Minecraft is Getting a New Marketplace on Windows 10 and Mobile

[ffronw]

Minecraft is Getting a New Marketplace on Windows 10 and Mobile

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1396/1396390.jpgEditor's Note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly referred to the new Marketplace as being for "paid mods." This was inaccurate, and has been corrected. We apologize for the error.



Microsoft is bringing user content to the Windows 10 and mobile versions of Minecraft, and the creators are getting a cut.

The newest versions of Minecraft, the ones found on Windows 10 and mobile devices, are about to get a new Marketplace for user-generated content for Adventure maps. On this new in-game store, approved creators will be able to sell world, texture packs, and skin packs that are part of an adventure map.

Purchases will be made using Minecraft Coins, a new virtual currency that Microsoft is introducing. These Coins will be purchased with real money, and MS has shared some of the Coin package prices:

300 Coins: $1.99
840 Coins: $4.99
1720 Coins: $9.99

Each time you buy content from the store, the proceeds of the sale are split. First, 30 percent of the sale goes to the store, and then what Microsoft calls "the majority after that" goes to the creator of the content.

The Marketplace is kicking off with nine approved creators that should be familiar to Minecraft fans: Noxcrew, BlockWorks, Qwertyuiop The Pie, Blockception, Sphax, Eneija Silverleaf, Imagiverse, Polymaps and Razzleberry Fox. If you'd like to submit your own work to the Marketplace you can, but you have be a registered business to do so. You can find more information about selling your creations on the store here [https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft].

You will have to have an account on Xbox Live to purchase content, and Microsoft says that it is "working toward making content players buy available on multiple devices as well," using that account. Of course, you can still use community content that isn't part of the store for free, just like always.

There will be a public beta on Android later this month, but it will be focused on testing coins, and there won't be any actual content for sale. The Marketplace is planned to launch later this Spring. If you'd like to learn more about the Marketplace, or ask a question, there's a Reddit AMA [https://www.reddit.com/r/mcpe] planned for Thursday, April 20 from 12PM - 3PM ET.

Permalink

 

[Naldan]

I somehow have the feeling that this will go "better" than the Great Skyrim Mod Incident of 2015.

To make shit like this retroactively for already released games is what really makes me despise this, no matter how much the creator gets from that. A deal is a deal.

But then come the creators and the size of their cut.

Then everything else.

 

[Avnger]

Holy Jesus...

Not only are they adding paid mods, but they're making you pay for them with some bullshit "currency" as well?

Fuck off Microsoft.

 

[Anti-American Eagle]

ha ha ha ha ha- fuck off

 

[Blitsie]

Ugh, we have to do this dance again?

Just fail please, this is a model just begging to be abused. Hell Valve showed that is well the case and they're one of the lesser dick companies out there, imagine if EA and Ubisoft jumps on this bandwagon with their business practices.

God the gaming industry has made me cynical hahahaha

 

[fix-the-spade]

I somehow have the feeling that this will go "better" than the Great Skyrim Mod Incident of 2015.

I doubt it.

Microsoft being who they are their cut will be enormous, moreover they're putting it on the Windows Store version of the game, otherwise known as the one nobody plays.

I don't expect this to generate much controversy, but I expect it to have no uptake and quietly die as every game on the Windows Store so reliably does. Although I'm not sure it will top Activision giving everyone who bought Infinite Warfare on the Win Store a no questions asked refund because so few people bought it the multiplayer was literally unplayable.

I'm not sure anything will top that.

 

[Morti]

What mods? I can't see any references anywhere saying that you will be able to get mods, just worlds, skins and textures.

 

[L3D]

Paid mods might succeed now. First of all they are introducing them to kids game, they might not just know better. Second of all, it is Microsoft Live/Marketplace or whatever it is called these days. No real player uses it. So they might get better start there than they did on Steam. And once it works (even badly) there, more places might start introducing it again.

Also, anyone else getting a bought off news advert vibe from this news piece. No critical word at all or mention of the fiasco what Steam's paid mods was.

 

[ffronw]

It's not actually paid mods. I read it as that, and I thought it was that, but I've since learned that it is only custom content for Adventure maps. Things like custom resource packs that make huge spiders and the like.

 

[Naldan]

Makes less sense since even less incentive to buy them, and more rediculous to charge for that, but at least they don't poke that any further.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Oh hell no, you can put that one straight back in the deck, microsoft.

 

[Ugicywapih]

So, if Microsoft's cut is 30% and "most" of the remainder goes to the content creator, that would mean they get *more* than 35%. Also, if it were 50% or more, they'd probably just let their marketing blurb mention it's half or more regardless of their own cut, so I'm expecting something along the lines of a 30/30/40 share... I'd say it still looks like the distribution platform owner and the modified content owner get massive leverage but at least it's not looking quite as obnoxious as Valve's attempt at this point so this might go over well-ish... unless MS finds new and exciting ways to screw people over, like it is wont to do as we may have learned from some past experiences.