Minecraft 1.7 'adventure update' incoming

Indie sandbox dig 'em up Minecraft is famous for letting players create their own fun, but if you like goals in your video game, the next patch is for you. Referring to it as the "adventure update," on his blog, creator Markus 'Notch' Persson teased a little of what we can expect from update 1.7.

"We're keeping the details secret so people can get surprises. The idea with this update is to flesh out the game a bit, making it reward exploration and combat more," Persson said. Doubtless it'll all be optional, for you to dabble in if you fancy a little structure.

Minecraft's official mod support will also arrive soon, with the source code going out to "a very VERY small group of people" before 1.7 launches. "We'll use those experiences to work out the final details, then we'll get the modding API out as soon as possible after 1.7 has been released," Persson explained.

On top of all that, 1.7 might bring pistons too, "assuming we like them in play testing."

Persson also said a little more about the Kinect-supporting Xbox 360 edition of Minecraft, which was announced at E3 last week for a winter launch. "It will be a new version of the game, designed specifically for console play," Persson explained.

As previously announced, Minecraft is also coming to Android via Sony's Xperia Play phone, which it'll be exclusive to for a while. Minecraft's coming to iPhone too.

While Persson is serving as game designer on the Xbox 360 and Android versions, he notes that "I won't be involved in the programming as I'm focused on the PC version of Minecraft."