Minecraft has a storied modding scene, but you’ve primarily had to play on PC to enjoy those up to this point. With its new add-ons, Mojang is bringing that magic to players on smartphones.
The Minecraft developer announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo tradeshow last week that the new add-ons feature is coming to Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Edition this fall and will enable players to remix everything in the game. Microsoft and Mojang demonstrated how this worked for GamesBeat at E3.
This is how you’d get an alien: The process is as simple as drawing up new character skins in Paint for Windows and editing some text files to give zombies pointy ears, projectile weapons, and other slight changes to their artificial intelligence. Microsoft wants to hand this power over to everyone playing Minecraft, and it also wants its fans to know that this is safe.
Above: An example of a .JSON file.
Image Credit: Mojang
The files, which are in the JavaScript Object Notation (.JSON) format that uses plain-language values that humans can easily parse and edit, contain the behaviors for each character in the game as well as things like their size and speed. Mojang is exposing all of this data, and that means you can now take one behavior from something like a zombie and put it into a rabbit. In one demonstration, Microsoft showed us how players can take a chicken and make it explode by adding that specific character trait from the creeper mob. After copying and pasting that behavior (which you’ll have no trouble finding in a .JSON editor) from the creeper to the chicken, you’ll basically have a self-frying bowl of KFC walking around your Minecraft world.
In another example, Microsoft took the ghost-like Ghast mob and turned it into a UFO to help flesh out a series of mods it was making for an alien-invasion scenario. This is a bit more complicated than making a chicken explode, but the development team is adamant that it expects kids to pick up these skills quickly now that they have unfettered access to Minecraft’s files.
“It’s really not that difficult,” Minecraft senior producer James Webster told GamesBeat and a small room of other reporters. “It’s just a matter of creating the geometries, which is just a bunch of points in space. And then adding the textures to that. It’s really simple to make these massive changes. Add-ons, we hope, are going to encourage people to be super creative. It’s a simple thing to change things, but then they can take things a step further by remixing all of these elements to come up with brand new ideas.”
Add-ons can change the look and behavior of anything in Minecraft. And the key here is that you don’t need to go and download a bunch of extra software or tools to start making your own content. Instead, all you need is a text editor on a PC or your smartphone to edit Minecraft’s .JSON files. If you want a bit more guidance, a .JSON editor can help. With that kind of tool, you can go into the .JSON for the creeper and find where it mentions its speed and change the number in the brackets as low or as high as you want. It’s that simple.
At E3, Microsoft demonstrated its alien invasion in action:
Microsoft is focusing on making this super-easy for anyone, and it also wants people to feel confident about making changes to their games without the fear that they’ll break something.
“This is safe because you’re just editing text files,” said Webster. “Literally, all you have to do is delete your new files, and the game will default back to its original state.”
Webster also wants to let people know that Mojang and Microsoft have thought about this effort in an all-encompassing long-term way.
“It’s going to be cross-platform on Windows 10 Edition and Pocket Edition,” he said. “You can share your add-ons. You can create a Realm and bring in your add-ons so that everyone who jumps on your server will see the same modifications as the host.”
Microsoft is also promising that these add-ons will not go out-of-date. On PC, a lot of people run old versions of the game because certain mods wouldn’t work. Add-ons is built in a way to address that problem. Anything you build for the game using the add-on method should continue to work in Minecraft forever and — eventually — on all versions.
“For right now, we’re focusing on the Win10 and Pocket Edition,” said Webster. “Our long-term goal is to have this kind of customizability across all of our platforms.”
Finally, Microsoft is on an interesting path with Minecraft, where it could turn its massive player base into a connected economy of content creators. If you build the exact UFO I want, you can share it with me, but not sell it to me. When I asked the company about something like a player-created-content marketplace, it didn’t say no to the idea. But it also made it clear that if it were to pursue something like that, it wouldn’t happen for quite some time and the company is in no hurry to replace the many Minecraft skin servers that already exist.
“One step at a time,” Minecraft producer Saxs Persson told GamesBeat. “First, we open it up. Next, get it so everyone is playing the same version of the game. That’s not currently how it works. Then, in terms of sharing, we’ve already seen — with skins, for example — there are fantastic skin servers that we could never replicate. They have the editor, the sharer, the rating — we’d much rather, in the beginning, have the community figure out how they want to share rather than us dictate it.”
When pressed about whether Microsoft has any plans for a Minecraft marketplace at some point in the future, Persson again would only say that they don’t have anything planned today.
