While Minecraft may still only be in beta form, its developer Mojang is already hard at work on its second game, Scrolls. That news alone should get a lot of gamers' attention.

Gamers wanting to know more about the game can read our in-depth Scrolls preview about what we know so far and can also sign up for the game's official newsletter at its site. Potentially giving gamers even more incentive to sign up for the official Scrolls newsletter, Mojang is giving fans the chance to opt in to become an alpha tester when they sign up for the newsletter.

The option to get in as a Scrolls alpha tester is pretty sweet. If Scrolls follows a similar release schedule of sorts to Minecraft, early alpha testers will not only get their hands on the game before anyone else but will also have an opportunity to provide real feedback, potentially influencing changes and future updates to the game. Putting up with the occasional Scrolls email newsletter in return for alpha access to the game might just be worth it.

Subscribing to the newsletter is not the only the way to get access, however. Individuals who purchased a Minecraft license when that game was still in alpha will also get access to the initial Scrolls preview. Then, of course, there is always the option of waiting for Mojang to release a version of the game you can just purchase. If Scrolls follows Minecraft's pattern, gamers should not have to wait all that long before they can put some money down to get early access to the game.

Minecraft certainly was one of the biggest hits of 2010 and does not really seem to be slowing down this year. The game keeps getting new and pretty substantial updates, an iOS version is planned, and new gamers keep spending money to play a game that is technically only a beta. If Scrolls is able to replicate any amount of that magic and capture gamers' imiginations the way Minecraft did, signing up for the Scrolls newsletter and opting in to be an alpha tester might be one of the best decisions to make this year.

What are your initial thoughts on Scrolls? Are you going to sign up for the newsletter and opt in to be an alpha tester? Do you think this hybrid of collectible card games, board games, and tactical strategy games will be a hit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Source: Scrolls.com