Minecraft For Consoles Outsells Minecraft For PC

[Fanghawk]

Minecraft For Consoles Outsells Minecraft For PC

Minecraft's console editions have surpassed sales for PC and Mac versions, bringing the total to 54 million across all platforms.

<a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/previews/8333-Preview-Minecraft>From its alpha release right to <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/9362-Minecraft-Review>its latest edition, Minecraft was hailed as a breakout successes of PC indie gaming. Even today, the PC version is widely considered superior to its console siblings thanks to limitless world sizes, downloadable resources, and <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111920-Minecraft-Middle-Earth-Will-Melt-Your-Mind>immaculately-crafted custom worlds. According to Mojang's Patrick Geuder Saga however, Minecraft for PC isn't quite as unbeatable as it used to be, having finally being surpassed in sales by Minecraft's assembled console editions.

"Minecraft console editions together just passed Minecraft for PC/Mac," Saga wrote on Twitter. "And across all platforms, we've sold almost 54 million copies."

It's not entirely clear how those 54 million copies break down by platforms at the moment, but the news isn't surprising. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition had sold <a href=http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/25/5843358/minecraft-console-sales-54m-copies-sold>over 12 million copies, while the PS3 version was sitting at about 1.5 million. PCs still dominate Minecraft sales as the single biggest platform, but combined console usage is absolutely capable of squashing that figure.

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/pgeuder/status/481812186390880257]

Perhaps more important is that fact that the Minecraft console experience seems to be more successful, despite the relatively smaller worldsizes. Minecraft's console editions also provide split-screen multiplayer, which may be a deciding factor among families with several gamers.

Minecraft will also be making its way to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita platforms later this summer, presumably in an attempt to rub the PC's nose in it.

Source: Gamespot

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[Kungfu_Teddybear]

while the PC version was sitting at about 1.5 million.

You either meant the PC version is sitting at 15 million, or the PS3 version is sitting at 1.5 million. I'm not sure which you intended there.

OT: Good to see that Minecraft is still going strong. I haven't played it for quite a while, I need to remedy that at some point.

 

[Fanghawk]

while the PC version was sitting at about 1.5 million.

You either meant the PC version is sitting at 15 million, or the PS3 version is sitting at 1.5 million. I'm not sure which you intended there.

OT: Good to see that Minecraft is still going strong. I haven't played it for quite a while, I need to remedy that at some point.

PS3, my bad. Fixed.

And yeah, I'm in the same boat!

 

[youji itami]

Considering non Nintendo games for under 10's is either Minecraft, Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Warner bros LEGO games I'm not surprised when anyone of those breaks new records (the LEGO games recently reached the 100 million copies sold mark).

Also explains why my local GAME video game store has 10 sections 1 each of Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Warner bros LEGO games plus 1 each of all other PS4, PS3, Xbone, 360, Wii U, PS Vita and PC games.

Seriously you should see some of the young kids game library's in my family it's literally those 4 plus the odd sports game and download only indie title.

No FPS's till they start secondary at 11! so says there fathers.

 

[Souplex]

Let's see if it can surpass Tetris in total sales.
It just needs...
*Checks*
...To triple its sales.
Give it 20 years and maybe.

 

[Johnson McGee]

I imagine the demographics on each platform are wildly different though. Console versions would be far more popular for parents wanting to set up their kids so they can have easier multiplayer without having to deal with questionable people in the online server space or technical issues relating to PC. It also helps that probably everyone on Xbox has now bought the game twice.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Combined sales mean nothing. It happens all the time. When Minecraft sells more copies on an individual console than it sold on the PC, that will be newsworthy.

 

[BrotherRool]

Combined sales mean nothing. It happens all the time. When Minecraft sells more copies on an individual console than it sold on the PC, that will be newsworthy.

It's special because Minecraft feels like such a PC focused game. I mean individual console sales normally outstrip PC sales for most multiplatform games (Skyrim for example was 60% 360, 35% PS3 and 15% PC which surprised me) but Minecraft seems like it should be so clunky on consoles and always had such a big home on the PC version. The fact that since it's release the PC version has outstripped combined console sales until this date is newsworthy by itself, as is the fact that that is no longer true.

 

[Rozalia1]

I'm somewhat shocked honestly considering the game...and people still profess the coming doomsday of consoles? Lol, marks.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Skyrim for example was 60% 360, 35% PS3 and 15% PC which surprised me.

Wait really? I thought you needed skyrim on pc just so in functions somewhat.

OT: I find this slightly surprising as PC has free texture packs, skins and mods plentiful whereas skins and textures cost money on consoles and mods aren't even a thing.

Wonder how much they have made through microtransactions on consoles.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

Combined sales mean nothing. It happens all the time. When Minecraft sells more copies on an individual console than it sold on the PC, that will be newsworthy.

It's special because Minecraft feels like such a PC focused game. I mean individual console sales normally outstrip PC sales for most multiplatform games (Skyrim for example was 60% 360, 35% PS3 and 15% PC which surprised me) but Minecraft seems like it should be so clunky on consoles and always had such a big home on the PC version. The fact that since it's release the PC version has outstripped combined console sales until this date is newsworthy by itself, as is the fact that that is no longer true.

source?

ars technica's numbers actually show skyrim PC sales are pretty much equal to console sales

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/04/steam-gauge-addressing-your-questions-and-concerns/2/

maybe you mean physical sales

 

[RJ 17]

Looking forward to picking this up on my so-far under-used PS4. It'll hold me over for the games I'm looking forward to this fall.

 

[Avaholic03]

I'm somewhat shocked honestly considering the game...and people still profess the coming doomsday of consoles? Lol, marks.

