by Stone Marshall | Feb 21, 2015 | Minecraft News |
Minecraft fans are all excited as Microsoft and Mojang announced to make Minecraft Minecon 2015 happen. While some skeptics thought that the game title’s new owner would not sponsor the event, Microsoft announced that they would actually do whatever they can to further develop and promote the beloved virtual sandbox game.
This is for the fact that the game has captivated gamers of all ages and of all races since it was first released in 2009.
Minecraft players and fans are often referred to as Minecraftians, and ever since the game took the entire world by storm, these people would gather in an annual expo that is the Minecon. Unfortunately, Mojang failed to sponsor the event last year for undisclosed reasons. However, in one of their blog entries, the original developers of the game confirmed that they are making the necessary preparations to make Minecraft Minecon 2015 happen.
The event would definitely mean much to all Minecraftians as the occasion would have a lot of things to go about like new announcements, latest updates, as well as the chance to meet and greet Minecraft’s development team from 4J studios.
As for the Minecraft creator Notch, there are no confirmations yet whether he will attend the expo or not. Then again, it is something that fans would like to look forward to.
The much-anticipated Minecraft Minecon 2015 will be in London, England for two days (July 4-5). The dates are already confirmed, so this is going to be much of a good news to all Minecraftians. Tickets began to go on sale this month, with around 10,000 tickets already sold. In addition, Minecraft’s latest TU(Title Update)21 is scheduled to roll out in North America on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, as well as on PlayStation Vita. It carries out bug fixes for the issues on the previous update.
Read original article here:
by Stone Marshall | Feb 21, 2015 | Minecraft News, parent-news |
NEWARK — If you have a child (especially a boy), you likely know what Minecraft is.
This computer game is all the rage among the younger set. Played on multiple platforms (computers, Xbox, Kindle, iPad, PlayStation, etc.), the game allows players to build three-dimensional buildings and worlds from textured cubes. Players can explore, craft, fight and gather resources in the game. Think of it as advanced Legos in the computer age.
And now local Minecraft fans can meet once a month at the Newark Library to share their passion.
Youth Services Director Krystina Hardter launched the club last Tuesday evening. She did so because she’s seen firsthand in the library how popular the game is. Young patrons ask for Minecraft books, but the shelf where the series is kept is often empty.
“They just fly off the shelves,” she said. “We just know how kids are obsessed with it. They love it — the creating, the survival, the building.”
Hardter had set aside a table with Minecraft coloring sheets and instructions on how to make three-dimensional paper Minecraft figures, but the four young patrons who braved the snow last week were more intent on getting on the computers and playing the game itself.
Since some of them had played on different platforms, there was a learning curve as they started building on the computer. Questions flew as the young library patrons started clicking away with their computer mice.
“How do you eat?” “How do you build a ladder?” “How do you make a door?” were among the queries being traded.
Anthony Merced, 7, was in the water and afraid he would drown. He asked his classmate Ryan Hinks, also 7, what to do.
“Press the space button to float,” Ryan answered.
The Newark youngster has been playing Minecraft since he was 6, usually on his Kindle tablet. He was a little distracted to explain the game in depth, especially to an obviously clueless questioner.
“It’s very, very complicated to explain. You just mine and then you craft,” said Ryan, noting everyone in his family plays except his parents. His mother, he added, has said she might have to learn just to be able to interact with her children.
Ryan said he’s hooked because “you can craft and be creative about it. It’s a real world that you are building.”
As the children pressed their faces close to the screens and talked to both the computers and each other, Hardter and Youth Services Librarian Caitlin Simonse mingled about. They helped as they could and asked plenty of questions.
Hardter said one of the reasons she started the club was because “I wanted to learn from them what the big deal is.”
“I’m impressed with how quickly they are building houses and things,” she said, noting when she tried the game all she was able to accomplish was chasing some bunnies and cutting grass. “I’m kind of understanding the concept … kind of.”
Blake Aldrich, 11, said he has been playing Minecraft “a long time now” and called it his favorite game.
As Hardter complimented his work, she wondered why his house was built underground.
“It’s most common for houses to be built underground because it’s safest,” Aldrich said.
“Who do you need to be safe from?” Hardter asked.
“Zombies, creepers, and skeletons,” the kids answered.
Despite asking the others, Blake still had trouble constructing a ladder. Hardter pulled out her phone, loaded up a YouTube video and showed him how.
Meeting kids where they are at — in the library — is certainly a goal of hers.
“My hope is to start them younger and build their love for the library so by the time they get to the high school it’s still cool,” Hardter said.
Read original article here:
by Stone Marshall | Feb 20, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
SnitchSeeker received exclusive word from USAopoly that the Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit game will be released in the United States this April, while attending this weekend’s New York Toy Fair.
USAopoly revealed to SnitchSeeker that the game, seen below, will be the next of their brand-Trivial Pursuit game collection (previous sets include Doctor Who, Power Rangers and World of Warcraft editions. There are 600 questions in the game specific to the Harry Potter film series. Unfortunately no place of purchase, including online is available yet.
