Minecraft developer Mojang is doing surprisingly well financially it seems. The studio reported impressive profits for 2013, with over $128 million coming their way, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Minecraft has been an exceedingly successful title, with Minecraft’s PC version seeing more than 100 million users signing up, and over 14 million copies sold. Add to that the game’s equally successful PS3, Xbox 360 or Android versions, and it’s no surprise the Swedish developer is practically swimming in cash, especially since it’s running a relatively small development team (around 40 people). If you require numbers to be convinced, know that Minecraft’s Xbox 360 version sold over 11 million copies as of February 2014, while Minecraft’s PS3 version sold over 1 million units since it saw the light of day in December last year. Not bad at all for such a small studio!
But Mojang isn’t the only party to profit heavily from Minecraft. 4J Studios, the developers behind the upcoming Minecraft PS4 and Minecraft Xbox One versions are also most likely going to bask in wealth, given how highly anticipated these versions of Minecraft are. With a severe lack of content on next-gen consoles, Minecraft Xbox One and Minecraft PS4 have a solid chance to see record-shattering sale numbers. The development of these versions is being handled exclusively by 4J Studios. The studio recently finished working on the anticipated TU 14 (Title Update) for Minecraft, an update that is highly craved within the sandbox blockbuilding game’s fanbase.
Now that the update is a concern that’s out of the way, 4J Studios can focus on wrapping things up with Minecraft Xbox One and Minecraft PS4, two titles that will bring vast improvements to the original game and concept. Of course, there are limitations to what the studio can do with the next-gen versions of the game, and you’d best set your expectations to reasonable levels. Don’t expect mind-blowing visuals and massive gameplay changes. Still, the Minecraft Xbox One and Minecraft PS4 versions will be taking advantage of the advanced computing strength of the two new consoles, and will be offering larger maps, slightly improved graphical capabilities, user interface upgrades, an adventure more and other surprises, which 4J Studios isn’t ready to reveal just yet.
Recent signs suggest that the Minecraft Xbox One version will be the first to arrive, and that it’s further along in development compared to the Minecraft PS4 version, which still requires work. It’s reasonable to assume that the Minecraft Xbox One version will be landing sometime later this summer, while the Minecraft PS4 version will follow in late-fall. With two new consoles opening up to Minecraft’s already vast platform availability, and with the increasing popularity of the block-building game, it’s safe to assume 4J Studios will be seeing really good profit numbers, similarly to Mojang.
Are you anxious to get your hands on Minecraft Xbox One or Minecraft PS4? Throw us your thoughts through our comment section and let us know!