Minecraft Finally Coming to Next-Gen Consoles in August

After much anticipation it has finally been announced that Minecraft will in fact be coming to the major next-gen consoles, including the Xbox One, Playstation Vita and Playstation 4. All three versions are slated to be released by August of this year.

Apologies for the Delay, But for Good Reason

The game's creators have apologized for the delay but have also stated that the reason behind the wait is the large amount of work involved in bringing an in-depth title like Minecraft to a new platform.

Minecraft has surprised many gaming analysts in recent years with its ability to become so popular despite its poor graphics and seemingly slow-paced gameplay.

However, the depth, creativity and freedom of expression that the game allows for is unprecedented, and these attributes are the driving force behind Minecraft's expansion.

In fact, it has become such a gaming phenomenon that it would be almost absurd for any self-respecting console to leave it out of consideration.

At one point Minecraft was the top-selling title in Xbox Live and sold so successfully that it was eventually produced in disc version despite starting out strictly as a digital download - a very rare achievement.

In the case of this delay the problem has not been Microsoft or Sony. It has just taken the developers a long time to incorporate the extensive number of existing components and new additions that are needed to make the next-gen versions even more detailed and captivating.

So What Improvements and Perks Can We Expect?

The developers have noted that the game will contain much bigger worlds and a greater draw distance than previous editions. 

While the price tag is already low for a next-gen title at a mere $19.99, people who purchased Minecraft for Xbox 360 will be happy to find out that they can upgrade to the Xbox One edition for only $4.99.

The discounted upgrade price will be active for up to a year after the game's release and will be available to anyone who either purchased the game through the online marketplace or played a disc version of the game online.

Furthermore, players will be able to import their saves from the Xbox 360 version into the new Xbox One version. 

So what perks do Playstation players get?

The good news is, anyone who bought Minecraft for PS3 through the Playstation Network will automatically get it free for Playstation Vita.

An upgraded Blu-ray disc version for the Playstation 4 is also in the works and should be dropping in August as well.

No Backwards Compatibility or Cross-Platform Play, But Who Needs It?

Unfortunately, you won't be able to export your Xbox One saves back over to Xbox 360 as the game will not be backwards-compatible.

Although cross-platform online play will not be possible from the Xbox One to the Xbox 360, fret not because by default you'll be able to access almost all of the texture packs and DLC skins that you might have purchased for the previous version.