Already with over 4 million sales, Minecraft, the block construction game, has gone Gold after more than two years in development. The official launch will take place this Friday, November 18th, at the first ever MineCon event, which is to be held in Las Vegas.
Since its alpha release in May 2009, Minecraft has attracted over 16 million users, 4 million of whom have already purchased the reduced cost £13.95 ($21.95 or €14.95) beta, whilst other users remain on the, free, classic version of the game. The released game will sell for £17.95 ($28.95 or €20).
Whilst its roots began as a multi-platform Java app, Minecraft has expanded to the Android market, with an iOS and Xbox 360 Kinect release in the works, with the later supposedly playable this Friday. At the MineCon 2011 event, Minecraft fans will receive a speech from creator and Mojang studio head, Markus "Notch" Persson, followed by various panels such as "YouTube 101", "Minecraft as a Tool for Education", "Running a Server" and "Creating Custom Maps". A full breakdown of the itinerary can be found on the MineCon 2011 website. Also at the event, attendees will apparently receive a code for unlocking the alpha of the studio's next game, Scrolls.
Minecraft has received massive INDE acclaim in but a few years and has grown an exceptional following; we wonder just how well this title will sell upon release this Friday.
