Minecraft has been one of the biggest sensations in gaming ever, and if you have any doubts that it’s not an international success, the game managed to do something Microsoft has never been able to do in the major gaming market of Japan: Be successful.
As reported via Famitsu, Minecraft on the Nintendo Switch is the first retail release from Microsoft that has broken 1 million copies sold in the country. The physical copy released on June 21st 2018, though there was a digital release a year prior, so the total sales are higher. It’s also the first retail game to break 1 million on Switch from a third party.
It’s interesting to think about as one of the biggest successes Microsoft has had in the country is via Nintendo and the Switch. But it’s less about the company and more just the universal appeal of Minecraft and how it translates easily from culture to culture. This isn’t even the first time Minecraft managed to break a million retail, as the Vita version did in Japan as well but that was before Microsoft took over publishing duties in the region.
