Development cycle

Minecraft undergoes a rather long Development Cycle. It constantly updates, and Notch stated that it will continue to do so even after the game was completed. The PC version of the game was officially released on November 18, 2011 at Minecon. The Pocket Edition is currently in Alpha.

Classic
The very first and very basic version of Minecraft. It was released to the public on May 17, 2009 and is currently available in both Creative and Survival variations, played in Survival Test. During this phase, the gameplay was completely different. At that time, many features were not implemented yet, and the basic ideas of blocks and mobs were created and perfected. It did, however, feature Creative Multiplayer, where players could collaborate and build together. Players can still play this version for free and it will remain for historical purposes. Classic Minecraft was abandoned once it reached version 0.30.

Indev
Indev was the second phase of Minecraft's development and the first one that forced players to buy the game in order to play it. It was released on December 23, 2009. Indev stands for In Development, although many community members used to call it simply "/indev/", referencing its web address (www.minecraft.net/indev/). During that time, the entire Minecraft source code had been scrapped and rewritten from scratch. This version was only playable in Survival game mode, and it was the one that shaped and formed it along with the whole Minecraft experience. It introduced many important game elements such as crafting and a proper inventory. Players could create items and tools using natural resources, making Minecraft's gameplay roughly what it is today.

Infdev
Infdev, or /infdev/, was the third phase of Minecraft's development. Infdev stands for Infinite Development, and features maps that can generate infinitely, extending the gameplay possibilities even further, but scrapping other features such as floating islands and permaday. Hell was also scrapped with Infdev's release, but the idea returned in Alpha as The Nether. Although Infdev's main purpose was to develop infinite maps, some extra gameplay features and items were added, such as the addition of Minecarts and the ability to respawn.

Alpha
Alpha was the fourth phase of Minecraft's development. It introduced several new features such as Biomes, Redstone wiring, and another dimension called The Nether. This version also brought back Multiplayer in Survival form, also known as Survival multiplayer.

Beta
Beta was the last phase of Minecraft's development. At this time, the game saw a 50% price increase. Features such as Achievements and Statistics, Weather, and a new Minecraft logo and launcher were introduced. This phase also included the Adventure Update which added a large amount of content into the game including new combat mechanics, Hunger, and naturally generated structures.

Minecraft
Minecraft was released on November 18, 2011 and included many new features. Some of the more notable features include the addition of The End and the boss mob Enderdragons, which after defeated would result in the player "winning" the game. Various new mobs were added to both the Overworld and the Nether, such as the Blaze and Mooshroom. A full list of the additions can be found here.

Table of Features
Below is a short summary of what features each new milestone introduces.

Pocket Edition
As of August 16, 2011, Mojang AB released the Minecraft Pocket Edition. It is the first official mobile Minecraft. Minecraft Pocket Edition is currently in Alpha.

Blocks
List of the 36 blocks in the Pocket Edition: Unavailable (These blocks are in the game generator, but not in the inventory management screen.)
 * Ladders
 * Flowers
 * Cyan and Dandelion
 * Mushrooms
 * Both Red and Brown
 * Sugar Cane
 * Doors (?)
 * Dirt and Grass
 * Wool
 * Gray, Pink, Lime, Yellow, Light Blue, Blue, Purple, Cyan, White, Red, Green, and Brown
 * Wooden and Cobblestone stairs
 * Stone Slabs
 * Sand and Sandstone
 * Leaves
 * Glass
 * Stone
 * Cobblestone
 * Wooden Planks
 * Default wood color
 * Gold, Iron, and Diamond blocks
 * Brick block
 * Pine and Birch Wood
 * Ores
 * Gravel
 * Bedrock
 * Camera

Features

 * Ability to invite and play multi-player on a world. (local wireless network)
 * Save multi-player worlds on a phone.
 * Randomized worlds.
 * Placing and destroying blocks.

Entwicklungszyklus Développement Cykl rozwoju Цикл разработки