Minecraft was a stellar success for Microsoft and Xbox Live Arcade, selling over two million copies in a month, but Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer scrambled to acquire it, getting an agreement just a week before E3 2011.
According to Spencer, many people at the company had no idea what Minecraft was. ”Even the people inside Microsoft, as they were looking at it, were thinking, ‘What is that Minecraft thing and why are we putting it on stage?’,” he reminisced.
Spencer states that he has to be in tune with indie development, not just the major AAA titles like the Halo license. He was responsible for getting such games as Limbo and Deadlight to XBLA.
However, Minecraft is Spencer’s proudest moment. ”And then the thing comes out and sells 2 million copies in a month,” he bragged, then added, ”Did I know that? No. Even Mojang didn’t know that.”
Minecraft was released on the 9th May 2012 and earned an 8.0/10 score from Strategy Informer in its review.
