Minecraft:Java Edition Beta

Template:Redirect Template:Infobox development phase

Beta was the sixth and the final development phase that succeeded Alpha and preceded the full release of Java Edition, and was the fifth and final Minecraft development stage to have some of its versions released to the public. It was announced on Minecraft:Notch's blog on December 11, 2010, and released nine days later on December 20, 2010.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> As well as some minor updates, the transition from Alpha saw a 50% price increase (therefore making the cost 25% of the full price), a change in the disclaimer (Notch removed the line that said "all future updates will be provided free of charge", though the statement still applies to users who bought Minecraft before Beta was released. Both Alpha and Beta buyers got the full game free of charge) and minor updates to the main website.

Features

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New Minecraft Minecraft:logo and launcher.
New animated background for main menu.
Minecraft:Achievements and Minecraft:statistics.
Minecraft:Server-side Minecraft:inventory.
Reintroduction of Minecraft:Creative game mode.
Minecraft:Weather effects: Minecraft:rain and Minecraft:snow.
Rewritten Minecraft:biome codes.
More variety in Minecraft:trees.
New Minecraft:lighting mechanics.
New graphical effects, including improved sunrise/sunset, water bubbles, Minecraft:explosions, and Minecraft:void particles.
Naturally generated structures such as Minecraft:strongholds, Minecraft:mineshafts and Minecraft:villages.
New mobs including Minecraft:squid, Minecraft:endermen, Minecraft:silverfish, Minecraft:cave spiders and tameable Minecraft:wolves.
New Minecraft:health mechanic using Minecraft:hunger and stackable Minecraft:food items.
New combat mechanics such as Minecraft:critical hits, charged Minecraft:bows, Minecraft:experience orbs, Minecraft:sprinting and Minecraft:blocking.
New mechanisms (Minecraft:redstone repeaters, Minecraft:note blocks, Minecraft:dispensers, Minecraft:powered rails, Minecraft:detector rails, Minecraft:trapdoors, improved Minecraft:redstone look, Minecraft:pistons, Minecraft:sticky pistons).
New Minecraft:blocks and Minecraft:recipes, such as Minecraft:sandstone and the Minecraft:lapis lazuli block.
New items, such as Minecraft:maps and Minecraft:dyes.
New farming elements: Minecraft:melons and Minecraft:pumpkins.
Minecraft:Beds for skipping through the night and resetting Minecraft:spawn point.

Major updates

Minecraft:Beta 1.0: The first version of Beta, which added server-side inventories and inventory item tooltips.
- Beta 1.0_01
- Beta 1.0.2
Minecraft:Beta 1.1: Added support for special events on specific dates during the holiday period.
- Beta 1.1_01
- Beta 1.1_02
Minecraft:Beta 1.2: Added many new blocks, Minecraft:squid, sheep variants, and new trees.
- Beta 1.2_01
- Beta 1.2_02
Minecraft:Beta 1.3: Added beds, repeaters, and new slabs.
- Beta 1.3_01
Minecraft:Beta 1.4: Added cookies, wolves, and a new Minecraft logo. Featured the Minecraft:locked chest as part of an April Fools' joke.
- Beta 1.4_01
Minecraft:Beta 1.5: Added cobwebs, new saplings, new rails, charged creepers, and Minecraft:weather.
- Beta 1.5_01
- Beta 1.5_02 (Server Only)
Minecraft:Beta 1.6: Added variants of tall grass, trapdoors, and maps.
Minecraft:Beta 1.7: Added pistons and Minecraft:shears.
Minecraft:Beta 1.8 (Minecraft:Adventure Update): Added many features related to adventuring and changed the terrain generation.
- Beta 1.8.1

Trivia

Some sound effects in Beta no longer play the old sound effect, instead they play the newer sounds because sounds are not stored in the Minecraft:minecraft.jar file.
The first version of Minecraft:Xbox 360 Edition and Minecraft:MinecraftEdu was based off of Template:Vl.