14 DAY TRIAL // Minecraft creator Mojang has confirmed a major new update for Pocket Edition gamers on mobiles, and it has recently deployed a Beta testing initiative which strangely doesn’t involve iOS platforms.
“Interested in signing up for Pocket Edition beta testing on your Android device? Now is the time to start signing up for it! Mojang is looking for good beta testers, and you can apply!” reads the post on minecraftforum.net.
The announcement is a few days old, but it has failed to garner much coverage on the Apple blogosphere.
One week later, Mojang is still not mentioning an iOS build, despite most avid players begging the company for a “Redstone update” (among other things), as we reported this past weekend.
Interested Android fans can apply to the Minecraft PE Test Group, follow the instructions for downloading the beta, and then jump in for the testing.
Players are told to rest assured that their app will be updated with the final build when it rolls out, “whether you’re in the beta or not.” In other words, players can quit the beta at any time they wish to do so.
Finally, the studio notes, “We’re hoping to get the 0.8.0 version out before Christmas.”
One reason why Mojang isn’t opening beta testing for iOS gamers is because it may require a jailbreak on the tester’s end (a practice that can be cumbersome for many users, and is not without its risks).
If history is any indication, there’s a good chance Minecraft - Pocket Edition 0.8.0 will, indeed, arrive on Android and iOS simultaneously. An open beta for iOS isn’t imperative, and any reported bugs can be fixed in a subsequent update.
Among the new features planned for Minecraft - Pocket Edition 0.8.0 are redstone, minecarts, powered rails, beets, carrots, pumpkins, carpet, stone walls, sponges, metal bars, a PC-like inventory and crafting system, and more.