Notch's Keynote and Minecraft Launch

Here's a compliation of my tweets during the live stream, which summarize what took place:

• IGN's livestream covering ONLY the five Mandalay Bay Ballroom events. ALL of the panels will get missed.
• Livestream up, cheesey opening video ends and @MinecraftChick takes the stage!
• She introduces CaptainSparklez, who introduces his video "Revenge" - A Minecraft Parody of Usher's DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love - Crafted Using Noteblocks. The video appears to use Minecraft textures in another engine.
• Now she's talking about the panels, none of which will be livestreamed. Apparently the terse agenda was all anyone got describing the panels.
• Microsoft Games producer Stuart Platt now onstage. Showing trailer. Minecraft for Xbox 360 demos will be playable in the MS booth.
• Mojang's Daniel Kaplan introducing Minecraft Pocket Edition on iOS.
• @MinecraftChick now introduces Mojang staff members who walk across the stage while she pauses her patter to allow for applause.
• @notch finally takes the stage after @MinecraftChick gets the crowd rhythmically chanting "Notch, notch, notch."
• Mega64 folks now showing their video about Minecraft, featuring a Notch impersonator.
• Mojang team gathers on stage while notch throws big mock-up Minecraft lever to release 1.0.
• After dancing and high-fiving each other while loud music plays, the Mojang team leaves the stage.
• Session over, live stream returns to still image. On audio we hear someone exhorting people to "please walk" leaving the ballroom.

For another summary of the event, see Danny Sullivan's liveblog, Move Over Angry Birds, It’s The Minecraft Coming Out Party.

It was remarkably content-free. Notch's "keynote?" Blink and you missed it. He spoke for a couple of minutes and said nothing of import. Mostly it was an opportunity for him to bask in the audience's adulation. None of the announcements that Notch alluded to in his blog were made.

Besides the celebration, time was spent marketing two other versions of the game, Minecraft for Xbox 360 and Minecraft Pocket Edition on iOS. Of course it was mentioned that even with a secret advance release, the iOS edition made top grossing app (different from top selling). This was despite lackluster reviews and was mostly due to its inflated price ($6.99) compared to other apps.