The Trivial Pursuit game was released in Europe late last year, but this is the first time an announcement of the U.S. sale was unveiled.SnitchSeeker will have much more from this weekend’s Toy Fair, including the Harry Potter Pop! Vinyl Figures line that will be released this July – and fear not, they are just the first in the series, with many more characters to come in the future.Read original article here:
by Stone Marshall | Feb 20, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
Tom gives us the low down on his super-sexy yo-yo skills and the art of making relationships work (compromise, boys) – and his dreams of being James Bond
Your guilty pleasure? Wearing my PJs all day. I’d be in them now if a film crew weren’t here.
Career plan B? International rap superstar.
Who would play you in the movie of your life? Leonardo DiCaprio. He may be a bit too expensive, though.
Your most memorable kiss? The first one with my lady [stunt artist Jade Olivia]. It was outside her house with her dad watching out of the window, I’m sure!
Biggest bugbear? People who say ‘like’, after every, like, word that they, like, say. I’m sure I do it too, though.
As a child you wanted to be? James Bond. Still do, really.
Who is your best friend? Um, my mum? No, my girlfriend.
Secret to a happy relationship? Compromise. Mainly on the male side.
Your USP? My inability to say no. It’s not really a selling point but it’s definitely true. It can get me into some pretty sticky situations.
What would be your last meal on earth? My mum’s shepherd’s pie with maybe 15 yorkshire puddings and a pint of gravy. To drink I would have a bottle of nice whisky.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry.
Advice to teenage self? Don’t grow up!
Your big break? Harry Potter, of course [Tom played Draco Malfoy].
Secret skill? I’m really good on the yo-yo. When there was a big trend for yo-yos a few years ago I was king – the girls flocked to see my yo-yo skills in the playground.
On a night off we’d find you… Kicking back, watching movies, having a few beers with the boys.
Starstruck moment? Seeing Pierce Brosnan at Pinewood Studios – he was filming Goldeneye at the time.
Hangover cure? Hair of the dog.
What did you have for breakfast today? A ‘greasy spoon’ fry-up and a large coffee.
Your karaoke song of choice? I murdered ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles as a kid.
Number one on your bucket list? Open the batting at Lord’s.
What would be your secret superpower? Maybe having a flying broomstick. That would be awesome.
Motto? Don’t take life or yourself too seriously.
Your coffee order? Large mocha, extra shot. Or extra couple of shots. Or a quad-espresso if I’m feeling slow.
Worst job you’ve ever done? I worked at a fishery for 18 months but I actually quite enjoyed it.
First record you bought? Green Day’s Dookie. I’m pretty sure I stole it from my brother rather than buying it, though.
Which Mr Man are you? Mr Grumpy in the morning, and Mr Tickle in the evening.
Signature dance move? The awkward dad bop.
Money or sex? Ideally both.
Optimist or pessimist? I’m optimistically pessimistic.
Style icon? Prince Charles.
Favourite villain? Dr Evil.
Where would you time travel to? Maybe just 100 years ahead. I’d like to know how things work out…
Most loved fairy tale? Jack and the Beanstalk.
Most underrated virtue? Good manners.
Your celebrity crush? Keira Knightley.
- Tom is starring in new US drama Murder in the First, which is on Fridays at 10pm on Fox
Read original article here:
by Stone Marshall | Feb 19, 2015 | Awesome Book News, parent-news |
We’ve looked at Funko’s Marvel lineup, and the TV series they’re covering in 2015. Now, it’s time to go to the big screen with a day at the movies.
We won’t repeat the Age of Ultron figures already featured in the Marvel gallery – click the link above to see those – because there are more than enough other images to show you without them.
Frozen is still a juggernaut for Disney, and a Funko rep told me at the show that it “has surprised even us, with how strong all these continue to sell.” Of course, that means there’s a second wave of Frozen POP Vinyls coming, plus the just-debuted mini blind-box vinyls. Funko also told us there are “other waves in development,” and that likely, though they couldn’t confirm, includes figures specifically based off the looks in the new short, Frozen Fever, premiering in front of the new live-action Cinderella (which also gets its first two POP figures, Cinderella and Gus Gus in the glass slipper.
If that cuteness isn’t enough for you, we’ll stop burying the lede here: Harry Potter Vinyls are coming. The ones on display were hand-painted prototypes, something Funko doesn’t usually show the public, let alone allow people to take pictures of, but the company was so excited to announce the new line that they went for it at the show. The first series features the obvious characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, an over-sized Hagrid, and Professors Dumbledore and Snape. Funko also promised that yes, they have “many” waves of these figures on the way. “Now that we have the license, we’re going to make a lot of these, if I had to guess,” a rep told me.
Pixar’s Inside Out and Cars get their own lines this year. Disney’s Tomorrowland gets not just POP Vinyls, but also the “Reaction” figure line. Those figures are designed, built, and packaged similarly to the classic Kenner action figures, and this property is one of the first new lines in that brand.
The Matrix and the Universal Monsters, plus Domo-style Ghostbuster round out the POP! Vinyl lineup for movies for 2015. There will be new Minions based on their summer film, but no pictures were allowed of those just yet.
Other Reaction figures include Star Trek and Fifth Element. The new Vinyl Idolz line is almost entirely film-focused, with Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and two thirds of the “Coronetto Trilogy,” Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead all in action.
Finally, the amazing Rocketeer legacy figure shows off Funko’s high-end current action figure chops.
Check out the gallery of film-focused Funko fun here, and start your Funko Fund now!
Read original article here:
