Minecraft Receives A Skin Pack That Celebrates The Year Of The Monkey
The Lunar New Year is almost here and the Minecraft gamers are now able to get some new skins, in order to celebrate it in-game. The players will be able to dress up the Minecraft characters as the ones from the classic Chinese tale, Journey of the West.
Minecraft: TheJourney to the WestSkin Pack is now available and it includes 15 different character skins, such as Monkey King, Lord Hundred-Eyes or Princess Iron Fan.
If you want to purchase the skin pack, you will need to pay 1.99 dollars, but keep in mind that you will be able to download the characters Guanyin and Red Boy for free.
Minecraft: TheJourney to the WestSkin Pack is now available for Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition (the game that’s currently in BETA) and Pocket Edition on mobile devices. It’s not sure yet when it will come to the consoles, but Microsoft said that each version of Minecraft has different development schedules and timelines for new content and skin packs. They didn’t confirm that this skin pack will be released for the consoles, but they didn’t deny it either.
Here is the full skin list that the Minecraft: TheJourney to the WestSkin Pack comes with: Red Boy, Friar Sand, Guanyin, Jade Emperor, Lady Earth Flow, Lord Hundred-Eyes, Monk Pig, Monkey King, Pale Bone Demon, Princess Iron Fan, Black Wind Demon, Bull Demon King, Scorpion Demon, Spider Demon and Xuanzang.
We also remind you that Microsoft has purchased the third-party application “MinecraftEdu” and it seems that the company is planning to build a new version that will be dedicated to learning. There are also some gamers that are currently working at remaking the entire map of the GTA 5 game, inside the Minecraft game.
What are your thoughts about the new skin pack that has been released for Minecraft: Windows 10 and Pocket Edition?
‘Minecraft’ content and competitors update: While celebrations culminate with new content, a threat arrives
(Mojang)“Minecraft” has received a recent update aimed at Windows 10 Edition users, but a new game is intent on creating a different experience for “Minecraft” players.
“Minecraft” could be on a good start to 2016. Aside from improvements to their “Pocket Edition” and “Educational Edition,” a new skin pack arrives as part of Mojang’s welcoming the new year. However, there’s also the case of a new game which has been dubbed a ‘Minecraft killer.’
First,Game Spot’s report updates players on the issue of a new skin pack which brings improvements to “Minecraft’s” Windows 10 Edition. The said pack is dubbed “Journey to the West,” and it brings to the game a Chinese-themed pack of blocks and buildable structure true to the theme’s namesake, “Journey to the West.”
The skin pack, currently available for $1.99, brings characters like ‘Princess Iron Fan,’ ‘Lord Hundred-Eyes,’ and the ‘Monkey King’ into the game. However, players will also be able to download additional characters like Red Boy and Guanyin free of charge.
The pack, sadly, is only available for “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” and “Pocket Edition” on mobile. However, various platforms with the said edition stands to receive the latest from “Minecraft.”
In other news,Venture Beat got wind of a curious game in the making—”Portal Knights.” According to the article, the said game is sandbox-adventure in nature where players can build things and fight monsters in single-player and multiplayer games—making it sound like the gameplay of another game, “Minecraft.”
That’s the main reason why it’s being called a “Minecraft killer.” Furthermore, it’s set to be released in Steam’s Early Access on Feb. 25 for PC subscribers. It’s got a lot of elements from classic RPG; there’s dungeon-crawling, castle-building, and boss-fighting.
Players can choose between three classes—a warrior, a mage, or a ranger. They can then travel world-to-world by using ‘portal shards’ that are craftable into portals.
This early, it’s not clear whether this could effectively pose a threat to “Minecraft’s” dominance, but it’s good to see that there are other games which has been inspired by the sandbox-adventure.
As you probably knowMinecraft: Wii U Editionhit the Wii U in late December, and it’s doing particularly well in Japan. It’s the number one selling game in theWii U charts in Japanat the moment.
That’s not discouraged publisher Cypronia from releasing its Minecraft-inspired titleCube Life: Island Survivalinto the Japanese territory, however. It launched there this Wednesday for only 1000 Yen (compared to Minecraft’s asking price of 3,888 Yen) and has already found successjumping straight to number 15 in the charts. That’s actually pretty impressive when you see the calibre of games in the charts which it is competing with!
Cypronia assures us it’s not resting on its laurels with the development of the game. Update 1.2 is currently under approval with Nintendo and should be released for free soon; this will offer the ability to share maps in a similar way toSuper Mario Makerand lots more.
The battle of Minecraft and its clones still rages on.
The Solus Project looks like a story-driven Minecraft in space
Survival sandbox games feel a dime-a-dozen these days. And while plenty put their own twist on the genre by adding things like dinosaurs or player permadeath, The Solus Project aims to do something different: it wants to tell a story.
The Solus Project starts with you marooned on a strange planet. There are no creatures here, just plants, caves, ruins, and dangerous weather. There are also no other players to hunt you down – the game is meant to be experienced alone, just you exploring the environment, crafting the resources needed to survive and uncovering the planet’s secrets. It’s just spaceman Joe vs. the alien volcano.
The game is broken up into traditional levels, but each features both open-world exploration and crafting, as well as more linear story content. Judging from the trailer above, I’d say it makes me think of “walking simulator” narrative games like Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but with more ways to interact. We’ll have to wait for the game to come out before judging how well it successfully marries the concepts, but color me intrigued.
Developer GRIP Digital plans to release the game episodically via Steam Early Access and Xbox One Preview starting February 18 and February 26, respectively. The final launch, with all levels completed and polished, is planned for May.
