Minecraft has been one of the most widely downloaded and played apps of the last couple of years, with the franchise itself spawning various toys, books and there’s even a movie in the works. With Microsoft including the latest version of Minecraft for free on Windows 10, the mobile app, Minecraft PE (Pocket Edition) received a huge number of improvements in the 0.12.1 (currently on 0.12.2 which is mostly just bug fixes) update to allow the game to be played cross-platform – meaning you can quit the game on your PC at home and carry on playing on your mobile or tablet without missing a beat.
There are various new updates which improve the pocket edition experience for players, bringing the game more in line with the desktop and console version. These include:
New Inventory – The app edition will feature the same inventory users have gotten used to in the desktop version, which will make crafting a little more challenging than it has been in the past!
Customise Your Interface – You’ll be able to change the layout of your Minecraft interface to help suit your style of play better, moving around the main onscreen items like buttons and the experience bar.
The Nether – This new dimension has now been added to the pocket edition of the game, allowing you to do battle with new enemies and obtain some cool new materials.
Weather – The addition of changing weather will bring the game more in line with the console and PC experience, with rain falling during play and snow piling up on the landscape
Hunger Bar – In this new edition you’ll need to eat to survive, with the hunger bar monitoring your food intake and draining your health if you don’t eat something quickly!
Potions – Another feature from the desktop edition that’s coming to mobile, you’ll be able to mix up various potions to give you temporary abilities and regenerate your health
Music – at last, music has been added to the pocket edition of Minecraft! The music in the desktop edition helps set the mood perfectly, so it’s a more than welcome addition to the game
New Mobs – Alongside the new enemies being added to the Nether dimension, a number of new mobs will be included in the update. These include Ocelots which will spawn in jungle biomes, and Iron Golems who will help protect the villagers. Another cool addition is that villagers can now turn into zombies – as if we needed something else to give us a scare in the game!
New Blocks and Items – A number of new blocks will be added to the game, including anvils, brewing stands and enchantment tables. There’s also a whole range of new items being added to help add a little more depth to the game (as if it needed it!)
Overall it’s an exciting update, and the option of continuing with your game when you’re commuting to work or over at a friend’s house means there’s even more reason to get lost in your own world.
As part of its marketing efforts to promote the upcoming “Halo 5: Guardians,” Microsoft will release a new content updated inspired by the popular sci-fi first-person shooter for “Minecraft.”
The update, which will be released for free, will serve as an add-on for the “Minecraft: Halo Edition” mash-up pack, according to a report by the Xbox Wire.
The update will be available for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions of “Minecraft” and will feature new skins designed after characters from “Halo 5: Guardians.” These include Master Chief and members of his Blue Team as well as Spartan Locke and his Fireteam Osiris.
Those who already have the “Minecraft: Halo Edition” mash-up pack can get the content update for free once it comes out on October 27. Those who still don’t have the game can purchase it through the Xbox online store for $3.99.
The “Minecraft: Halo Edition” mash-up pack first came out in May last year for the Xbox 360 followed by Xbox One version in August.
As its name suggests, the pack features various elements from the “Halo” series such as 31 music tracks, themed menus and user interface, craft-able items and a textured set.
It also includes “Halo” world designed in the style of “Minecraft” such as Silent Cartographer, Sandtrap, Valhalla, Blackout, Guardian and Blood Gulch. It also features 41 character skins such as Cortana, Sergeant Johnson and the Arbiter.
Of course, since the “Halo” series is only available for the Xbox platforms, PlayStation owners should not expect to get receive the upcoming update for their console’s “Minecraft” version. After all, the mash-up pack was only released for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
As for the “Halo 5: Guardians,” the game is scheduled to come out on October 27 exclusively for Microsoft’s next-gen console. Recently, development studio 343 Industries released a blog post detailing the game’s rules for its multiplayer or Arena mode.
One of the guidelines explained by the studio is the game’s Competitive Skill Ranking (CSR), which is the system that determines a player’s status based on his or her performance in matches.
