by Stone Marshall | Aug 2, 2016 | Minecraft News |
Minecraft for Windows 10 will be adding support for the Oculus Rift VR headset in the “next few weeks.” Microsoft and Mojang announced the news on the one-year anniversary of Minecraft’s release on Windows 10, confirming that it will be a free update. Windows isn’t the first platform to enable Minecraft in virtual reality — that would be the Samsung Gear VR, where a VR edition of the game launched in April. But the Oculus Rift, which features things like external camera tracking, will allow for a different and possibly more comfortable experience.
We’ve tried VR versions of Minecraft on both the Rift and the Gear VR, and our impressions have varied — some of us love it, others find it disorienting. If you own an Oculus Rift, it’s worth trying simply because there aren’t that many long, complex games for the platform. There’s more information available on the Minecraft site, though we don’t know the exact release date yet.
One other, minor note: we also don’t know what’s going on with the Touch motion controller on the Minecraft VR page. We’ve only seen the game using a standard Xbox gamepad on the Rift, and it’s likely to stay that way, given how much work adding motion controls could involve. But with Oculus Connect coming up in October, anything is possible.
Minecraft will get Oculus Rift support in next few weeks
by Stone Marshall | Aug 1, 2016 | Awesome Book News |
Welcome everyone to another weekly roundup of allHearthstone [Free] news, and apologies for coming to you one day later than usual. As I wrote about yesterday, I was at San Diego Comic-Con for most of last week, so I didn’t have the time to put together a whole column. Still, nothing really happened last week anyway, right? Well, except that long-awaited announcement about new content coming our way soon. We’ve been seeing the signs for some weeks now, so I wasn’t surprised to see tangible evidence of new content, but it’s still nice to know we’ll be getting new cards soon (how soon no one knows, yet).
As you can imagine, most of this week’s news was about the new expansion, but I tried to avoid simply giving you the same story over and over again. Still, there are a few stories about Karazhan today with the hopes of helping you prepare for Friday’s announcement. There’s also talk about the state of pro Hearthstone, popular decks of the week, the current meta, and more. So, let’s jump in.
The Next Adventure Will Probably Be Announced July 28th, Looks Like It’s Karazhan
The evidence is there guys, and it does look like we are getting a Karazhan-themed Adventure. As we wrote a few days ago, and as I’ve mentioned in the intro to this week’s post, we finally have solid evidence that there is indeed an Adventure being announced soon, and everyone seems to agree that it’s going to have to do with Karazhan and Medivh. All this info came out of a Blizzard announcement that invites people to a once-in-a-lifetime event full of magic and celebration. “Please be prompt,” the announcement requests, “as we have an unforgettable adventure planned.” The event will take place Thursday, July 28th at 11:00 pm PDT and will be streamed live on Twitch. The announcement includes feathers, drinks, and music symbols along with references to Azeroth, so everyone is pretty much convinced that all these are pointing towards Karazhan. Not too many days before we see for ourselves what Blizzard has in store.
An Overview of Karazhan
The evidence is pointing overwhelmingly towards Karazhan being the next Hearthstoneupdate, and HearthHead put together an article about what Karazhan actually is and what it could mean for the game. The story talks about Medivh’s possession and the way he ended up going insane. It then goes on to talk about Karazhan, the ancient tower at Deadwind Pass, and its role in the WoW lore. When it comes to how Karazhan might change Hearthstone, which is what we’re all more interested in, the article talks about the possibility of Mage, Priest, Druid, or Warlock getting a weapon for the first time. The article then goes on to talk about how the various elements of Karazhan might be used in the different classes. There are also some interesting locations Hearthstonecould visit in its next Adventure. Go here to read the full story, and also check out this GamesBeat story for more info on Karazhan.
The Party Guests of Karazhan
The official Hearthstone Twitter account has been tweeting pictures of cards but with minor differences; they are all ready to party. This is, of course, a promotional move that fits with the theme of the Adventure announcement we talked about above. HearthPwn pulled together all the images, and you can check them out here. The changes are subtle but fun; for instance, Annoy-o-Tron has a goblet rather than a bell in one hand, Possessed Villager is wearing a silly party hat, and so on. Fun idea, and more evidence that Blizzard knows how to drum up interest.
