Over the weekend FortressCraft creator DJArcas let the world know via twitter that his Xbox Live Indie Game has sold over 500 thousand copies. That's quite an accomplishment for an indie game that's only been out since last April. We asked him exactly how many people have purchased the game, and as of the day before yesterday, it was a steadily rising 501,577. According to DJArcas, “It's still very, very strange I don't think it's going to hit me for a long time.”

Despite the game being the top-selling Xbox Live Indie Game, FortressCraft has yet to become a financial success. DJArcas explained that “although the game has sold a lot of copies, I haven't seen a single cent of that yet. The whole system is a bit of a nightmare. It's not really Microsoft's fault.” The problem stems from tax laws and DJArcas being setup as an international company when Microsoft is used to dealing with individuals or US companies - but DJArcas is learning quickly.

“I've had to get an accountant. I've had to setup a company. I've had to get a US bank account. I've had to get another accountant whose an expert in the IRS. There's lots and lots of crazy things that have to be setup to receive the money.” If all goes well, DJArcas expects to be paid in mid-November, or if that date is missed mid-February. And if not then, he joked that he'll “fly to Microsoft and say 'alright lets work this out.'”

FortressCraft is still a work in progress with several more chapters planned as separate XBLIG releases and a 1.1 patch that will add physics objects, lasers, and “a bunch of crazy things,” and although it's an Xbox exclusive right now, PC players may soon get a chance to play. “A PC release is definitely in the cards,” DJArcas told us. “Where it's going to be, I don't know, but I've had some interest in various places.” If FortressCraft can make the platform jump, it just might be the game to give Minecraft some serious competition.

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/fortresscraft-surpasses-500k-downloads-xbla/

Posted: Sep 20, 2011 2:24 pm