Minecraft Content as Business

A virtual world made of process rather than place?   And adding a business model?  Good descriptive piece.  And how Microsoft is supporting the idea.

Inside Microsoft’s Quest To Turn Minecraft Content Into A Business
Microsoft has paid out $7 million to Minecraft content makers since last June. But it’s just beginning to build out its marketplace.  By Jared Newman

Stefan Panic and Joe Arsenault used to dream of building things in Minecraft for a living. But until recently, they couldn’t quite figure out how.

While Panic worked odd jobs and lived with his father, and Arsenault climbed the corporate ladder at Best Buy, they ran a 50-person volunteer collective called Noxcrew that built intricate environments and mini-games within Minecraft . To date, their work has been downloaded more than 1 million times. Yet all their attempts at making money–from Patreon donations to ad-supported download pages–have only been enough to cover their hosting costs.

Noxcrew’s World Of Horses Ranch lets players train and ride horses on virtual tracks. 

In late 2016, Microsoft reached out with an offer that changed everything: The company wanted to discuss an official marketplace for Minecraft creations, which would allow groups like Noxcrew to sell their work directly to players. Like most of the other creators that Microsoft invited into the program, Panic and Arsenault trusted their guts and gave up their day jobs. Now, they make Minecraft content full-time, with help from 15 paid contractors.

“We got the Marketplace opportunity, and it turned from a hobbyist community into an actual business,” Panic says.   .... "