You should try considering the audience instead. A huge number of Minecraft faithful are younger kids, who are more likely to game on a console than a PC. Also, the crafting menu on consoles is streamlined, so you don't have to memorize recipes. That's surprisingly useful for kids with limited attention span who don't want to look up the wiki every time they want to craft something complicated.

For me, I still think the mod community on PCs is more appealing (the variety and quality of Minecraft mods is staggering). But I understand why I'm in the minority there.

 

[Rozalia1]

Combined sales mean nothing. It happens all the time. When Minecraft sells more copies on an individual console than it sold on the PC, that will be newsworthy.

It's special because Minecraft feels like such a PC focused game. I mean individual console sales normally outstrip PC sales for most multiplatform games (Skyrim for example was 60% 360, 35% PS3 and 15% PC which surprised me) but Minecraft seems like it should be so clunky on consoles and always had such a big home on the PC version. The fact that since it's release the PC version has outstripped combined console sales until this date is newsworthy by itself, as is the fact that that is no longer true.

source?

ars technica's numbers actually show skyrim PC sales are pretty much equal to console sales

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/04/steam-gauge-addressing-your-questions-and-concerns/2/

maybe you mean physical sales

He is using percentages of figures put together after the release of the game, you're bringing up figures of March of this year.
Skyrim has sold 20 million+, and 6 million isn't half of that...normally I'd have to put a "granted" here, but I don't think Skyrim is on anything other than Steam.

I find it odd just how many sales Skyrim got on 360 though...what contributed to that? Was it the DLC promise or something?

You should try considering the audience instead. A huge number of Minecraft faithful are younger kids, who are more likely to game on a console than a PC. Also, the crafting menu on consoles is streamlined, so you don't have to memorize recipes. That's surprisingly useful for kids with limited attention span who don't want to look up the wiki every time they want to craft something complicated.

For me, I still think the mod community on PCs is more appealing (the variety and quality of Minecraft mods is staggering). But I understand why I'm in the minority there.

So some good streamlining went down, didn't know that thanks.

 

[Rozalia1]

According to Mojang's Patrick Geuder Saga however, Minecraft for PC isn't quite as unbeatable as it used to be, having finally being surpassed in sales by Minecraft's assembled console editions.

This is practically meaningless. It's literally the equivalent of saying, "The Xbox 360 version of Minecraft was outsold by the combined PC, PS3, and Mac versions of the game!"

Pitting the combined totals of units sold on all platforms but one, and then comparing those sales against that one platform, and then finding that the combined totals outnumbered the solo numbers has little meaning to anything. Especially if you're attempting to gauge the popularity of the title across all platforms.

Now, if the sales of Minecraft on any one platform outpaces the sales on PC, then I'd consider it newsworthy. (and a sign of a changing demographic)

Except as no exact breakdown is given beyond the fact that the Xbox360 has the lion's share of the amount, it could well be that the 360 version has matched if not outsold the PC version.

As opposed to console tards jumping at the opportunity to use an asinine, pointless, and ultimately meaningless sales statistic to attempt to both mock PC gamers and justify their purchase of their console of choice?[1]

See? I can make dismissive generalizations too. That doesn't make them true or any less insulting.

There's a saying about stones and glass houses. Perhaps you should look into it.

I get you want to hit back, but your choice of word there (tard aka retard) is not only offensive...but puts you in a much weaker standing than the person you're quoting.

 

[octafish]

Hmmm I wonder where tablet sales fall? The kids I know who play Minecraft either use their parents Mac or a tablet of some kind. I'm sure the sales numbers are healthy if not in the same league as the 360.

Consoles other than Nintendo and Windows machines are fairly rare to see amongst the families I know. Sometimes I feel like a pariah with my five Windows licenses.

 

[Zeke17]

I imagine the demographics on each platform are wildly different though. Console versions would be far more popular for parents wanting to set up their kids so they can have easier multiplayer without having to deal with questionable people in the online server space or technical issues relating to PC. It also helps that probably everyone on Xbox has now bought the game twice.

There's a significant number of parents who care about questionable people in the online server space? Who are these people? I want to shake their hands and give them a beer, they deserve it.

OT: It's great that they made so much money from selling on consoles, but man, the console versions are so clunky compared to the real game. Not to mention it has one of the best modding communities.

 

[beastro]

For me, I still think the mod community on PCs is more appealing (the variety and quality of Minecraft mods is staggering). But I understand why I'm in the minority there.

I cannot fathom anyone buying a game like this for console and screwing themselves out of access to the mod community.

You might as well buy only half of a game.

 

[Johnson McGee]

I imagine the demographics on each platform are wildly different though. Console versions would be far more popular for parents wanting to set up their kids so they can have easier multiplayer without having to deal with questionable people in the online server space or technical issues relating to PC. It also helps that probably everyone on Xbox has now bought the game twice.

There's a significant number of parents who care about questionable people in the online server space? Who are these people? I want to shake their hands and give them a beer, they deserve it.

OT: It's great that they made so much money from selling on consoles, but man, the console versions are so clunky compared to the real game. Not to mention it has one of the best modding communities.

I'm just trying to explain why the console versions are popular given how otherwise superior the PC version is. I've no actual idea if those parents exist or not. Most of the parents I know IRL don't have Xbox Live screamers for children so I would hope it's not too much of a stretch.

 

[NiPah]

I don't know what's more entertaining, the people saying how this news is meaningless since it's the combined console total...
Or the people who can't wrap their mind around why someone would punish themselves by playing the inferior console version...
Or maybe it's the group of people saying younger children play on the console version?

At least the first couple of posts were nice in congratulating Minecraft on successfully selling so many copies, and on creating a game that successfully found a niche in so many gaming platforms, that was nice while it lasted.