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Minecraft 1.5 launched just a couple days ago, bringing a few new craftables, some performance updates, and weather! So far the performance updates have been the best part. I’m getting 80+ FPS while running around in single player worlds, where before I was somewhere around the mid 30s depending on chunk loads. I’m also really excited about the way weather works. I was always sad to see it in YouTube videos since it was gone by the time I started seriously playing. It will be nice to have it back.

I’ve included a couple screenshots with the post to show off some of the new features. The texture pack I’m using is called Coterie if you’re interested. In one picture you’ll notice the “crying obsidian” texture – that’s actually been replaced with a sidegrass texture in 1.5. Other than that, enjoy the pics – share some of your own in the comments if you have them. Has anyone seen lightning yet?

I spend so much time in Minecraft it’s hard to believe that the game isn’t done. It is so far beyond any game experience I have had in recent memory, largely due to the huge development community that backs the game. It is a fantastic experience, one I can hardly overstate and something that every self-respecting gamer should spend time on (I play on a server called DarkTide under the name “TheWuggler” if anyone would like to join). Mojang, the game’s developer, has set an official release date for Minecraft, which is still in beta. The target: 11/11/2011.

You probably know that date well. A lot of other games are targeting the golden date for release, not the least of which is Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. As Notch mentioned on his blog announcing the release, Minecraft won’t have a proper release date like many other games. There are already millions of registered players, and Mojang continues to update the game on a regular basis.

From Notch’s blog:

It’s a bit tricky to really do a release for Minecraft as we keep updating it all the time. For one, the version we deem as the “full version” won’t be very different at all from what the game was like a week ago, and we’ll keep adding features after the release as well, so it’s really more of a milestone when we finally get rid of the Beta label, and some kind of goal for us to work towards. The plan is to be open with this and try to get people to cheer us on as much as possible, but to be open with the fact that the game won’t change much at the actual release day. (It’s more a progress up until that point).

Progress is right – the game just released an update that added wild wolves to the mix of creatures. The wolves can be tamed and used as player pets, aiding in the hunt for delicious porkchops or, my favorite game, other players.

How many more times can I say in one post that I love Minecraft…I LOVE MINECRAFT. Seriously, check it out.