“The Competitive Skill Rating system in ‘Halo 5’ is designed to ensure high quality matches between players of equal skill, on a per-playlist basis,” 343 Industries wrote. “When you first hop into any Arena playlist, you will play a series of placement matches before earning your CSR.”
“After you complete 10 games, you will be placed into one of 7 CSR ranks based on your performance,” the studio continued.
xcited to start the newest saga in the Halo universe in Halo 5: Guardians on Oct. 27? Well, the fun begins in Minecraft first, and starting Oct. 23 you can play as the Master Chief along with Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris from Halo 5: Guardians for Minecraft: Xbox One Edition and Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition.
This free update to the Minecraft: Halo Edition mash-up pack will bring new characters from Halo 5: Guardians to Minecraft on Xbox and include all of the content from the original pack for those purchasing for the first time ($3.99 USD).
The mash-up pack, expertly crafted by 4J Studios, includes a Halo-themed texture set, themed menus and user interface, craft-able items and 31 music tracks across the Halo franchise. Also available are 40 pixel-perfect character skins depicting beloved Halo characters such as the Master Chief, Cortana, Sergeant Johnson, the Arbiter and more. For fans looking to fully immerse themselves into the Halo universe, the Halo Mash-up pack also features pre-made worlds such as Silent Cartographer, Sandtrap, Valhalla, Blackout, Guardian, Blood Gulch and plenty of well-known Halo vehicles and features.
Characters included in the update:
Blue Team:
Spartan-117 The Master Chief
Spartan-104 Fredric
Spartan-087 Kelly
Spartan-058 Linda
Fireteam Osiris:
Spartan Locke
Spartan Buck
Spartan Tanaka
Spartan Vale
Master the Halo universe within Minecraft this week, and stay tuned to Xbox Wire for up-to-date news on both games.
Some massive free updates went live on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of Minecraft today. They upgrade the game to a new version and bring with it a host of new features that many Minecraft fans have been clamoring for.
Among the new additions are new Fence, Gate and Door blocks as well as new Oak, Spruce, Birch and Jungle wood type blocks. There’s a new ability to flatten mountains and caverns and several new items like Iron Trapdoors, Inverted Daylight Sensors, Books & Quills, and Stained Glass.
The update also adds options that can change the game mode, difficulty, time, player spawn position, ambient cave sounds, and weather without leaving a game session and brings PC-style crafting to console versions .
To tie-in to this year’s Minecon (a real-world convention for Minecraft fans), a limited edition Minecon 2015 Skin Pack has also been released and is downloadable for free from the Xbox Store until the 15th of July. The skin pack contains special Minecon capes for both male and female character models.
Microsoft purchased Mojang and the rights to Minecraft in November 2014 and has been actively expanding the franchise. Which new Minecraft project excites you the most? Would you like to see the brand expand even further or are you happy with Minecraft sticking to its basic video game roots? Let us know in the comments below.
Above: Even with a dual GTX 780 Ti setup, this PC is getting 0 frames per second in certain circumstances.
Minecraft may have antiquated-looking visuals, but some people are finding out this doesn’t guarantee a solid framerate.
Developer Mojang says it is aware that some people are experiencing issues with lower-than-usual framerates for Minecraft on PC. One of the recent incremental updates (which Mojang calls Snapshots) for the block-building phenomenon introduced a problem with its optimization, and this manifests in the game by causing stuttering, huge dips in frames-per-second, and block lag (where you can’t destroy a placed block due to desyncing issues). Now, the Microsoft-owned studio is working to fix the problem.
Minecraft designer and programmer Nathan “Dinnerbone” Adams posted to Twitter earlier today to let fans know that he was personally addressing the issue.
Normally, Mojang issues a new Minecraft snapshot on Wednesdays, but Adams didn’t want to wait that long to fix the framerate. The snapshot is available now, and you can download it here if you already own Minecraft.
From VentureBeat
Gaming is in its golden age, and big and small players alike are maneuvering like kings and queens in A Game of Thrones. Register now for our GamesBeat 2015 event, Oct. 12-Oct.13, where we’ll explore strategies in the new world of gaming.
Late last week, Adams tweeted that he found a possible cause for the framerate issue.
