I’ve heard minecraft's success 'explained' in so many ways, from luck to marketing genius to niche appeal. Watching notch code, I think it's due more to a very competent, hardworking guy putting in an unbelievable number of hours. He just gets it done.

I still don't get the appeal of Minecraft, but clearly its creator understands the cause => effect flow of hard work, experience, and generally getting things done.