To help fix issues joining public Battle Minigames, developer 4J Studios has released Minecraft update 1.29 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita in North America and Europe today.
The issues were discovered shortly after Minecraft update 1.28 was released earlier this week, and 4J Studios went to work right away on the patch. A fix for Wii U is currently in testing with Nintendo.
If you live in the US and purchased the $9.99 Battle Map Pack Season Pass, 4J Studios is aware of an issue where the DLC maps are missing:
The Battle Map Pack Season Pass gives you access to all four map packs as they become available, and “all future content that is part of this pass will be accessible in-game once it is available.” The final map pack is expected by June 2017.
Twenty years ago audiences turned out in movie theaters in droves to see aliens torch several national landmarks. Powered by a series of catchy ads and posters that showed the White House engulfed in flames as a spaceship hovered overhead, “Independence Day” was the film to see in the summer of 1996. It blew past other hits such as “Twister” and “Mission: Impossible” to become the year’s highest-grossing film, established Roland Emmerich as his era’s “Master of Disaster,” and made Will Smith a star.
Now, the aliens are back in “Independence Day: Resurgence.” For many moviegoers the first film remains the embodiment of blockbuster entertainment, but there’s no denying the fact that in the years since we first made contact, tastes have changed. Superhero movies are now the driving force at the box office. The question is, will moviegoers still show up in force for a movie without a costumed hero?
Right now, Fox, the studio orchestrating the invasion, is banking on an opening of $50 million when it hits theaters on Friday. It’s a solid start, but it won’t be enough to displace “Finding Dory” from the top of the box office heap. The Disney smash is looking at a second weekend of roughly $70 million after it shattered records for an animated film debut, opening at $135.1 million.
Fox spent a hefty $165 million to get the flying saucers out of dry dock and will launch the picture across 4,067 locations. Smith did not return for the sequel, but Emmerich is once again in the directing chair. He brought back original cast members such as Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, and added newcomers such as Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher to the mix. The monuments getting atomized have also changed. This time Big Ben gets the White House treatment.
It’s shaping up to be a crowded weekend at the multiplexes, with four new wide releases entering the fray. “Free State of Jones” will try to bolster mainstream cinema’s IQ level a few points when it debuts on Friday at 2,815 locations. The historical drama about a Southern farmer (Matthew McConaughey) who leads an armed rebellion against the Confederacy is a big bet by STX Entertainment, a newly launched studio that hopes to make the kind of mid-budget films that major studios have largely abandoned in favor of comic book movies. It cost $50 million to make and will try to prove that there’s an audience for dramas in the height of popcorn season. The studio did defray some of its risk on the film, bringing in a number financial partners, including IM Global, which will handle international rights for the picture. “Free State of Jones” should bow to roughly $12 million domestically.
Sony will counter with “The Shallows.” Just as “Independence Day: Resurgence” seems like a throwback to the days of Irwin Allen, the film, which pits Blake Lively against a shark, calls to mind another ’70s era hit, “Jaws.” “The Shallows” is a much smaller gamble, however, with the potential for more modest rewards. It carries a $17 million price tag and is looking at an opening of $7 million when it debuts on roughly 2,800 screens. The film is one of the first greenlit under Tom Rothman, Sony’s new film chief, after he took over the studio in 2015.
Lastly, Amazon Studios will offer up “The Neon Demon,” Nicolas Winding Refn’s blood-splattered look at the world of fashion. The horror film debuted to mixed notices in Cannes, with some critics digging the fever dream atmosphere, and other reviewers finding it to be a forgettable strut down the runway. Broad Green will handle the theatrical rollout. “The Neon Demon” should debut to between $2 million to $3 million in more than 700 theaters.
During this year’s E3 event, which took place on 14th of June at the Los Angeles Convention Congress, best game developers took the podium to announce their upcoming games for consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.
Surprisingly, few games were announced for the latter. This could either mean mobile game developers disregard E3 or the gaming industry is just fed up of Android and iOS devices. Nonetheless, we’ve managed to compile a list of some fascinating titles announced at the event, some of which are already available while others will arrive in the coming months.
Pokémon Go-Niantic/Nintendo
Pokémon fans will be able to catch Nintendo’s adorable creatures this July. Pokémon Go, developed by Niantic in conjunction with Nintendo, will launch this July but with a completely new experience, it will be played in augmented reality, taking the experience of mobile games to the next level. That simply means players will be catching these creatures without looking at their smartphones, but via wrist-worn wearable called Pokémon Go Plus that will alert users of nearby Pokémon so that they can capture it. The device is sold independently at $35 and is open for pre-orders.
