'Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta' to release July 29

Mojang website

It seems that one of the new features that Microsoft fans will experience when the upcoming Windows 10 is launched is a brand-new "Minecraft." 

Game developer Mojang will be launching what it calls "a whole new version" of the intriguingly addictive sandbox game. Partnering with Microsoft, "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta" will also be launched on July 29, the scheduled release date of the new Microsoft Windows 10 platform. 

According to Mojang's announcement, the beta version will be free for those who have already reserved the upgrade to Windows 10. However, the game will have a fee for those who want to get the new game but are not entitled to the free Windows 10 upgrade such as those owning non-genuine Windows 7 and 8.1 versions.

"If you're one of the 20 million(!) players who have the PC edition of Minecraft (referred to by techy people as the Java version) you'll be able to download Windows 10 Edition Beta from the Windows 10 store for free," Mojang said, "Other players can get it for the paltry price of $10 during the beta period (the length of which is still being decided)."

Those who are familiar with "Minecraft" will find the upcoming game similar to the "Minecraft: Pocket Edition" title, since it will retain most of the features. However, Mojang promises gamers that the upcoming title will also introduce a host of new options, such as multiple control schemes, playing online for up to seven players on both Windows 10 and Xbox Live, and recording and sharing gameplay highlights with the new built-in GameDVR. 

To celebrate the release of the new game, Microsoft is also planning to update the new "Minecraft" title with free updates over time, instead of releasing newer versions. This also follows the planned rollout of Windows 10, which Microsoft calls its "last OS version" since the company is just planning to release incremental updates instead of developing new versions.