New Minecraft Skin Pack Arrives to Celebrate Year of the Monkey
It’s only available on PC and mobile devices.
[UPDATE]When asked if the Journey to the West pack would be making its way to platforms other than PC and mobile, a Microsoft spokesperson gave us this response:
“Each version of Minecraft has different development schedules and timelines for new skin packs and content. We look forward to releasing new and fun content for each in the future, so stay tuned!”
The original story follows:
The Lunar New Year is upon us andMinecraftis getting some new skins to celebrate. Players will be able to dress as characters from the classic Chinese tale,Journey to the West.
TheJourney to the Westskin pack is available right now and includes 15 different characters such as Princess Iron Fan, Lord Hundred-Eyes, and the Monkey King. The entire collection costs $1.99, but players will be able to download characters Red Boy and Guanyin for free.
The pack is only available for Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition (which remains in beta) and Pocket Edition on mobile devices. There has been no mention of it coming to other consoles, but we’ve contacted Microsoft and will update this story if more information becomes available.
Video games don’t get more popular thanMinecraft.It’s charming blend of distinctive graphics and whimsical survival setup were unlike anything we’d seen before. Developers have tried to replicate Mojang’s success withMinecraft,but to no avail. Available along with the Windows 10 operating system itself,Minecraft Windows 10 Editionseeks to clean-up what was already a pretty stellar experience.
The classic versions ofMinecrafthave some rather unsightly requirements. First, purchasing and downloading the game isn’t as seamless and one would assume. That’s because Mojang maintains it’s own Minecraft purchase system separately from Microsoft, the company that purchased the studio a few years ago. Second,Minecrafton desktop has mods that can get a bit unwieldy. The underlying technology that it relies on, Java, can be confusing for some too.
Minecraft Windows 10 Editiontakes steps to solve those nagging problems. Windows 10 users purchase the game directly from Microsoft’s Windows Store. Any credit card or store credit already on their account can be applied to the game. Instead of returning to the Mojang website for extras, users simply go back to the Windows Store to unlock skin packs and add-ons using the same system. Also,Minecraft Windows 10 Editionhas all the stuff you need to get going. You install it and it works, there’s no separate software add-ons to maintain or manage. It does introduce a new wrinkle though, you don’t get to add any mods.
We’ve spent some time withMinecraft for Windows 10.Here are some tips for anyone thinking about purchasing one of the latest editions to theMinecraftecosystem.
Connect a Controller
The first thing anyone playingMinecraft Windows 10 Editionneeds to do is leave their keyboard behind. To be clear, playing with your mouse and keyboard can be great. The game also supports touch. Neither compare to the ease of a controller.
Luckily,Minecraftsupports Microsoft’s own Xbox controllers. You can plug an Xbox One controller directly into your Windows PC with a microUSB cable or opt for the older Xbox 360 controller and a wireless adapter if you want. Other controllers are supported along with these. Microsoft recently released a dedicated Xbox Wireless Adapter that lets you play your games without a cable.
Why Minecraft Windows 10 Edition is So Cheap
Minecraft Windows 10 Editionis cheap, really cheap. In the United States, the game costs just $9.99 from the Windows Store. That’s a lot less than the $26.95 that the desktop version ofMinecraftcosts directly from Mojang’s website. Lots of people are wondering why that is.
Put plainly,Minecraft Windows 10 Editionis in open beta. This means that’s that what you’re buying isn’t necessarily a feature complete game. Instead of waiting to release it, Microsoft opted to make the game available at a steep discount, adding new features to the game when they’re done. Neither Mojang nor Microsoft usually discuss what features are coming before they’re available.
Minecraft Windows 10 Editionhas a lot of nice features, but it’s running behind the Mac and regular PC versions. It’s also missing mod support, which is essential for creating the types of incredible things that people dream up in the game’s sandbox mode. You can add your own character skins if you want.
Note that you don’t have to choose either or. If you buy the regular version ofMinecraftfrom the Mojang website, you unlock the Windows 10 Edition for free.
You Can’t Transfer Your Worlds toMinecraft Windows 10 Edition
Minecraft Windows 10 Editiondoes have one big caveat. You can’t transfer your worlds from other versions of the game to it. For that, Microsoft is still encouraging users to download the regular PC version alongside the Windows 10 version.
Don’t Worry About Updating
Microsoft’s internal team and the Windows Store app that you have installed on your device will handle all the heavy lifting related toMinecraft Windows 10 Edition.You’ll never need to go out and find a software update, the latest updates are published into the Windows Store, where your Windows 10 computer will then grab them and install them behind-the-scenes.
Introducing The Games Bar
Along with the Xbox app itself,Minecraft Windows 10 Editionsupports Windows 10’s Games Bar. Press the Windows key and G key on your keyboard to get access to screenshots and video clip recording directly from your game. If you have a controller connected, the Games Bar is always available by pressing the Xbox logo on that controller.
Play Minecraft With Friends
Any otherMinecraft Windows 10 Editionplayer on your same network can play along with you in your worlds. Microsoft revealed that it would add Xbox Live connectivity to the game in a future update so that users can play together across devices. The company said so in anFAQabout the game published at launch. The feature is now available, though it’s buried in the game’s Options area.
Already, the company has implemented some useful features and laid the groundwork.Minecraft Windows 10 Editionforces users to login into their Xbox Live account because it comes with Xbox Live Achievements. The Xbox app that comes installed on Windows 10 devices allows users to send messages over Xbox Live and start Xbox Live Parties with other Windows 10 and Xbox One owners.
Mojang and Microsoft keep theMinecraftcommunity updated with news directly through the Game Hub in the Xbox app too. Go there for the latest news about the game and questions about your experience with it so far.
