Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all-time, and a big part of the game's success is the fact that it's available on several different platforms. In addition to being available on PC, the Microsoft owned game can be found on the company's Xbox platform, as well as on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Interestingly enough, in terms of console revenue, Minecraft makes more money on Nintendo Switch than any other video game system. The detail was revealed by Xbox gaming chief financial officer Tim Stuart during testimony provided in the FTC v Microsoft trial.

According to Stuart, Minecraft makes the least amount of money on Xbox platforms, with PlayStation making about double what Xbox does. However, the biggest console for Minecraft is Nintendo Switch, where the game is "roughly twice as big as PlayStation. 4x as big as Xbox." Stuart went on to note that "Minecraft is one of the most profitable, if not the most profitable first-party game" for the company.

The strength of Minecraft on other platforms was used in the case as evidence that Microsoft has more to gain by keeping Call of Duty available on multiple platforms, should the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard gain approval. Microsoft has provided contracts to multiple companies offering guaranteed support for Call of Duty for a minimum of 10 years. One of those companies was Nintendo, which is interesting as the Switch does not currently have any Call of Duty games. While there is speculation that Call of Duty will eventually become an Xbox exclusive, clearly, Microsoft sees a lot of financial benefit in releasing certain games across every platform possible.

It's hard to overstate just how big Minecraft is for Xbox, and it's interesting to see how successful the game has been on other platforms. With how much the game makes on Nintendo Switch alone, it actually does help to explain why Microsoft might be eager to get Call of Duty on the system. However, that will all depend on the final results of the FTC's hearing!



Posted: Jul 02, 2023 12:21 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/minecraft-more-money-nintendo-switch-playstation-xbox/