Kripparian Reveals BlizzCon 2016 Goody Bag Contents
If you are one of those planning on going to BlizzCon 2016, here’s your chance to check out the contents of the goody bag. If you don’t know what this is, the goody bag is given to those who attend BlizzCon in person and to virtual ticket holders (though the latter ones usually have to buy it). According to the box opening video and this HearthPwn story, the goody bag has an Elite Tauren Chieftain Keychain Tag, a Hearthstone Tavern Brawl microfiber cloth, a BlizzCon Stein, and other, non-Hearthstone related items. Check out the video below for a preview of coming loot attractions.
Frodan and TJ Sanders Talk State of Pro Hearthstone
If you wanted a good take on pro Hearthstone, it’s hard to find better people thanHearthstone Casters Dan Frodan Chou and TJ Azumoqt Sanders. In this interview, they talk about the state of the game. Frodan and TJ feel the Whispers meta has been pretty much solved, partly because we only use Conquest or Last Hero Standing, which makes it easier to figure what decks are the best. Speaking about the many relatively unknown players we’ve seen in big tournaments recently, Frodan said that tournaments aren’t a good way of figuring out who’s the best. Then, he goes on to talk about how he feels we’re missing out on the most competitive form of Hearthstone, Conquest, because what we use now isn’t really relatable. The nature of the game in addition to how popular some streamers are have the effect of over exposure, and we get to see the same decks all the time.
They then went on to talk about ways the pro scene can improve. The first, having new players enter the game constantly, is actually happening, and we need the community to not be all about a few famous streamers. The conversation then shifts to talking about the game as a whole, and Frodan talks about how other CCGs will find it hard to challenge Hearthstone because it strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and complexity. Read this very interesting interview here.
Hearthstone Tweets of the Week
As every week, HearthHead gathered interesting Hearthstone-related tweets, and they are an intriguing read. There’s talk about Priest needing “cool new stuff,” talk about Aggro Shaman, Mill Decks, and more. Always an entertaining read because it’s one thing to hear rumors and another to see it straight from the “horses” mouth. Check out all the tweets here.
Popular Decks of the Week
This HearthPwn story has all the popular decks of the week, with such beauties as Worgen Combo Warrior, Token Druid, Wisp Zoo Paladin, Renogg Hatson, and Evolve Shaman present (among other ones). They range from a lowly 1500 dust to an astounding 12880, so plenty of variety and something for the wealthy and the poor among us. The list is not surprising and is another sign of how the meta has been figured out, at least for the time being. Check out the list here.
Blizzard Releases Anduin Comic
In the lead up to World of Warcraft‘s Legion expansion, Blizzard has been releasing comics that fill in missing details. The latest one also relates to Hearthstone more directly since it’s called Anduin: Son of the Wolf and is all about the Priest hero. In this comic, King Varian speaks of the dangers ahead, and Anduin realizes he must face his fears and decide his course. You can check out the description here, you can download the comic here, and you can also use the Madefire app to see it in action and with sound.
Lifecoach Wins Seat Story Cup
After an epic tournament, Lifecoach managed to win the Seat Story Cup title, to many viewers’ delight. The competition was tough, but Lifecoach managed to prevail after beating British player J4CKIECHAN 4-3 in the final. This was Lifecoach’s first major victory of 2016, so he was quite happy. In the final, Lifecoach used his C’Thun Warrior to defeat J4CKIE’s Tempo Mage and Yogg Druid, but with the series at 3-1, his opponent brought out a Dragon Warlock to beat Lifecoach’s C’Thun Warrior and Camel Hunter. In the final game of the series, Lifecoach used an Aggro Shaman deck and got a relatively-easy win. Check out the story about Lifecoach’s success here.
