Originally posted by another user
That news area is loaded from the interwebs and will contain release notes so you know what’s changed. When you start the game, the launcher will ask you if you want to download the new update or not. Eventually there will also be an option in the launcher to choose where to load/save maps from.
Originally posted by another user
Minecraft is a sandbox construction game, inspired by Infiniminer, and created by Markus Persson, the founder of Mojang AB. The game involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a three dimensional environment. The player takes an avatar that can destroy or create blocks, forming fantastic structures, creations and artwork across the various multiplayer servers in multiple game modes.
Minecraft is currently in beta, available to players for €14.95 (~$20). Beta singleplayer and Beta multiplayer, when purchased, can be played in the user's web browser, or using the downloadable client. Minecraft Classic is available to play for free. Minecraft development started around the 10th of May 2009, pre-orders for the full game started being accepted on the 13th of June 2009.
Originally posted by another user
Minecraft is composed of and built entirely out of blocks. You dig through blocks, you build with blocks, your character is made of blocks; they are everywhere. It is possible to change how the blocks appear by applying new Texture Packs.
The face of a block is 16x16 pixels, and each block is one cubic meter. Water, Lava and Portal blocks have a shifting pattern for each face.
Originally posted by another user
Items, alongside Blocks, make up all usable resources in Minecraft. While blocks take on 3D appearances in inventory, items appear as 2d sprites, only having a small level of 3D when in the player's hand.
Items first appeared in Indev and are only available in Indev, Infdev, Alpha and Beta.
Notch has said everything from the current survival mode will be placeable in the future Creative mode, but how items will work remains to be seen.
[ame=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPls6LXlkGI]YouTube - Bob's Minecraft Tutorial 1: Minecart Boosters[/ame]
[ame=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayhg-yizLUI]YouTube - Bob's Minecraft Tutorial 2: Auto Minecart Station[/ame]
[ame=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v5cAFYouWY]YouTube - Bob's Minecart Tutorial 3: Advanced Minecart Stations[/ame]