‘Minecraft’: Mojang Launches Community Hub Featuring News And Fan Content

“The Sims 4” will offer players some Christmas spirit in-game with the release of the “Holiday Celebration Pack”. The new feature comes with lots of new items and goodies that should set the mood right for the Yuletide season plus some bug fixes to boot.

Among the new items included in the “Holiday Celebration Pack” for “The Sims 4” include stuff like a holiday table, a fireplace, nutcrackers, and a centerpiece. The patch notes detail the new changes for the game, most expected to make game play a whole lot more enjoyable.

“The Sims 4” players will need to download the latest version of the game to see the changes. The update should automatically take place but gamers need not worry in case it doesn’t.

All “The Sims 4” players need to do is right-click on the game title and select “Update”. Take note that mods and customized content will temporarily be disabled once the update is applied. Players can simply re-enable them once everything has settled down, per reports.

Looking through the patch notes for “The Sims 4”, a lot of bugs have finally been addressed. The list includes things like dishes placed outside boundaries, seeing a residential lot with to a generic type of a lot, and character behaviors. The complete patch notes can be viewed at Sims Community Info.

The “Holiday Celebration Pack” for “The Sims 4” follows the success of the previously released paid add-on “City Living”. While that add-on offered lots of things to do, “The Sims 4” gamers can look forward to more content to set the mood and tone of their Sims for the Holiday season.

It should be interesting to see if these new content can help improve “The Sims 4”. As most know, EA has been trying to make ends meet by adding content to the game which sorely faltered in terms of sales which places the fate of “The Sims 5” on shallow waters as mentioned in a previous post.

‘The Sims 4’ Latest News & Update: Holiday Celebration Pack Released Alongside Bug Fixes, Details Here!

‘Minecraft’ Update PS4 & Xbox One: At Last, End Cities, Elytra And Amplified Terrain Are Coming

The Foundation update for No Man’s Sky is here, and it’s remarkably familiar. Didn’t Minecraft tread this path already?

Back in May 2009, the game that would eventually be known as Minecraft launched as little more than an idea: Players could wander around a procedurally generated open world using tools to reshape it like an elaborate Lego sandbox.

A few months later, the earliest version of what would eventually become the game’s popular Survival mode — the core of Minecraft, in many ways — was introduced. Both modes of play evolved from there thanks to subsequent updates that added features and sanded down the rough edges.

It was an embryonic version of what is now widely referred to as the “early access” phase of indie development. This isn’t something that happens with every game, but many indies nowadays are choosing to release an unfinished product and then maintain a transparent dialogue with fans as work continues.

Strip away the $60 price tag and the Call of Duty-worthy marketing spend, and that’s what No Man’s Sky was at launch: an early access game.

Yes, the first version of No Man’s Sky focused on exploration rather than creation. That was a big criticism, really; the procedural generation engine that Hello built could provide a near infinite supply of wonders to discover, but there was no way to leave your lasting mark on the galaxy.

The Foundation update changes all of that (all the details are right here). Base-building and freighters, which are effectively space-borne bases, let you pick and choose your home. Teleportation tools rein in the unwieldiness of galactic exploration by giving you a way to get back to whatever slice you build for yourself.

These are just some highlights from what amounts to a much larger update. Foundation introduces farming, planetary scans, a wider range of resources, and a tweaked user interface. It also, in the most direct nod to Minecraft, breaks up the game across different modes of play.

Normal is the base game that launched in August, further enhanced by the new Foundation bits. It’s an easy mode survival game that echoes Minecraft‘s own survival mode. Creative mode removes the need to gather resources, letting players explore — and now, create — freely. Finally, the new Survival mode delivers a more challenging take on the base game.

These are positive changes for a game that has already shown plenty of promise but offers little reason for players to commit. But I’d still like to see one more thing from Hello founder Sean Murray and his team: improved communication.