Meta Report
The meta hasn’t changed much, and we find another Dragon variant, Dragon Warrior, at the top of Tier 1 this week. According to the Tempo Storm Snapshot, Dragon Warrior can do everything Aggro Shaman can but just a bit better because it has very aggressive openers and a strong mid to late game that doesn’t give the opponent a chance to breathe. Yogg Saron Druid is a new addition to Tier 1 after doing so well on the ladder. It has plenty of tools to work with and, so, manages to win in a variety of ways. Zoolock continues to reside in Tier 1, and Freeze Mage has made its way to Tier 2 because we don’t see as many Warrior variants played anymore. Rogue, Paladin, and Priest still can’t move beyond Tiers 3 and 4, which is sad.
Vicious Syndicate, another good site for studying the current meta, breaks down the frequency of various archetypes and offers a good sense of where the meta is at the moment. According to the site, Dragon Warrior and Midrange Hunter are Tier 1 (when you consider all ranks) while for Legend, it’s Midrange Hunter and C’Thun Warrior. Check out Vicious Syndicate here, it has loads of good info and graphs.
Epic Plays #122
Trolden’s Funny and Lucky Moments #176
Kripp Calling All of the Wild
Best of Sylvanas Windrunner
Drinking to Hearthstone
Trump’s F2P of the Old Gods #11
Best Tournament Fails and Misplays
Best of Yogg Saron
That’s Not how you OTK
As always, we have some good resources on the site for you in case you are new to the game or simply want to sharpen up your game. There’s never such a thing as too much help in Hearthstone, so check out our guides.
Karazhan Adventure Coming (?), Frodan Talks Pro Scene, Best Decks for the Meta, and More ‘Hearthstone’ News in Touchstone #57
by Stone Marshall | Jul 31, 2016 | Awesome Book News |
Of the many Pokemon spinoffs out there, Pokemon Snap was my favorite. If you’ve never played it, the basic gist is that instead of the RPG-ish nature of the “proper”Pokemon titles, you’re on a Pokemon safari of sorts and are put to the task of taking photos of Pokemon in the wild. You were scored based on shot composition and other factors that go into taking a good photo, and the game actually served as a pretty great trojan horse to teach kids about photography. On the App Store, there’s been a few developers who have taken a stab at this genre, most notably R2 Games’ Bigfoot Hunter[Free] and BebopBee’s Snapimals [Free]. Well, BebopBee is at it again with the Canadian launch of Jurassic Go Dinosaur Snap Adventures, which basically combinesSnapimals with Jurassic Park.
Snapimals was received pretty well on the App Store, with the primary complaints (unsurprisingly) targeted at the game’s free to play system. The good news with this sequel/spinoff has (soft?) launched on the Canadian App Store as a paid app and should be available in the US App Store soon. With how well Pokemon Go [Free] has been doing on the App Store, it really makes you wonder if we’ll eventually see a realPokemon Snap game on mobile. In the meantime, I’m glad games like Snapimals andJurassic Go exist.
‘Jurassic Go Dinosaur Snap Adventures’ Brings ‘Pokemon Snap’ – like Gameplay to the Canadian App Store
by Stone Marshall | Jul 31, 2016 | Minecraft News |
If you have computer-savvy kids at home, odds are they play Minecraft—or know someone who does.
Now owned by Microsoft, the Swedish indie program has become one of the biggest computer games of all time, with more than 70 million copies sold. In other words, if your kid has access to a computer, phone or tablet and isn’t playing Minecraft yet, it’s probably just a matter of time.
Parents may be surprised to find out that Minecraft can help teach kids about all sorts of things, from math and science to problem solving, collaboration and history. In fact, many teachers now embrace Minecraft as an important tool in the classroom.
What Is Minecraft?
If you’re unfamiliar with the basic concepts behind the Minecraft phenomenon, it’s hard to do it justice in a short article (How To Geek offers a 15-part introduction to Minecraft that just begins to scratch the surface).
Here’s a very simple explanation: players appear in a randomly generated land (map) where there are different landscapes (biomes), populated by friendly and unfriendly creatures (mobs). Players can dig (mine) and build (craft) with natural resources (blocks) to create simple items or astonishingly complex buildings and cities. Users can share their world with other players—locally on Wi-Fi or globally on servers (some servers are specifically for kids or families).
You can do anything you want, limited only by your imagination.