Put simply, the game was loading the information for in-game locations into your processor’s main thread. Apparently, this was taxing hardware too much, and now Mojang only plans to do that for blocks that players have placed themselves.The latest snapshot only went live a few hours ago, so we’ll have to see if this fixes the problem for most players.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the week! It’s time once again for our look back at the noteworthy updates of the last seven days. It’s a lighter load than usual this time, but with a new OS version coming soon, business is likely to pick up soon. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself using AppShopper Social [Free], the watchlist in the TouchArcade App [Free], or by participating in the TouchArcade forums, but this weekly summary is here to fill in the things you might have missed. Let’s dig in!
Pixel Dungeon, $2.99 Let’s kick this off with the update for Pixel Dungeon, a cool roguelike that’s been around Android for a while, but in recent months got a nifty iOS port. The new version adds a new item, a new room type, a new enchantment, and a couple of fresh quests. It also adds an auto-targeting system for missile attacks, and makes a number of changes to various items and systems for the purposes of balance.
Candy Crush Soda Saga, Free A new episode that takes place in a chocolate-dipped castle adds 15 levels to King’s popular puzzler, adding up to a grand total of 495 stages. These levels have a new feature called Soda Fizz, which tasks you with bursting bubbles to generate a Soda Rush. I’d love to tell you more about how that works, but I’m only on level 259 right now.
Happy Wheels, FreeHappy Wheels has proven to be pretty popular on the App Store, so it’s nice to see the developers are giving their new players speedy service on updates. This new version allows you to listen to your own music while you’re playing. It also adds support for wireless MFi controllers, increases the size of the special button, and fixes a bunch of bugs and features that weren’t working as intended.
Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic, $1.99 A small but significant update to Pixel Heroes adds the ability to play the game in portrait orientation. I wish more games would support both orientations, because I find each to be very convenient depending on the context. Naturally, the developer also did a little bug-squashing while they were at it.
Pocket Mine 2, Free There’s a new challenge mode in Pocket Mine 2 that features the new elemental blocks, along with some new legendary gear to collect, and a few tweaks to the UI.. There are also a bunch of little bug fixes to keep everything running smoothly.
METAL SLUG DEFENSE, Free To celebrate hitting 25 million downloads across all platforms, Metal Slug Defense is having another event where medals will be handed out like candy. Log in every day to get up to 250 medals for free, and join in on the Gigantic Weapon event where you can earn a couple of special giant units.
Taichi Panda, Free There’s a big list of changes in this update to Taichi Panda, starting with the storage cap being increased to 200 slots. Caps are raised all around, with Tier 6 Ascension, Tier 36 Discovery, and Guild Level 40 added to the game. There are a number of other fixes and tweaks to the game, mostly dedicated to filling out content for long-term players.
Cards and Castles, Free On the other end of the spectrum, the newest update for Cards And Castles adds a couple of favors for new players. There are now some low-cost starter items in the shop, including starter decks and limited time bundles. It might be just the thing to get you going, if you don’t mind spending a little money. There are new custom castles as reward for ranked matches, and the game scenarios have gotten an extra pass to make them more fun. I’m not sure if any of these fixes help the game’s fundamental balance issues, but hey, at least the developers are still swinging.
Skyline Skaters, Free The Skyline Skaters are in Tokyo this time around, which means it’s time for udon, Godzilla, and all-night karaoke! Just kidding, it’s only a new backdrop to skate in front of. But do watch out for Godzilla, he’s a near-constant annoyance for Tokyoites and he’ll probably get in your way at some point, too.
Trials Frontier, Free Nowhere in the rulebook does it say a horse can’t participate in motorcycle races. Oh wait, it says that right here. Hm, well, how about horse-shaped motorbikes? Yeah, I didn’t think you’d have an answer for that, smartypants. The new rodeo event brings new tracks, outfits, and paint jobs to the game, along with the spiffy Stallion bike. The game is also running a sale in its shop, so if you’ve had your eye on anything, now’s the time to bite.