Here’s an example: the Foundation update was revealed on Friday, Nov. 25, a.k.a. Black Friday. The announcement offered minimal details and a loose “this week” timeframe for the update. That’s bad timing and a frustrating lack of info, given it was the first public update on the state of No Man’s Sky since September.

To be fair, Hello isn’t technically bound to the early access commitment of transparency. Regardless of what was in the game at launch, No Man’s Sky was marketed and sold as a complete release.

That said, in the weeks and months since launch, Hello has acknowledged the game’s shortcomings and pledged to address them. Murray himself — who promised a bit too much, too often in the run-up to release — seems to have learned from past mistakes.

Hello delivered the update just two days after that announcement, well within the previously stated “this week” timetable. Even better, Murray doubled down on the announcement with some real talk on Twitter.

That’s the important thing Hello has been missing: players don’t necessarily need the full roadmap, but communication is essential. Minecraft fans didn’t necessarily know what was coming as the game evolved into and then beyond its final form, but they could always count on hearing updates and non-updates alike from Mojang.

This new update adds a lot of exciting content to No Man’s Sky, but I’m much more excited about the foundation it lays for Hello’s continuing relationship with its players. Whether or not it was ever intended to live as an early access game, that’s where it is now.

When ‘No Man’s Sky’ follows the lead of ‘Minecraft,’ all fans win

According to the latest reports, next month, Minecraft will receive one of the biggest console updates so far. In fact, the update is so big that the console version of the game will finally be as good as the PC Edition.

In concordance with Engadget, the December Update for Minecraft will finally bring “Elytra” to the players, which is a set of wings that the players can find in the Minecraft world, and which will allow them to glide in the game.

In addition, the new Minecraft console update will also bring some additional features such as: “End Cities”, “Dragon’s Breath” portion ingredients, Amplified Terrain and many more.

The expected update will be released for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3 and PS4, which will finally bring the game almost at the same “level” with the Minecraft: PC Edition. In addition, the new “Minecraft” December Update (also known as the “Holiday Update”), will come with user interface bug fixes and new blocks, mobs, items, status effects and more.

Let’s go back to “Elytra Wings Set” and where you will be able to find it. First of all, you should know that this item is found when you reach “The End” in the Minecraft game. “The End” is the third and the final dimension of the game. “The End” will be included in the console update that we’ve talked about in this article and it will also have: End Cities, Chorus Plants, Purpur blocks, Ships, Chorus Flower and more.

It seems that Mojang has already confirmed the December Update for Minecraft, but it didn’t offer too many details about it yet. The company will most likely reveal some information about it in the following days.

Do you think that the Minecraft version of Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita will receive this major update next month?

Minecraft December Update to be Available on Xbox One and PS4

“Minecraft” is close to having its new update named the Update 1.11. The release of this patch was confirmed earlier this week. This is good news to fans as they haven’t received any update for a while now.

On Nov. 8, Mojang announced the pre-release of “Minecraft” Update 1.11. As can be seen in the list of fixes, the team responsible for sandbox video game came up with at least 18 remedies for common flaws in the game.

“We have reached a point for ‘Minecraft’ 1.11 where we feel ready to level up our snapshots to pre-release status!” the post on Mojang website reads. “The observer, llamas, and exploration maps will soon hit all vanilla servers across the world, and here’s your last chance to give it a test run before it does so.”

Then again, there are people who were saying that the fixes presented may disappoint some avid “Minecraft” gamers. This is due to the fact that long-time gamers noticed that there are not many new features offered in the supposed “next big update.”

In contrast, “Minecraft” players were quite impressed with the major features that were introduced by Mojang last month. They like the Exploration Update that was unveiled during the 2016 MineCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California.

Gamers were thrilled with the experience of getting to ride llamas and the update allows them to look inside mansions with all sorts of treasures. Thus, it is somehow understandable why some “Minecraft” fans are frustrated with Update 1.11’s lack of really notable feature.

On the brighter side, “Minecraft” players may instead look forward to a range of bug fixes that will improve and make things easier in the gameplay. For instance, the update offers fixes to reduce lags and the maps were made better to make finding mansions and underwater temples a lot easier than before.