In Minecraft, there are no levels to pass or tasks to fulfil—instead, you can do anything you want, limited only by your imagination. This means some players just want to build castles (or recreate their actual homes), while others want to explore forests, oceans and caves (and, yes, some want to fight other players or the computer-controlled monsters.)
There are different ways to play Minecraft. Many kids find creative mode is an ideal fit, because it eliminates game threats like nighttime beasties, hazardous terrain and even hunger; instead, it just lets them explore or build—two activities kids have loved for millennia. But beyond this sense of fun (and the camaraderie of sharing adventures with friends online or in the real world), what do kids learn when they play Minecraft?
Unlimited Potential
Andrew Forgrave teaches grades three and four in Eastern Ontario. He’s been playing Minecraft for about four years—ever since his sons introduced him to it. He compares Minecraft to “unlimited Lego with unlimited friends.”
Now, his students research life in early Ontario or medieval times and share their learning by constructing annotated “virtual village museums” in Minecraft. They also study isometric drawings to re-create the game’s characters in art class.
“Once you understand what [Minecraft] is and how it works, the options are virtually unlimited. I liken Minecraft to a pencil—once you get the basic grip and put point to paper, what you create is influenced by your focus, your thoughts, the others you are working with,” explains Forgrave, who shares his experiences with other teachers at the annual Educational Computing Organization of Ontario conference and has attended numerous grassroots-organized #edCamps to talk about the game.
In June, Microsoft’s vice-president of worldwide education shared a list of how Minecraft is used in schools around the globe, including U.S. middle-schoolers who researched religious landmarks and rebuilt them block-by-virtual block and Scottish kids who learned about city planning and engineering by redesigning their hometown’s waterfront in practical ways.
Vickie Morgado, an elementary school teacher in the Greater Toronto Area, also uses Minecraft in her classes.
“In Grade three, teachers can have students build structures in [the] open world and communicate about them—there are lessons here about engineering and physics. I’ve even seen teachers ask students to demonstrate their understanding of the different levels of soil through the game,” she says.
She’s had students recreate pioneer villages and employ math skills to calculate the perimeter and volume of their buildings.
She’s had students recreate pioneer villages and employ math skills to calculate the perimeter and volume of their buildings. However, Morgado herself isn’t a Minecraft-devotee.
“I wouldn’t describe myself as someone who really enjoys playing Minecraft, but I can…link it to the curriculum to engage students. If it helps them learn, then I embrace it,” she says. “I think more teachers want to do it, but sometimes they feel they have to know the game inside out. That is not the case. The kids know how to play it. We design the ideas and then take a co-learning stance.”
Minecraft As A Learning Tool
Despite positive responses from parents and other teachers, Forgrave is aware of concerns about excessive screen time, always-on mobile devices and the depersonalization of communication.
“As an educator, I am mindful of the need to balance all areas of learning for children. I have seen ‘gamified’ technology activities for children that have a very limited effect, given the time invested. I try to be a mindful critic in looking at technologies and assessing their relative value.”
In other words, Minecraft is not replacing traditional classroom learning—it’s a fun tool that helps complement other teaching methods. Many parents whose kids play at home also find the game’s immersive nature means it is important to set boundaries over when (and for how long) their children play.
Learn More About Minecraft
To learn more about Minecraft, check out books like Visual Guide to Minecraft: Dig into Minecraft with This (Parent-Approved) Guide Full of Tips, Hints, and Projects! or visit a site like MineMum—it offers special FAQs for parents and tips for offline Minecraft-inspired activities.
For teachers looking for more, gamingEDUs.org provides workshops and hosts weekly play-and-learn events online.
The game is also now part of Hour of Code, a worldwide initiative that aims to teach kids computer programming. There are also camps and workshops across Canada. Many local libraries even offer Minecraft classes.
MinecraftEdu is a collaboration of educators and programmers who work with developers to offer schools discounted licenses to make Minecraft more affordable and accessible. The group offers a modified version of the game that allows teachers to control what kids can do, whether it’s special challenges or opportunities to create specific buildings or lands. Guided by teachers, the game can be tailored to reinforce more traditional lessons about math, English or computer programming.
Do you or your kids enjoy Minecraft? What do you think of its educational possibilities?
What Kids Learn When They Play Minecraft
