SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has halted development of an ambitious update to Minecraft, throwing in the towel after concluding it was technically too complicated, according to a blog post by the team responsible for the hit adventure and construction game.

Microsoft had unveiled the project, dubbed "Super Duper Graphics Packs," to great fanfare in 2017, at E3, the world's biggest video game trade show.

"Unfortunately, the pack proved too technically demanding to implement as planned," the blog post said.

"We realize this is disappointing to some of you -- there was a lot of enthusiasm for Super Duper from inside and outside the studio -- but unfortunately, we aren't happy with how the pack performed across devices," it said.

"For this reason, we're stopping development on the pack, and looking into other ways for you to experience Minecraft with a new look,"it added.

Minecraft -- with its signature pixilated characters and accessories -- enables players to build entire universes either alone or with other players online. Inspired by Lego and its plastic bricks, this digital version is immensely popular with a young public.

In May, Minecraft said 176 million versions of the game have been sold since its launch 10 years ago. In October 2018, Business Insider said the game was attracting 91 million players a month.—AFP