Earlier today Mojang posted a video showcasing some of the things for 1.8 – the first half of the Adventure Update. If it doesn’t seem like there’s as much as you thought there would be, keep in mind that while 1.8 is actually adding a lot – the biggest thing it’s adding is groundwork for the 1.9 content and more before the release. Some of the things that are going to be built upon after 1.8 are:

  • NPC characters and their purpose.
  • Experience points, what they do/change.
  • Biomes/Nether might be more detailed.
  • Strongholds, bases being more than just pre-built scenery
  • An over arching purpose to the game outside of its defend-your-sandbox genre.