Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson will unveil the full version of the indie video game, originally written in Java, at the MineCon in Las Vegas next week.

Video game developer Mojang has already sold more than 4 million copies of the beta version of Minecraft, which has been continually updated and patched since an alpha version was released in 2009.

At the MineCon at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Nov. 18 and 19, Persson will show for the first time the full version, dubbed Minecraft 1.0. The game has a huge fan base, is highly addictive, and has reaped citations for providing a unique outlet for creativity.

But with the "under development" label to be removed from Minecraft, critics would be harsher and expectations would be higher. Will Minecraft 1.0 survive the mainstream, where everything from graphics to gameplay would be scrutinized, and a bigger audience entering the never ending world of Minecraft?

Persson said in September that only two more major features will be added before the November release. Mojang developer Jens Bergensten released the Minecraft 1.8 and Minecraft 1.9 adventure updates in September.

Unless Minecraft 1.0 is a significant upgrade to the latest beta version, chances are its graphics for the game about blocks would be criticized as "ugly" or "needs improvement". Minecraft has had issues of inconsistency and bugs. Minecraft experts are used to the weekly or monthly adventure updates but new players might not be as patient.

Will the masses accept a game that has "outdated" visuals and interface that takes time to get used to? Moreover, using the blocks to construct a replica of the Taj Mahal is more complicated than playing Mario or planting sunflowers in a war against the zombies (Here's a quick 15-minute guide for noobs by IGN though).

But majority of those who have tried and tested Minecraft alpha and beta insist the blocky retro-feel and the pixilated graphics are what make Minecraft unique. Graphics don't mean much when the focus is gameplay and creativity in building models out of textured cubes in a 3-D world. And the new mobs, adventure elements, terrains provided by the adventure updates are a necessity in the never ending world of Minecraft. Good artists need only a blank canvas, some color tubes and a brush to create a masterpiece, don't they?

So what do you think? Will Minecraft 1.0 more fit to be indie? Or will it have Call of Duty or Angry Birds-like success when it officially goes mainstream? We'll find out next week.

Live Streaming

Tickets to the MineCon are sold-out. But the event will be shown via live streaming by IGN.

The event will include the official launch of Minecraft; keynote speeches, including one by Persson; building and costume contests; Minecraft-themed breakout classes; exhibits by gaming and Minecraft-related companies; and commemorative merchandise. All MineCon attendees will receive a free cloak, code to unlock alpha versions of Mojang's other upcoming game, Scrolls, as well as an additional non-Mojang game, Cobalt.