The Investing Lessons of Minecraft

Minecraft is capturing attention like no game since Angry Birds, which even has its own "Star Wars" edition. Publisher Mojang recently announced the 10 millionth download of the PC version of the game via Twitter.

And that's just one sign of how huge this franchise has become. According to Digital Trends, Mojang had sold 15 million copies of Minecraft overall. The company booked $240 million in revenue last year.

An 8-bit departure from the likes of Sim City, which has caused trouble for Electronic Arts in recent weeks, or Microsoft's megahit Halo series, Minecraft is a throwback that includes the sorts of in-app purchasing features that fueled Zynga's earnings in years past.

Publishers should take heed, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova in the following video. While there will always be a market for complex titles that cater to hardcore fans, simple games that entice 7-year-olds as easily as 37-year-olds are capturing more of the market than ever before.

Do you play Minecraft? Have you made in-app purchases? Please watch this short video to get Tim's full take, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think of the game, and whether it can grow to become the next Angry Birds.

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The article The Investing Lessons of Minecraft originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He didn't own shares in any of the companies mentioned at the time of publication. Check out Tim's Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends Activision Blizzard and owns shares of Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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