Minecraft is the best example of Microsoft’s modern approach to gaming platforms. The publisher acquired the block-building phenomenon and developer Mojang in 2014 for $2.5 billion, and it has since shaped that investment into one of its most active live services. The growing Minecraft Marketplace is at the center of that.
Each month here at GamesBeat, I take a closer look at the Minecraft Marketplace and its best-selling content. You can take a look at past results right here. For December 2017, a few new downloadable worlds and mashup packs made the list. Winter Mini-Games Festival by Noxcrew rode a seasonal wave to get on the charts just behind the Summer Mini-Games Festival. Mojang’s own Norse Mythology Mash-Up also made the list after debuting last month.
But the big story of December is that not only did Blockception’s Whiterock Castle repeat as No. 1, but this creator also took the No. 2 spot with The Crater.
If you’re wondering what Blockception’s secret to success is, well … I asked the Blockception team.
“Honestly, we aren’t really sure,” Blockception creative director Alex Bellavita told GamesBeat. “We love that people are downloading and enjoying our content. Everyone in the team works hard on making sure that the content they make is to their best ability at the time of it being conceived.
Here’s the top 10 best-selling items on Minecraft Marketplace. As a reminder, Microsoft provided this data, and it represents the most-downloaded paid content from both the community and Mojang.
Top Performing Paid Content
“Whiterock Castle” by Blockception
Rank: 1
Details: World – 4.7/5 user rating. A medieval fantasy castle with complex architecture.
Store description: “Explore the lands of Whiterock Castle and start your own adventure!”
“The Crater” by Blockception
Rank: 2
Details: World – 4.2/5 user rating. A settlement inside of a huge impact crater.
Store description: “A vast crater is the setting of this survival spawn – the result of a devastating meteorite impact and now a remnant of destruction turned into an idyllic spawn.”
“Dinosaur Island” by PixelHeads
Rank: 3
Details: World – 4.5/5 user rating. Deal with a variety of dinosaurs on a tropical island.
Store description: “Overrun by prehistoric beasts after the scientists lost control of their genetic experiments, explore and discover the hidden mysteries of this intriguing island.”
Norse Mythology Mash-Up by Minecraft
Rank: 4
Details: Mash-Up Pack – 4.8/5 user rating. A collection of skins, textures, and worlds inspired by Norse myths.
Store description: “Compose your own grand saga as you voyage through the 9 realms, from the treetops of Yggdrasil, down into the mines of Svartalfheim and the depths of Hel! The third episode in the mythology series, this pack has hand carved textures, a thunderous soundtrack and a horde of skins.”
“Sunnyside Academy” by Imagiverse
Rank: 5
Details: World – 4.3/5 user rating. A functioning town with a school at its center.
Store description: “Gear up for school with friends, or tackle solo assignments, build your own home and help maintain the town in this colorful neighborhood!”
“Winter Mini-Games Festival” by Noxcrew
Rank: 6
Details: World – 4.7/5 user rating. A snow-covered adventure land with a ton to do.
Store description: “Spend a cozy weekend up at Frosty Mountain lodge, with a new Mini-Golf course, Speed Sledding and a grand Ice Castle. Race your friends in Yeti-Set-Go, take to the skies in our Elytra course and zip around in snowmobiles.”
“Summer Mini Games Festival” by Noxcrew
Rank: 7
Details: World – 4.4/5 user rating. A wonderland of obstacle courses and activity centers.
Store description: “Take a daytrip and test your skills at Mini-Golf, Blocksketball and the shooting range. Other summertime shenanigans include playing Splashdown in a luxury boat, Spleef in a volcano and monkeying around in the Aqua Jungle.”
“PureBDcraft” by BDcraft
Rank: 8
Details: Texture pack – 5/5 user rating. Revamps every texture to make things look more comic-book-like.
Store description: “Completely transform your Minecraft world into a comic! Blocks, Items, Mobs and UI are revamped with this bright, bold High Def pack in 32x, 64x and 128x resolutions, full of details and geeky references.”
“Wildlife: Savanna” by PixelHeads
Rank: 9
Details: World – 4.7/5 user rating. Meet lions, elephants, and more along with your safari crew.
Store description: “Go on safari in a rugged off-road vehicle to discover brand new landscapes and exotic animals. Find giraffes, zebras and even cheetahs (if you’re quick enough!), and befriend them for a whole new wildlife experience.”
“Adventure Time Mash-up” by Minecraft
Rank: 10
Details: Mash-up pack – 4.8/5 user rating. Brings the Adventure Time cartoon into Minecraft with textures, skins, and the Land of Ooo world.
Store description: “With Jake the Dog and Finn the Human, and a bundle of their friends, it’s Adventure Time!… Mash-up! Featured in this pack: your favorite Adventure Time characters, the Land of Ooo, a bespoke texture set, BMO themed UI and original soundtrack.”
And as a bonus, here’s the best-performing content that people earned with in-game currency.
- Norse Mythology Mash-Up by Minecraft
- Dinosaur Island by PixelHeads
- Adventure Time Mash-Up by Minecraft
- Wildlife: Savanna by PixelHeads
- PureBDcraft by BDcraft
- Festive Mash-Up 2016 by Minecraft
- DestructoBot 5000 by Noxcrew
- Halloween Mash-Up by Minecraft
- Elf Town by 37Digital
- Dragon Hero by PixelHeads
I’ll have more from my interview with Blockception coming up soon, and then you should check back next month for another look into the Minecraft Marketplace.