BADLAND, $3.99 Level editors are so hot right now. Even Mario is doing it! Badland now lets you create your own levels and share them with other players. Naturally, you can play the levels other players make, and rate them so that others know what’s cool. If someone makes one good enough to impress the folks at Frogmind, it’ll be added to the official level roster. This is your chance to be a star, friends!
Alpha Omega, $0.99Alpha Omega is back with another set of level packs, each one containing 96 levels and selling for $0.99. The Back To School pack is full of school-related words and is just the thing for students excited to be back at their desks, and parents who are excited to have them back at their desks. This update also has four excellent new music tracks to play along to, so make sure to check it out even if you aren’t interested in buying new packs.
Darklings Season 2, Free The follow-up to Darklings has a chunk of new content for players to enjoy. There’s a new map that takes place in a desert, complete with its own boss, Scorpio. There is also a new Darkling family joining the crew called the Wanderers. There are lots of fixed bugs, and the game balance has been shifted a bit more in favor of the player, with faster energy recovery and a 10% sale on items in the store. They also threw in Metal support for good measure, because hey, why not?
Alphabear: Word Puzzle Game, FreeAlphabear‘s snazzy new update includes a bunch of optimizations to make the game run better. Satisfied? No? How about a sweet new animation for lucky devils who draw a legendary bear? Still not enough? Okay, you have pushed the Bear Gods too far with your greed. Now you also get frozen tiles in some Chapter 7 events. You’ll have to thaw them if you want to use them. That’ll teach you to press your luck with bears!
Minecraft: Pocket Edition, $6.99 Hoo boy, this is the big one, isn’t it? This long-awaited update adds the Nether and its inhabitants to the Pocket Edition of Minecraft, along with cross-platform play for up to five players, new touch controls, MFi controller support, enhanced weather effects, experience, anvils, brewing, enchantments, golems, flower pots, sneaking, sprinting, and much more. It’s still not quite on the level with the PC version, but this is a huge step towards that goal. For this notable, if somewhat later-than-expected, achievement, I am happy to award Minecraft with the coveted Update Mondays Most Spider-Mans Of The Week award. You’ll have to craft your own metaphorical celebratory vermouth, however. There was… an incident.
World of Tanks Blitz, Free The new version of World Of Tanks offers up a handful of new British Tank Destroyers, while simultaneously making balance tweaks to a number of old favorites. Some have won, some have lost, but I’ll leave that fun for you to sort out. In addition, the Clan system has received a bit of love with improved searching and Clan chats.
Heroes of Order & Chaos – Multiplayer Online Game, Free Two new heroes join the fray with this update. Tryptic, the Flame of Vengeance, is not just the name of the morning-after results of eating vindaloo curry. It’s also the name of a corrupted Flame Knight. Meanwhile, Carlie Q is an evil biorobotic doll who loves to murder and cause suffering wherever she goes. So… kind of leaning towards the ‘Chaos’ end of things this time around, yeah?
Guardian Cross, FreeGuardian Cross is probably one of Square Enix’s bigger worldwide successes in the free-to-play market. It has a healthy userbase and continues to see support from the developer, which is more than can be said for some of their more local, high-profile releases. This update adds a new hunting ground, Aedengard (Night), with new Guardians to go along with it. A new ability called Laevateinn has been added, as well. They’ve also made a few tweaks to the gameplay. If you lose to a floor boss and use a potion to take another try, the boss will be in a weakened state. Coliseum bonuses are now applied to both sides in a friend match, and Almighty Guardians that were given as rewards in the Coliseum mode are now tradeable.
Order & Chaos Online, Free Wow, both Order & Chaos games updated in one week? What, is there a new one coming out or something? Anyway, the new version adds a couple of special events. The Summer Carnival comes just in the nick of time, with a beach paradise for everyone to kick back and relax in. You can pretend it’s still the height of summer, instead of the tragic last gasps! When you’re ready to come back down a bit, the Ghost Nocturnal event brings a mysterious temple where you might be able to capture yourself a limited edition Kapa pet if you’re lucky.
That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!
There are various new updates which improve the pocket edition experience for players, bringing the game more in line with the desktop and console version. These include:
