Summary
- Since its launch in 2011, Minecraft has blazed a unique trail, becoming one of gaming’s highest-selling games of all time.
- That said, don’t expect the game to ever go free-to-play with microtransactions packed in.
- As it stands, Minecraft as we know it will continue to exist, with an executive calling it “The Best Deal In The World.”
Calling Minecraft anything but a behemoth would be an understatement. Since its launch in 2011, the game has managed to sell over 200 million copies, becoming the highest-selling non-pack-in video game in the process.
It was also responsible for the $2.5 billion acquisition of its developer, Mojang. Of course, Microsoft has netted that money back and then some, with the game generating a reported $100 million in annual revenue on a player count of over 150 million monthly active users.
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So, with all that success, why hasn’t the game gone free-to-play? To this day, the game costs $29.99, and, as it turns out, Mojang has no plans of changing that anytime soon.
Don’t Mess With A Good Thing
Speaking to IGN, Ingela Garneij, executive producer of Minecraft Vanilla, shared that a free-to-play approach, where microtransactions serve as the bulk of revenue, doesn’t work with what they’ve built.
“I mean we built the game for a different purpose,” Garneij said. “So monetization doesn’t work in that way for us. It’s a purchase of the game and then that’s it. For us, it’s important that our game is available for as many people as possible. And so I think that’s a very core value that it should be accessible for everyone.
“It’s the best deal in the world.”
Noting other games that have gone free-to-play, such as Destiny or Overwatch 2, and the pressure that they face, Garneij said the same can’t be said of the Minecraft team. “No, no. What’s important for us is that many people can enjoy it still and that’s going on strong still,” she added.
Rather, game director Agnes Larsson pointed to the game’s values as a leading reason why. “It’s a thing for the game, and it’s one part of what makes the game strong,” Larsson said. “It has strong values.”
Well, there you have it. Not only will Minceraft not have a sequel, it also won’t go free-to-play, either. But if that’s not enough, there’s always the many failed Minecraft clones for you to play.
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