many platform versions spend time with all of them as I'd imagine we're just upgrading from PS3 to PS4 or X360 to X1, leaving the older one behind or giving/selling/trading that version along with the older hardware to someone else. Besides, a place like GAF is going to have a higher representation of the more likely consumers to be the multiple-copy owners. Most people, I'm sure, just main the one version, but console does have the advantage of split-screen local play unlike all others, so that might have some greater overlap for even the most casual players.
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
It's always interesting to see traditional gaming folks confused about Minecraft. It really is another language.

Minecraft + Youtubing = huge part of lots of young kids' lives
 
A game that deserves these sales, regardless of everything that surrounds it. It's a game for a lot of people, but some will not understand why it has sold so many copies. And that's fine. I'm one of those that knows this game isn't for me, but I also know this game has struck a chord specially with children, and deservedly so.

I like to describe this game, for the children bracket age, as LEGO for them, only infinite times better than LEGO, apart from not being physical.

This game is wonderful for kids. Blocks are not only colored like in LEGO, but have real-world meanings like a block being made of grass, or wood, stone, and everything in between. This a great game to appeal to their creativity and a great fit for young people in many more ways than creativity.

As for parents, I'm sure they also like Minecraft. No LEGOs spread out all over the house and no need to clean the floor every time they play with them.

Win-win :p But I'm sure someone already has said this all before.
Summing it up, I think there's a good reason it sells so much. Congratulations to the team.
 
I remember when people on here said Microsoft overpaid for Minecraft.

I wonder how many platforms it's the best selling game on. Almost certainly Xbox 360 and PS3.
 

ReaperXL7

Member
I got the game for free due to a PSN glitch and tried so hard to understand the game and played for a good couple hours attempting to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do. I never did. I tried. I really did. I wasn't even trying to enjoy the game. Enjoyment can possibly come later. I was just trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. I don't think I've ever come across such a confusing game before.

Did you have a hard time figuring out what you were supposed to do with Legos when you were a kid? That's the appeal of Minecraft, it's a digital Lego playground where you can do almost whatever your imagination can come up with within the limits of the game.

It's my daughters favorite game with only the Lego games coming close, her favorite thing to do is to build villages, decorate them, and then play with them in the same way she would a doll house.

I just don't understand why people are buying like...8 copies of this game across so many platforms. I get the appeal, even though it's not my thing, but...why in the world would you buy so many copies?

Not that hard to figure out, as an example I originally bought the game on PC when I owned one. Then since I wasn't big on my daughter messing with the PC at the time and she was really interested in playing the game I bought it on PS3, got of rid of my PS3 for a PS4 but my daughter still wanted the game so I bought it on PS4. Then we bought the Vita and IPad versions for long car rides. All of the versions that we have bought have basically paid for themselves at this point with how much enjoyment my kids have gotten from them.
 
Minecraft is a genuinely great game, so it deserves all the success it got. I still play it with my friends sometimes and we are well above the typical demographic. It's right up there with Skyrim in terms of games that are a blast to play with mod packs installed.
 
I remember when you used to see the actual number of units sold on the launch screen during the Alpha period. It's a great game, and a one of a kind success story. Good for them.

I think it was under 10k when I first logged in July 2010. Nuts.
 
I know it's very popular with kids. This is amazing news as fostering that creative spirit is so important. A brighter future thanks to Minecraft? Maybe.
 
You'd think with those numbers they'd have a larger team making additional content for the game. The IV drip of patches and updates is really sad.
 
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