From weather effects and multiplayer portals, to pistons and maps, Minecraft continues to expand thanks to continued support from creator Notch and co. at Mojang. The 1.7 update just released a few days ago and it'll be a while before 1.8 comes out, introducing the secret, yet eagerly anticipated Minecraft "adventure" update.
Even though the game remains a it-is-what-you-make-of-it style of sandbox adventure title, Minecraft stands incredibly strong, recently surpassing the 10 million registered users mark!
Notch posted to his blog yesterday the milestone accomplishment for Minecraft, which still remains in "beta" form. As impressive as their profit margins and userbase sound, there's still much more to come. Having announced an Xbox 360 exclusive and Kinect-capable version in development, as well as a mobile variant first coming to Sony's Xperia play, Minecraft is still in its relative infancy.
The Kinect version of the Minecraft will push the game onto the vast casual consumer market and its relative family-friendliness will allow the simple-by-design, 1-by-1 blocky gameplay to work well for youngsters. It's like LEGO that players can control with their hands! Mobile gamers being able to take Minecraft on the go with Android devices will offer a deeper alternative to Angry Birds and will also help turn Minecraft into a full-fledged franchise.
In other good Minecraft news for the Canada Day/Independence Day North America holiday weekend, the official Minecraft soundtrack is now available at the discounted price of $2.99 until Tuesday, July 5th. Titled Minecraft - Volume Alpha, the OST features all 24 songs currently available in the game, composed by C418. The soundtrack was originally released in March and it features 15 minutes of additional exclusive score.
Be sure to read Game Rant's Minecraft 1.7 update guide and check that out the album for download. What are your expectations and predictions for the big adventure update?
Minecraft exits beta status on November 11, 2011.
Header image edited from art by LordSkizz.
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