This Day In Market History: Minecraft Launches

Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that occurred on this date.

What Happened? On Nov. 18, 2011, the video game Minecraft was released.

Where The Market Was: The Dow finished the day at 11,796.16. The S&P 500 traded at 1,215.65.

What Else Was Going On In The World? In 2011, a tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, triggering one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Occupy Wall Street protestors gathered in New York to protest income inequality. A U.S. postage stamp cost 44 cents.

Minecraft Launched: Gamers consider Minecraft one of the most influential video games in history. The game was developed by Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios and officially launched in November 2011.

Minecraft has since become the best-selling video game of all time, selling more than 238 million copies. Ten years after its release, Minecraft is still incredibly popular and has more than 140 million monthly active users. In 2020, the mobile version of the game alone generated an estimated $142.6 million in revenue.

Minecraft players explore a blocky, 3G world that has virtually unlimited terrain. They can also extract raw materials, craft items and build structures. Minecraft is often mentioned as a predecessor to the metaverse, the immersive digital worlds many experts see as the future of gaming and socialization.

In 2014, the popularity of Minecraft paid off in a huge way for creator Markus "Notch" Persson. Tech giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) acquired Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property in a $2.5 billion buyout.