Unfortunately, it will not be ready at launch, Nintendo confirmed. The smartwatch-like device will connect to iOS and Android devices through Bluetooth and a player will tap a button to catch a Pokémon. Generally, Pokémon Go is all about hunting for Pokémon in a real-world location. Gamers look through their smartphone cameras to see Pokémon appear in the local environment then capture them.
Batman- The Telltale Games
Telltale series announced a five episode series based on Dark Knight’s adventures. Players will have the opportunity to wear the suit of scandalous billionaire Bruce Wayne and Batman’s well-known mask. The game tells the story in a comical manner and focusses on action, drama, crime, corruption and treachery in Gotham city. The first 15 minutes of an E3 demo shown by Telltale rep showed Batman stalking some heavily armed men who have invaded the city hall.
During the event, the rep said Bruce Wayne is as important as Batman, implying the game may see more of Wayne than Batman. There is a hidden Bat cave where Batman keeps his wide range of gadgets, the costume, and the Batmobile, which resembles a car. However, the game focusses on the complicated life and the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne.
Minecraft Realms-Mojang
Minecraft is one of the most renowned mobile games. The title’s Pocket Edition has established itself at the top of the chart of paid-for games in App Store and Google Play Store. However, the game’s mobile fans have been grumbling of the inability to play with their colleagues on the other platforms. Mojang responded in time at the E3 event when it announced Minecraft Realms that has been included in Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.15 update (The Friendly Update), which also adds goodies like new texture packs and mobs. Minecraft Realms player-server service will let players on phones and tablets join their colleagues on the other platforms like Xbox Live, Windows 10 and Samsung Gear VR. Minecraft Realms will be available for free 30-day trial by new players, who will be required to pay at least $7.99 per month thereafter.
Severed-Drinkbox Games
Drinkbox Games first showed Severed back in early 2014. Finally, the game will be released later this summer after a two-year wait. The game is centered on one-armed warrior lady (fights on with a single sword) who adventures into the world in search of her family. She encounters all kinds of monsters, which she will involve in fiery battles. Drinkbox did not give a concrete release date, but hopes are high that it will be one of the best mobile games to hit the iOS platform this summer.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends-Bethesda
The Elder Scrolls fans will be pleased with the announcement of the Legends, Bethesda’s created strategy card game set in the Elder Scroll Universe. Players will approach rivals in three game modes. Moreover, they will craft decks by combining two of these five game attributes; Agility, Endurance, Intelligence, Strength, and Willpower. Each crafted deck takes a different class. For instance, if a gamer combines Agility and Strength, he will be able to build an Archer deck while combining Willpower and Intelligence yields a Mage deck. You will be required to use your own insight and tactics to decide on the best pick suitable for the situation at hand.
Microsoft, the new owner of Mojang, attended this year’s E3 event and announced the new Minecraft: Pocket Edition 0.15 update, which was named “The Friendly Update”. From now on, players will have access to Minecraft Realms – the subscription-based service that will allow them to rent official Minecraft servers, and they will be able to play with their friends who own an Xbox 360 or Xbox One console, thanks to cross-platform play support.
Previous updates for Minecraft already brought support for cross-platform play among PC, Android, iOS and Windows Phone versions, and 0.15 now allows players to join servers along Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles. Another nice addition is the Minecraft Realms integration, which exempts players from hosting games on their devices, in order to allow others to access their shared sandbox anytime, as this subscription-based server hosting service will give them the possibility to rent Minecraft servers. The pricing for Realms servers starts at $7.99 a month, but the first 30 days are free, so players will decide a month later if it’s worth investing money in Microsoft’s servers.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition 0.15 update comes also with new sounds for jumping on blocks (version exclusive); a skins button; a new store button used for buying skin packs and resource packs; Achievements for iOS and Android (version exclusive); Resource packs; a new UI for the main menu and skins menu; Blocks: pistons and sticky pistons; new gameplay involving pig riding with new sound when accelerates (version exclusive), Interact buttons, Boost – used when riding a pig with a carrot on a stick etc.
Items available in the new update are: Raw mutton, Cooked mutton, Fire charges, Spawn eggs, Horse (zombie horse and skeleton horse in version exclusive), Donkey, Mule, and for version exclusive have been introduced Stray, Husk and Wither skeleton horses. Other items are: Name tags, Leads, Carrot on a stick, Tipped arrows made with potion cauldrons (version exclusive), Horse armor made of leather (version exclusive).
