MinecraftForget Halo: Reach. The latest and greatest sales success in the
video games world, unlikely as it seems, is an indie-developed
collaborative building game in the vein of fellow indie hit Dwarf
Fortress -- Minecraft.
Over the last week, Minecraft sales have totalled about 115,000,
which (at its selling price of about $13 a copy) amounts to over $1.5m
in revenue. Not bad -- when you consider that Minecraft is being
developed by a team of just four people, with no big-name publisher
bankrolling them.
The impressive uptick in sales seems to have been prompted, oddly, by
technical issues it suffered over the weekend. Faced with the prospect
of his payment processor being out of action for a few days, Minecraft
lead developer Markus "Notch" Persson opted to make the game free for a
four-day stretch. Now the payment system's back online, and with the
help of a plug or two from influential web cartoonists Penny Arcade, it looks like he's reaping the rewards for his generosity.
Check out this (entirely fan-made) unofficial trailer, which'll do
three things: give you an overview of the game, a glimpse of its unique
look, and an impression of the passion its fans feel for it.
Think that looks like your cup of tea? Check out the Minecraft web site, where you'll find a free-to-play version of the game.
Via Shacknews.