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How the beautiful beasts of Minecon were made
Minecon hosted a sold-out venue in Las Vegas for panels, pictures and merch-buying, a Deadmau5 concert and -- most impressively -- dozens of life-size, physical replicas of Minecraft classics, including pixelated Steves, Creepers, sheep, chickens, tame dogs, weapons, torches, mushrooms, buildings and a 40-foot-long Enderdragon. These scale models were all hand-made by special-effects superstar Greg Aronowitz and his team, who have written an in-depth behind-the-scenes blog post about the entire affair, demonstrating how difficult, stressful and fun the Minecon build was. For example, this is what Notch sent Aronowitz as a texture guide for the Mooshroom and all the other characters: Yes, at that size, just 123K. To see how these tiny images became real-life versions of Minecraft characters, check out all of the photos in Aronowitz's blog post.
Build a place in your day for the MineCon keynote
If you weren't fortunate (or fervent!) enough to secure an entry pass to the first-ever MineCon -- that's shorthand for Minecraft Convention, obvs -- you can now watch the full, 39-minute keynote, courtesy of Gamespot. (And catch the new Mega64 video at the 33-minute mark!)
This is what playing Minecraft on XBLA will look like
Minecraft is officially out, but that's just the beginning of post-beta playtime, with the exclusive XBLA release still expected to hit in 2012. To celebrate Minecraft's incumbent console release, Notch and the Mojang gang made a little video that is as adorable as it is hilarious. It may even be funnier than this video Mega64 made for the Minecon festivities, but neither of those are more adorable than these. %Gallery-139905%
PSA: Minecraft is out!
In an explosion of streamers and cheers, the Mojang team officially launched Minecraft 1.0 as a final(ish) product today from the stage of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, kicking off this weekend's "MineCon" convention. Surprising absolutely no one, the servers selling the game have been crashing from server loads intermittently. Oops! Just as soon as they're more stable, the launch version of Minecraft can be purchased on PC and Mac for $26.95. Maybe for now you could spend some time with that mobile version of the world builder? Or just keep refreshing. That's probably a better idea. [Image credit: @2PProductions]
MineCon's official trailer, featuring baller Steve
Conventions don't usually have trailers, but MineCon isn't the average gathering of game fans. The event, taking place November 18-19 at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, will give Minecraft fans the opportunity to be there when the phenomenon actually, officially launches. Attendees won't just be there to watch some Swedish dude upload code so he can afford a second platoon of lawyers. Visitors will also receive access to alpha code vouchers for Scrolls and Cobalt. Considering Mojang made it rain money with a game's beta, they should be able to float a couple more projects off the buzz of a few paid alphas.
Get your first taste of Minecraft for 360 at MineCon
If you're a 360 owner who's been in the dark about this whole Minecraft phenomenon, you'll have your first opportunity to check out the upcoming console version of the game at MineCon. The 4J port will be playable by blockheads (is that a thing? if not, it should be) who make the pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the event, set for Nov. 18-19. That said, if you do fit into the imaginary scenario we crafted above, we'd like to congratulate you on the remarkable optimism you've demonstrated by going to a convention for a game you've never played. It's blind, unwavering faith like yours that built the pyramids and dug the Panama Canal, and we couldn't be prouder to count you among our readership.
MineCon attendees get alpha codes for Cobalt, Scrolls
Mojang Specifications is making a pretty big assumption about the character of the folks who are attending the first MineCon expo: That they enjoy playing Mojang's games. Frankly, we think this disposition seems a little presumptuous, but nevertheless, the successful indie studio has announced that it will hand out vouchers to download alpha code for Scrolls (its next first-party title) and Cobalt (its first third-party title) to all of the event's attendees. Now that we think about it, Mojang's missing out on some pretty great contest opportunities by just giving those things away. Why not hide them inside of cuboid trees, and give attendees axes, and just tell them to go crazy? Or bury them far, far below the earth, perching them precariously over a pit of awaiting lava? Or hide them in Notch's hat!
MineCon tickets available now
MineCon is attempting to craft an audience by selling of tickets on the interwebs. The first 500 registrants to the show, taking place November 18-19 at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas, are entered to win "The Ultimate Fan Experience." The status will grant the lucky soul VIP seating to keynotes and "classes," along with a meal at the same table as Team Mojang -- no word if the developer will pick up the bill, though. The early bird special has tickets costing $99 until September 30, with the regular price and onsite ticket prices set at $139. Mojang head Markus "Notch" Persson is expected to launch the game at the event.
Minecraft's 'MineCon' convention set for November 18 - 19 in Vegas
Rather than setting its convention in the icy grip of its home country's chilly November, Sweden-based Minecraft studio Mojang Specifications is holding what it dubs "MineCon" in Las Vegas. "For me, MineCon is about celebrating the full release of Minecraft," Mojang head Markus "Notch" Persson told PC Gamer this week. Apparently the delayed title will see its full launch in grand style, with Notch "getting up on stage and pushing the button to upload the final build." When he first spitballed the idea back in May, voters overwhelmingly responded, "No, definitely not" when asked whether they'd attend such an event. That said, the minority's 42,000 votes were assuredly enough to convince him of demand for such an event. Speaking of, Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino will host MineCon on November 18 and 19, and the ticket registration site is set to go live next week -- apparently Notch will announce as much on his Twitter account, so keep an eye out. That is, if you can tear yourself away from building that to-scale replica of Hogwarts. Update: This year marks the second MineCon.