Meanwhile, Mojang stated that these things will go well and the “Minecraft” team will not experience any issues. The update 1.11 is coming on Nov. 14. The target release date is three days away so fans still have time to prepare for the upgrading of their game.

‘Minecraft’ Latest News & Update: Mojang Confirms New Patch 1.11 Up for Release; Fans Disappointed?

Ender Dragon set to grace Windows 10 beta and Pocket Edition

A major update is incoming for the Windows 10 and Pocket Edition versions of Minecraft, bringing with it the ultimate block-based boss bash – a fight against the Ender Dragon.

The Windows 10 Edition beta and Pocket Edition will reach version 1.0 with this soon-to-be-released update, which will introduce the final dimension of The End, the scary void which plays host to the aforementioned Ender Dragon (as well as Endermen and Shulkers).

As Mojang notes, the boss beast represents a tangible end-game goal (literally) for survival players – although you can of course still keep on playing after you’ve vanquished the foe.

Aside from The End, there’s another big change coming to version 1.0 with the developer increasing the maximum height of the world to 256 blocks. Much taller buildings are coming, then…

• Discover the best gaming mouse for your tastes

Minecraft gives you wings

And Mojang also revealed it’s introducing the Elytra, an item which is a pair of wings that allow you to glide around the world.

There are a lot more features coming besides, the developer promises, although these are the only ones mentioned at this point.

Mojang also clarified that version 1.0 doesn’t mean it’ll stop cramming features into the Windows 10 incarnation of Minecraft, and we can expect plenty more new stuff down the line.

Oh, it’s also worth noting that this is the version which the Apple TV Edition will ship with upon release.

How long do you have to wait for The End to begin? Windows 10 and Pocket Edition players can expect to see it before the year is out, with v1.0 currently available to beta test on Android if you sign up to partake.

Recently, we saw the Windows 10 Edition beta get bolstered VR capabilities with Oculus Touch support, not to mention add-ons which take customization of the game to a whole new level.

The start of November also saw the introduction of Minecraft: Education Edition, the education-flavored variant of the game which can be played in the classroom – we’ve got a full guide to what it’s all about right here.

Our Verdict:

Soon we’ll see the beginning of The End in Minecraft for Windows 10

A creative game developer has worked out a way to incorporate Minecraft builds into his game, turning the blocky builder into a level editor of sorts.

As you can see in this short video, the developer, r00nk, is able to place blocks into a configuration that matches the level size in his game, Back Into Orbit, a cutesy retro-looking isometric shooter, and then very easily import them (in the video it happens instantaneously.)

This is how it works, according to r00nk’s comments in the related reddit thread:

“In order to make the in game buttons do commands, I use a server wrapper which searches for the docmd keyword. It’s important to note that this is somewhat insecure, because anyone who writes “docmd(banana)“ can make the server execute the “banana” command, so don’t try this at home kids, unless you know you’ll be the only person on the server.”

R00nk can only export and use levels made with certain types of blocks, not the full arsenal of what Minecraft has available. It’s still an impressive feat, especially if you take it as a proof of concept. If you could get this working on a large enough scale or with enough ease, it could be one of the smoothest level creation tools since the days of Warcraft III.

Game development, especially at the indie level, is as often about what’s fun and interesting as about what’s efficient, and r00nk has definitely shown some serious chops here.

Dev Turns Minecraft Into Level Editor For An Indie Game

Minecraft has transformed from a game into something more akin to a cultural phenomenon. The game has graced just about every platform out there, even making its way to the Raspberry Pi and the Windows Store as a UWP app.

The latest news now suggests that this game is finally making its way to the Apple TV. When Tim Cook introduced the new Apple TV last year, we were impressed by its potential as a casual gaming platform.

Polygon reports that Tim Cook made the announcement at a corporate event. Cook added that the game will be compatible with the Minecraft Pocket Edition on iOS devices and that players can take their worlds on Apple TV and share them with other players on iOS.

