'Minecraft' winning the YouTube game for February

An analysis of YouTube viewing behavior has gaming videos responsible for 97.5% of views in February's YouTube Top 20, with "Minecraft" outpacing its closest competitor by a ration of 4 to 1.

An analysis of YouTube viewing behavior has gaming videos responsible for 97.5% of views in February's YouTube Top 20, with 'Minecraft' outpacing its closest competitor by a ration of 4 to 1.

'Minecraft' themed videos racked up 4,310m views in February 2015, according to aggregated data provided by Newzoo and Octoly.

The game lends itself well to scripted and unscripted narratives, as well as friendly japes and large collaborative construction projects.

The next most-viewed game franchise was Grand Theft Auto at 1,084m, whose latest installment 'Grand Theft Auto V' was released September 2013 on older consoles and then again on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2014.

That 'Grand Theft Auto' count may well rise by the time March's results are released, with a new heist mode having been deployed on March 10 for its multiplayer component 'Grand Theft Auto Online.'

Where 'Minecraft' accounts for 40% of YouTube's Top 20, 'Grand Theft Auto' takes up a 10% share; not far behind it are the 'Five Nights at Freddy's' survival horror games (954m, 9%).

Jump-scares and brooding tension of horror games have long been reliable sources of entertainment for YouTube content creators and their audiences, and the 'Five Nights' series was particularly well positioned in that sense.

The first was released in August 2014, the second in November, and a third teased in January before its early March release.

Top 20 Game Franchises on YouTube February 2015

1. Minecraft (4,310m views / 40% of Top 20)
2. Grand Theft auto (1,084m / 10%)
3. Five Nights at Freddy's (954m / 9%)
4. League of Legends (636m / 6%)
5. Call of Duty (607m / 6%)
6. FIFA (565m / 5%)
7. Garry's Mod (438m / 4%)
8. Angry Birds (401m / 4%)
9. Clash of Clans (323m / 3%)
10. Counter-Strike (267m / 3%)
11. Dota 2 (228m / 2%)
12. RuneScape (153m / 1%)
13. Battlefield (137m / 1%)
14. Destiny (134m / 1%)
15. Team Fortress (110m / 1%)
16. World of Tanks (104m / 1%)
17. Mortal Kombat (92m / 1%)
18. Assassin's Creed (77m / 1%)
19. Just Dance (74m / 1%)
20. The Elder Scrolls (74m / 1%)

Source: newzoo.com/youtuberankings