Minecraft: Pocket Edition To Grace Your Android On Sept 29th!

Minecraft: Pocket Edition will soon grace your soon-to-be-even-more-beloved Android devices in just three days. Three days! While the game may be just a build-and-construct version of the main game, it will still feature multiplayer across your local wireless network (Wi-fi). The game will probably be in the same ballpark cost as the Xperia Play version, at $6.99. 

On August 16, 2011, Minecraft – Pocket Edition was released exclusively for the Xperia Play for $6.99 USD.
The first, and current, version of the software concentrates on the creative building aspect of the game, and allows for multiplay across a local wireless network

Source: Mojang Twitter, Wikipedia

Buy Minecraft This Weekend And Receive A Free Copy

MjolnirX - Celebrating his marriage to his new wife, Notch, the creator of Minecraft, will be rewarding those who purchase a copy of Minecraft this weekend with a free copy of the game to gift to another! For as highly-regarded as this game is, that is not a bad deal at all. The copy will run you roughly $21 CAD/US.

"Until August 14th Sweden time (CEST) when the transaction is processed.
When Minecraft is finished, it will sell for €20.00.
If you pre-purchase now during beta, you pay just €14.95!


Please note that when you buy the game, you're paying for the game as it is right now!
You will also get the full version of Minecraft when it is released. Read the copyright information for more information on your purchase." 

Minecraft Not For Sale To EA

Castrum - As mediocre as I believe Minecraft is (though I loved Terraria, which is only vaguely like Minecraft), it's great to see an indie developer not just make it big and then hand the keys off to one of the three or four publishers who own virtually every AAA game released these days:

Well, EA came to see us. I think they had plans, but the picked up the vibe. Nothing has been said since – it's all very high politics.

According to Develop, Riccitiello made a special trip to Stockholm just to visit the house of Minecraft. I contacted EA for confirmation, and was told that while EA doesn't comment on their mergers and acquisitions activity, "John's trips to Sweden are more likely related to marveling at the progress DICE has made on Battlefield 3."

Notch also confirmed the DICE visit with me. "He was visiting DICE primarily, but spent a long lunch with us," he said. "Nobody ever mentioned anything about any M&A during that lunch, but there has been definite hints earlier from other people at EA."

http://kotaku.com/5828127/minecraft-developer-gives-off-a-not+for+sale+to+ea-vibe

Bethesda Threatens Mojang Over Use Of Word "Scrolls"

MjolnirX - According to Notch, the creator of Minecraft, Bethesda is considering suing Mojang over the use of the word "Scrolls" in their expansion. The reasoning is that it's too similar to their use of the word in "The Elder Scrolls".

This isn't really unexpected. When Mojang's lawyers told them to register the name "Minecraft", they also told them to register "Scrolls" as well to avoid any trouble that might cause in the future. After applying for it, they were contacted by Bethesda's lawyers as to their intention of their use of the word "Scrolls" in their product. Notch told Bethesda's lawyers that their intention was to use it as a precursor to the name of expanions i.e Scrolls - The Banana Edition. To Notch's knowledge, he doesn't know if Bethesda had agreed to Mojang's terms.

Today, Mojang recieved a 15-page cease-and-desist letter from Bethesda's lawyers saying that if he does not stop using the word "Scrolls" in his work, they are threatening to sue Mojang should the need arise. Notch doesn't seem too concerned, noting that "I love Bethesda. I assume this nonsense is partly just their lawyers being lawyers, and a result of trademark law being the way it is."

Myself, I'm hoping that this is just something of a misunderstanding. "Scrolls" is such a general term. The patent system is a joke in its current state. The two games aren't similar in any ways, and don't share any of the same appeal to people. It's not like using the word "Scrolls" will somehow hurt Bethesda's business. I know product awareness and saturation is one thing, but this is just a ridiculous situation. Also, I don't think Bethesda wants to be known as the people who sued everyone's beloved Minecraft.