Minecraft boosts XBLA to record 2012

Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade saw revenue soar in 2012, thanks in large part to a trio of high grossing titles led by indie standout Minecraft.

FADE reports Microsoft’s digital distribution platform hit $290m in annual revenue for last year, doubling 2011’s total.

The growth is attributed to three specific titles: The Walking Dead, Trials Evolution, and Minecraft. Telltale’s zombie adventure game brought in $10.2m, RedLynx’s platform racing sequel earned $14.3m, and 4J Studios’ Minecraft port just missed hitting a relatively unheard of milestone for the channel at $97.4m.

The top ten XBLA sellers for 2012:

1. Minecraft (4J Studios) — 4,997,000 Units / $97.4m
2. Trials Evolution (RedLynx, LTD) — 1,002,000 Units / $14.3m
3. The Walking Dead (TellTale Games) — 2,615,000 Units / $10.2m
4. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve) — 273,000 Units / $3.9m
5. Castle Crashers (The Behemoth) — 252,000 Units / $3.8m
6. Gotham City Impostors (Monolith Productions) — 258,000 / $3.7m
7. I Am Alive (Ubisoft) — 245,000 Units / $3.6m
8. Tony Hawk’s PS HD (Robomodo) — 226,000 Units / $3.2m
9. Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (Remedy Entertainment) — 206,000 Units / $2.9m
10. Trials HD (RedLynx, LTD) — 203,000 Units / $2.8m