Development cycle

Minecraft undergoes a rather long Development Cycle. It constantly updates and will continue to do so even after the game is completed. The game is currently in Beta.

Classic
The very first and very basic version of Minecraft. It was released to the public on 17th of May, 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 have 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 phrase of Minecraft's development and the first one that forced players to buy the game in order to play it. InDev stands for In Development, although many community members used to call it simply "/indev/", referencing its web address (www.minecraft.net/indev/). It was released on December 23rd, 2009. During that time, the entire Minecraft source code has been scraped 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 introduces many important game elements such as crafting and a proper inventory. Players could create items and tools using neutral resources, making Minecraft's gameplay roughly what it is today. It is also the first version that introduces dynamic lighting. Fluid blocks were also improved as it no longer duplicates infinitely.

Infdev
Infdev, or /infdev/, is Minecraft's third phrase. Infdev stands for Infinite Development, and features maps that can generate infinitely, extending the gameplay possibilities even further, but scraping other features such as floating isalnds and permaday. Hell also was scrapped with Infdev's release, but it returned in different form known 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 a respawn option or the ladder blocks.

Alpha
Alpha introduces several new features such as Biomes, Redstone wiring, and another dimension called The Nether. This version also brings back Multiplayer in Survival form, also known as Survival multiplayer.

Beta
Beta is the most recent version of the game. Proper modding support is added, and a sort of objective in the gameplay, as well as some instruction upon starting a new world. There will be a bigger focus on testing and stability as well, with more time between updates. The price to purchase a premium account will rise to €14.95. Accounts created after the Beta release will still get the full game release, but they might have to pay extra for future updates and expansions. Accounts created before Beta will get all future updates free, including post-release, as Notch has promised.

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

Entwicklungszyklus