There haven’t been many noteworthy games on the platform; those killer titles like Super Mario Bros or God of War that transform a platform from an also-ran to a must-have. Maybe Minecraft is that title.

The fourth generation Apple TV was unveiled on 15 September 2015. The SoC is an Apple A8 running at 1.5GHz (that’s a little faster than on the iPhone 6) paired with 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 64GB of storage. You can control the Apple TV via an iOS device or using the bundled remote with its in-built accelerometer.

In effect, the hardware can be favourably compared to the iPhone 6, making it a competent, casual gaming platform.

Minecraft will make its way to Apple TV later this year: Tim Cook

Microsoft, Gaming, and Libations – Join us live next time!

It’s been two years since Microsoft bought Minecraft, and the new owners are faced with a conundrum: what do you do with a game that is already a phenomenon?

Complicating things further, Minecraft is now a seven-year old game. While lot of work has been put into keeping the game current, Minecraft is also beginning to show its age. Mojang developer Nathan Adams compared it to rebuild the engines of a jet in the middle of a flight, because taking the game down to patch it just isn’t an option. The tension at the heart of Minecraft heightens when you consider that the developers say difficulties associated with coding the blocky builder sometimes prevents them from adding features that the community wants, like a working API or a server browser.

I got a chance to suss out the future of Minecraft at last month’s Minecon, where the community rubs elbows with the people who make Minecraft great. Obviously, that description includes the developers, but it also expands farther into the YouTubers who make hilarious videos, the modders who create new ways to play, and the builders, who create wonderful worlds for others to enjoy as well.

This was at the forefront of my mind when I attended Minecon. Minecraft has always been a community-driven game, and I was curious how Mojang would handle that aspect of Minecraft’s identity while also pushing the game into new frontiers.

I met with Saxs Persson, developer for the Pocket and Windows 10 editions of Minecraft, and Matt Booty, head of Minecraft, in nearby Marriott hotel. Persson was dressed casually, in a black shirt and jeans. He came off as enthusiastic, prone to geeking out about new tech or features. Booty on the other hand was dressed in a button-down, slacks and came off as more reserved. They couldn’t have chosen a better pair to represent Minecraft.

“We want everybody to play with everybody,” Persson told me. “Minecraft is better when you can connect to your world wherever you with whatever device.” Windows 10 and Pocket Edition players already enjoy cross-platform play, but Persson paints a picture of complete compatibility – console and Java and Win 10 players all connecting and enjoying Minecraft together. In his ideal world, you’d be able to log on to the same persistent server from your iPad, your computer, and your console—a technical and legal hurdle that has been branched in part by games like Rocket League, but full connectivity across all platforms still seems like a lofty goal for Minecraft.

What’s more, this idea seems to ignore that the various Minecraft editions floating around all have varying features, something that even the biggest Minecraft fan finds annoying. For example, MCPE is still missing The End, but at the same time it will get additions that Java won’t see till later (or ever.) Persson didn’t specifically address version mismatches when I asked if feature parity was still a priority, but he also didn’t seem concerned about potential version conflicts. “There’s not a lot holding us back from connecting these versions, and parity is not the main goal,” he said. There is no doubt that this kind of cross-platform play would be popular and welcomed, but I’m skeptical as to how it would actually work. I’m also not sure it’s a feature that the community truly cares about.

Persson also enthused about “new input methodologies,” specifically the Oculus touch. Actually, VR played a big role in Minecon: the line to try it out was hours long throughout the entire event, and Mojang highlighted it often enough that VR seems to form a centerpiece for Minecraft’s future plans.

Virtual reality is still an incredibly niche technology, and Minecraft’s hallmark has always been its accessibility—you can run the game on pretty much any device. It’s hard to understand how adding a style of play that requires a powerful computer or console and a pricey headset fits with the existing appeal of Minecraft. Community response to VR offerings is and always has been tepid at best, especially among veteran Minecraft players, who remember Notch’s quarrel with Oculus in the past.

