Microsoft brings a marketplace to Minecraft

Minecraft is getting an update this spring that introduces a marketplace. Users can purchase virtual Minecraft Coins with real money, which can be used to buy and sell content in the marketplace.

With the marketplace, developer Mojang wants to make sure that the creators of homemade virtual content for Minecraft can generate revenue and possibly live off it. Thus, the developer hopes that these creatives will make even more and better creations. Maps, texture packs, skins, characters and mini-games can be purchased in the new marketplace. The content offered must come from someone with a registered company.

If a user wants to buy something, Minecraft Coins must be purchased with real money. This allows sellers to use flexible prices. If a user purchases a skin, map, or other product with Minecraft Coins, 30 percent is for the developer of the game. The majority of the amount goes to the creator of the content. Developer Mojang has announced this.

The update will be available for the mobile version of Minecraft and Windows 10, and will be introduced with the Discovery update. In mid-April, there will be a public beta for Android, where the functioning of the Minecraft Coins will be tested and no creative content is available yet.

Users who want to buy Minecraft Coins need an Xbox Live account. The intention is that it will eventually become possible to make content available cross-platform; probably this won’t be possible once the update comes out.