With 100 million registered users, and an enviable level of mainstream appeal, this much-loved series has little left to do now but to consolidate its grip on the current crop of video game systems.
With that in mind, the enterprising folks at Mojang Studios have announced the arrival of a boxed retail copy of the game’s PlayStation 3 port. The move, which emulates previous efforts for the Xbox 360 — initially available as a digital exclusive, before later heading to stores shelves — will debut May 16, 2014 with a price tag estimated to be around $30 — 40.
Company representative Owen Hill also confirmed that the disc-based edition would be patched up and ready to go from current update number 14, though players with access to the PlayStation Network will still be able to make use of any later add-ons.
Interestingly, despite not offering any new information of the game’s hotly anticipated PS4 and Vita ports, the developer/ publisher did release a trio of new pack shots that include both versions of the game - thereby seemingly confirming the existence of further boxed copies for those two titles.
In spite of the video game industry’s increasing shift towards an all-digital existence, moves like this one demonstrate the continued importance and mainstream appeal of boxed physical copies. Even a series with the widespread availability of a Minecraft can still pass a less tech savvy household by. Indeed, recent scares including the ‘Heartbleed’ bug will likely cause some players to think again over the extent of their online acquisitions — making retail purchases the only viable alternative.
Do you believe the Minecraft franchise requires boxed retail copies? Would you consider purchasing multiple versions of this award-winning title? Where should the franchise be looking to build for the future? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to keep up with all of the latest 4J Studios news, right here on Game Rant.
Minecraft is now available for PC, Mac, Java, Android, iOS, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. PS4 and Xbox One iterations are expected to launch later this year. The game’s PlayStation 3 retail release is scheduled for May 16, 2014.
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Source: PlayStation Blog, Metro