For now, most of the YouTubers and map makers and modders attached to Minecraft seem pretty happy with their current arrangement—Mojang is still very relaxed about letting people profit off of their game—but some are starting to see the writing on the wall. Long-time Minecraft YouTubers, such as skitscape and setosorcerer, have been moving on to other games or other careers. Map creators like Hypixel have had to adapt and often abandon single-player maps in favor of multiplayer ones, and the often-ignored mod community is starting to feel the strain of an aging game. Each recent patch has created a new set of problems — a recent one, for example, made many large texture packs unuseable, and while a different patch made PvP unplayable for many. With add-ons and an API still a long way off, frustrations continue to mount for some fans.

Mojang’s vision for the future of the game and the communities’ vision have not always been in line, and you could see the effects of that fissure on the showfloor itself. When I asked how they chose the people that ended up on stage at Minecon—essentially receiving the Mojang stamp of approval—or heading up the panels, Persson and Booty were a little evasive. “There is an active curation [of exhibitors],” Booty said about the people that were invited to attend the event and present, “ranging from trying to stay true to Minecraft’s indie roots to working with corporate partners and everything in between.” This was an obvious nod to the big name partners like Mattel that were taking up large amounts of real estate on the expo floor. There were plenty of indie names and creators features, but their competition was fiercer. The Minecon docket was stacked with young, high energy personalities who curated an atmosphere of fun and excitement—the old guard, like Hypixel and

other creators, were less well represented.

Persson and Booty still recognized, at least in part, the debt that they owed to the the community. “We ask that they come and meet their fans with open arms,” Persson said, “as a true fan event, not just a primarily corporate one.” Persson and the Mojang team seem eager to signal to their fans that they were still the focus of the event and of their efforts, and that the Microsoft buyout still doesn’t indicate a change in direction or an abandonment of their core users. It was a necessary reminder, given that Minecraft’s indie origins made some people deeply skeptical of Microsoft’s purchase, and these same fans have remained guarded even as the company seeks to reassure them.

Regardless, the Mojang team has actually shown that they are listening to the community in some respects. Minecon saw the first full presentation of the add-on system, which allows players to tweak the behavior and statistics of mobs at first, and will eventually allow wide modification of all entities. Players have been asking for something like this as far back as 2011.

“Add-ons are just the first step,” Persson said, confirming that an application program interface, or API, was being co-developed – a feature that would make modding significantly easier. Persson admitted that two previous attempts at creating an API had failed, and that they had brought on the creators of Bukkit–a popular mod utility–to help them make this attempt stick. This may represent a serious commitment to developing an API, but those promises go back as far as 2009. The community remains skeptical after being burned so many times before.

It’s also obvious that Microsoft has invested heavily in making Minecraft more than just a video game. Minecraft’s developers preferred to use words like “platform”, “tool”, and “environment” instead of “game,” and they were effusive about applications for research, education, and machine learning. “At a high level, we want to maintain Minecraft as an innovation brand,” Booty said when asked about his vision for the future of the game. It was a little hard to pin down exactly what they meant by this — it sounds like they want Minecraft to be all things to all people, which, while ambitious, sounds like a recipe for failure.

Despite the abundance of buzzwords, Mojang’s description is a telling indication of Microsoft’s concerns over their $2.5 billion investment. Minecraft is a completely unprecedented phenomenon, and so too is a massive buyout of an indie game by a major corporation. Minecraft has already conquered video games, so it seems natural that Microsoft and Mojang now want to create something that supersedes gaming.

Everyone I talked to at Minecon was excited about exactly one thing—meeting their heroes, whether that was one of the developers, a popular YouTuber, or a modder. As far as the fans are concerned, the future of Minecraft will always be with the people who make the game great, not fancy technology. Mojang has loftier goals, though it’s hard to say if VR and added connectivity truly hold the key to where Minecraft goes next. Then again, predicting the future is no easy task.

The Impossible Problem of Where Minecraft Goes Next