Notch answers Minecraft 1.8 questions at PAX - Dragons and Trading confirmed

In an interview with OmniTechNews at PAX, Notch reveals personal details behind the history of Minecraft and new features to expect in version 1.8. As usual, Notch being the great guy he is, smoothes his way through the interview with his trade mark hat and Mojang t-shirt.

We've written a summary of Notch's answers below but for his exact comments see the video at the end of this post.

Where, how and when did you come up with Minecraft?

When Notch left King he decided to start making his own game. Minecraft initially started out as a top down strategy game but turned it into a first person game. The goal was always about collecting resources and building stuff.

What inspired you to build a blocky cube atmosphere?

When Notch changed from the top down view everything became blocky and weird. Another game called Infiniminer actually used 3D blocky graphics and they worked. So Notch ran with the idea and it turned out a success.

Where did you get the idea for creepers?

These were supposed to be pigs originally. Notch designed the creeper himself and made the models. He made a mistake though and it turned out long and thin. So he kept it.

Will it be possible to trade with people in NPC villages?

Probably not possible in version 1.8 but maybe in 1.9

What about the height limit will it be the same?

Notch will keep the height limit in 1.8, but there are mods which can change the height. Notch decided to keep the limit for performance reasons.

Is the hunger bar optional?

No. This is for performance reasons as well.

Can you switch between creative and adventure mode?

In single player you cannot switch (unless you edit the file) because it's too easy to cheat.

When will 1.8 be released?

Notch and the team will tweak 1.8 until its ready for release. This will be a couple of weeks after PAX (however Jebs has stated recently that 1.8 could be ready on 8th September).

Are you going to incorporate aether or skylands mods into Minecraft?

Notch isn't going to incorporate those mods. Skylands might be incorporated when the nether has become more fun but not just yet.

Will there be bears, dragons or other hostile mobs?

In future versions there will be dragons once Notch figures out how to do them. At the moment Notch is trying to keep all animals natural and all monsters unnatural.

Will there be a European Minecon?

There might be a Minecon in the future but not this year.

When will Minecraft be available for all Android phones?

Notch said he really didn't know.

What server options will be coming for Minecraft?

There will be many more options coming soon. For example, 1.8 players can toggle between creative and survival mode. Also players can get player lists whilst playing the game.

Will Minecraft have expansions and updates after it's released?

Yes.

Where do you see development heading the future for Minecraft?

In the future, expansions will focus on a particular theme. For example there might be a forest theme that focuses on forests.