If you’re an EA or Origin Access member, today’s a good day: Titanfall 2 just went live in EA’s Vault as a free download for subscribers. It’s available on Xbox One through EA Access and on PC through Origin Access. Each service is $5/£4/€4 per month, and subscribing gets you access to the Vault, a collection of games.
EA generally adds games to the Vault about 6-9 months after release, a pattern the company continued with Titanfall 2. EA is also adding Battlefield 1 to EA/Origin Access sometime soon, although it hasn’t announced an exact date.
There are dozens more games in the Vault for you to play, as well. A subscription lets you download the games in full, much like Xbox Live Games With Gold; you can see a list of EA/Origin Access games here. In addition, you get exclusive discounts and, frequently, access to brand-new games a few days before their full release.
Nintendo has unveiled a new map debuting soon in Splatoon 2. However, this particular level won’t be joining the game’s usual stage rotation; rather, it will only appear during Splatfest events.
The new map, dubbed Shifty Station, will only be available in the stage rotation during Splatfests, the in-game competitions that have players choose one of two opposing teams and compete to earn points for their side. Nintendo says the map’s layout changes between Splatfests, so players will be battling on a different version of the map each time it appears in the game.
Shifty Station will presumably debut with the game’s first Splatfest, which is coming up during the first weekend of August. Nintendo hasn’t announced timing details for the event just yet, but like the Splatfest World Premiere demo that took place the week before Splatoon 2 released, this particular competition will also revolve around food. This time, players must choose which condiment they prefer: mayo or ketchup?
Splatoon 2 launched for Nintendo Switch on July 21. The game was very well-received when it debuted; critic Kallie Plagge awarded it an 8/10 in GameSpot’s review and called the game “a vibrant and exuberant sequel with enough fresh additions and changes to set it apart from the original.”
There’s been a lot of talk about Minecraft‘s Better Together update, which will add cross-play functionality between all devices that have Minecraft–with the notable exception of Sony platforms. Today, players can finally try out Minecraft’s cross-play, as it has gone live in a limited beta test.
The beta is currently only available on Windows 10 and Android devices, but Microsoft promises that it’ll grow to include Xbox One players soon. Beta testers have access to many of the planned features coming in the full update, although some–like community-run, cross-platform servers–have yet to be implemented. Cross-platform Marketplace functionality, however, is already live.
To enroll in the beta on Xbox One or Windows 10, you’ll need a digital copy of the game. You also have to download the Xbox Insider Hub app, and then join the Minecraft Beta through the Insider Content section. On Android, follow the instructions here to access the beta.
The full update launches sometime this fall, and it’ll support cross-play for the Nintendo Switch, iOS, VR, Windows 10, and Xbox One versions of the game. A ton of new features were released in the beta, and you can see a full list below. A graphical update is coming to the game this fall, as well.
New Features:
Stained Glass
Fireworks (with Elytra boost)
Parrots
Banners
Armor stands
Jukebox and music discs
Recipe Book
Book and Quill
Ravines
Coarse Dirt
New world start options: Starting Map, Bonus Chest, Trust Players
New game rules: TNT Explodes, Natural Regeneration
Added ‘/tickingarea’ command to create areas that still update when no players are there
One of the major problems with Minecraft is the number of different editions, with varying level of multiplayer cross-play. This stems from different code bases – the console versions are based on the original Java game, while Pocket/Windows 10 Edition use the same C++ code base. But the upcoming Minecraft PE 1.2 update, nicknamed the ‘Better Together Update,’ aims to address this.
The main new feature in this update is cross-play with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch players. It’s not entirely clear if the current console edition is being replaced, but Mojang says existing owners of Xbox One Edition or Switch Edition will “receive the brand new version of Minecraft for free, and your existing worlds and DLC will come along to the new version with you.” The new version will simply be called ‘Minecraft,’ separate from the various Editions and the PC version (which is now called Java Edition).
A beta version of the Better Together Update is available today for Windows 10 Edition and Pocket Edition, but you won’t be able to try out the cross-play yet. The Xbox One beta required for cross-play will arrive in a few days, but there’s no word on a Switch beta (I’m not entirely sure if the Switch’s eShop supports beta programs).
However, there is still plenty of new content you can try out in the beta right now. Most of the changes were previously only available on the Java and/or Console Editions, so it’s definitely nice to see them arrive on mobile. Here is the full list of new features:
Stained Glass
Fireworks (with Elytra boost!)
Parrots
Banners
Armor stands
Jukebox and music discs
Recipe Book
Book and Quill
Ravines
COARSE DIRT
New world start options: Starting Map, Bonus Chest, Trust Players
New game rules: TNT Explodes, Natural Regeneration
Added ‘/tickingarea’ command to create areas that still update when no players are there
Player permissions
Zombie Villager spawn egg
In-game host options
New loading screens with funny and helpful tips
How to Play screen
Remix 3D and structure blocks
Split-screen (Console only)
World conversion
Player limit increased on higher end devices
Maps can be held off-hand
Ice blocks are transparent
If you want to sign up for the beta on Android, you can join it (or leave it) here. It probably goes without saying that you have to own the game on Google Play first. To join the Xbox One beta, check out the instructions at the source link below.
A Londonderry theatre is to host the world’s first play performed by both human actors and avatars – digitised versions of the cast – in the computer game, Minecraft.
Playcraft Live will be performed at the city’s Playhouse Theatre on 14 October.
It will simultaneously be streamed to the world online via the theatre’s website, Minecraft and Youtube.
Slipping between both stage and game world, the story will unfold across different locations and times.
Minecraft is the second-best-selling videogame of all time.
It allows players to build things using cubic blocks and take part in exploration, engineering, crafting and combat.
The game is hugely popular with children and young teenagers.
The production will see the dramatisation of a script, written specifically for Playcraft by Alex Scarrow, author of the teen science fiction series of novels, Time Riders.
The story is based between books one and two of his Time Riders series.
Online audiences will experience the production as a live-stream simulcast.
For those lucky enough to be part of the Playhouse audience, they will be able to see the physical actor on stage communicating the play to them.
‘Completely new’
They will also see a stream of the digital version of that actor, within the Minecraft world, projected onto a screen.
These avatars will be developed and built by Minecraft experts operating from an adjacent room.
Kieran Griffiths, creative director at the Playhouse Theatre, said he was excited to be introducing something “completely new to the world of theatre”.
“The production is hugely ambitious and a definite step into the unknown, but a tremendous opportunity to allow two artistic worlds to come together and learn from each other,” Mr Griffiths said.
The project will also involve renowned creative producer Adam Clarke and digital educators MakeMatic.
It has been commissioned by The Space, which is funded by the BBC and Arts Council England
“I suppose the thorny rose in between is the technology,” Mr Griffiths said.
“Over the coming months we have to remove the thorns and make sure that rose is passed gracefully.
“At the end of it, we hope to produce an educational asset whereby we will see online amateur societies creating their own world within Minecraft.”
Throughout the summer, Minecraft fans will be invited to join in on the production, find out more about the play and contribute to the process along the way.
