Respected security analyst Brian Krebs published a report today detailing his research into who authored Mirai, a publicly available piece of malware that can be used to infect devices with online connections (think: printers, routers, etc.) and unite them into botnets capable of executing massive distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
Mirai and its ilk garnered headlines around the world last year after it was employed to DDoS the servers of DNS provider Dyn and “break the Internet” by taking down popular websites like Twitter, Reddit, Netflix and more.
Countless game developers rely on these services, and they may be curious to read Krebs’ report that the author of the Mirai malware — and indeed, the business of conducting DDoS attacks in general — is deeply intertwined with Mojang’s mega-popular game Minecraft.
Krebs claims the real identity of Mirai author “Anna-Senpai” is Paras Jha, who at one point described himself as the president of Minecraft-focused DDoS protection firm ProTraf Solutions. It’s unclear if he still works at the company — Krebs claims Jha has not (yet) responded to his request for comment, while a ProTraf Solutions representative reportedly told him that “we [are] in the process of restructuring and refocusing what we are doing.”
Moreover, Krebs reports Jha got interested in the mechanics of DDoS attacks as a Minecraft fan and server operator who complained online when his own popular Minecraft server was attacked. Krebs believes this inspired Jha to take an interest in DDoS protection, and notes that Jha’s LinkedIn page includes stints at multiple high-profile Minecraft servers.
Plus, in a now-deleted (but recovered via the Internet Archive) personal bio, Jha describes himself as an aspiring Minecraft modder and game developer.
“My passion is to utilize my skills in programming and drawing to develop entertaining games and software for the online game Minecraft,” reads the excerpt of his personal bio published by Krebs. “Someday, I plan to start my own enterprise focused on the gaming industry targeted towards game consoles and the mobile platform.”
Krebs’ whole post is fascinating, and well worth reading in full if you’re at all interested in the position Minecraft servers hold in the DDoS attack business.
“The Minecraft industry is so competitive,” Robert Coelho, chief of fellow Minecraft-focused DDoS protection service ProxyPipe, told Krebs. “If you’re a player, and your favorite Minecraft server gets knocked offline, you can switch to another server. But for the server operators, it’s all about maximizing the number of players and running a large, powerful server. The more players you can hold on the server, the more money you make. But if you go down, you start to lose Minecraft players very fast — maybe for good.”
Microsoft has put another nail in the coffin of Windows 10 Mobile, confirming that it has stopped development of its hit game Minecraft for Windows phones.
On Wednesday, Windows Central reported that Microsoft had halted development of Minecraft: Pocket Edition for Windows phones. When asked for comment, a Microsoft representative referred PCWorld to a Minecraft support document that indicates the platform won’t receive future updates.
The official FAQ states: “Is the 1.0 Ender Update coming to Minecraft: Pocket Edition on Windows Phone? Why not?” It goes on to answer: “The 1.0 Ender Update will not be available on Windows Phone 8.1 or Windows Phone 10. Every Minecraft platform has different needs and our priority is to focus on long-awaited features for as many players as possible.”
Microsoft’s decision means that Minecraft development has essentially come to an end for Windows phones. Within Microsoft, Minecraft is essentially three codebases: the original, full-featured “legacy” version based on Java for PCs, a C++ version for consoles; and a C++-based version of the game, including Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition — which receives the bulk of Microsoft’s attention — and Minecraft: Pocket Edition.
Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition—which has exited beta, and whose price will rise from $9.99 to $26.99 in five days—only runs on Windows PCs, however, and not Windows phones. The only Minecraft game that runs on Windows phones is the Pocket Edition, and just the existing version. Minecraft: Pocket Edition is still available for iOS and Android, too.
According to a Microsoft representative, both the Pocket Edition and the Windows 10 Edition share the same codebase. Because they’re on different operating systems, though, each platform requires its own testing and will generate its own list of bugs. These “take a tremendous amount of resources to identify and fix,” she said.
Why this matters: Within the U.S., Windows phone sales are below 1 percent. Not all of those users actively play Minecraft, so you really can’t blame Microsoft: The relatively low number of players on the Windows Phone platform ultimately forced its hand. And the company is not alone: This week, the popular exercise app Runtastic pulled support as well. Microsoft’s Minecraft decision, the demise of Microsoft’s Lumia lineup, plus the emergence of productivity-oriented phones like the HP Elite x3 all support one conclusion: The days of consumer Windows mobile phone apps are dying.
Fans and avid gamers alike are more than familiar with the success that the Xbox One console has garnered over the past years. With the release of the Xbox One S, it seems to tell a slightly different story since there have been reports that the console hasn’t made much of an impact in the Japanese market. As such, it was reported that Microsoft will be taking another chance at cutting through the market by releasing a “Minecraft” Xbox One S bundle in Japan. Moreover, sources have taken time to look at the new color schemes of the Xbox One’s controllers.
It was recently reported that Microsoft will be trying to redeem themselves in the Japanese market by releasing a “Minecraft” Xbox One S bundle, Gamingbolt noted. It was stated therein that the company’s move of tying up the next-gen console with the highly-acclaimed crafting game was a good move on their part.
The source noted that “Minecraft” has been the highest selling game that Microsoft has published for the Wii U. In fact, it was even mentioned that it was the highest selling game of all time in Japan, in terms of Microsoft’s stable of published games released therein. As such, it was suggested that this might have been the reason that prompted the company to release a “Minecraft” Xbox One S bundle in the market.
That being said, fans and avid gamers alike residing in Japan can get a hold on to the “Minecraft” Xbox One S bundle priced at 29,980 Japanese Yen (or around 262 US dollars), which was said to be as much as a PS4 console. The console being bundled will be sporting a 500 GB storage for Japanese gamers to fill-up with other titles of their choosing.
In other news, the new color schemes for the Xbox One controllers were also revealed, Polygon reported. It was stated therein that Microsoft has introduced new color schemes inlcuding the “Red” and “Green/Orange.” The Red Xbox One controller will be sporting a two tone finish with a deeper tone of red.
Minecraft is the biggest (paid) gaming sensation of the last decade, racking up more than 100 million downloads across platforms and still growing in popularity after several years. It’s hugely popular with young kids, has a vibrant fan community, and even is used in classrooms for educational purposes. And now you can play it on the Apple TV.
Released right before Christmas, Minecraft: Apple TV Edition is essentially a big-screen conversion of the Minecraft: Pocket Edition you might know well from iPhone and iPad. It’s not only the biggest game to hit the Apple TV to date, but also simultaneously the highest-profile game on the device to require a gamepad—you won’t be able to play with the Siri Remote. And that’s for the best, because it means that Minecraft isn’t diminished in this new incarnation.
Block by block
Minecraft on Apple TV offers essentially the same experience as Pocket Edition, which itself follows the same core tenets as the original Minecraft on Mac and PC: it’s all about little blocks. Like a modern-day digital take on LEGO, you’ll wield pixelated blocks of all sorts—dirt, sand, iron ore, and much more—in your charmingly jagged world. You can use them to build a house, a city, a detailed re-creation of the Millennium Falcon… or anything else, really.
You’ll also bash them to bits as you dig into the ground and mountains, exploring beneath the surface to mine all sorts of minerals. And then you’ll craft, of course, using the myriad blocks you’ve accumulated to build swords, shovels, pickaxes, fishing rods, and other tools to help you in the lo-fi wilds. As ever, Minecraft is about as loosely structured as a game can be. You’re dropped into a world with no tutorial, a minimal on-screen interface, and no objectives or storyline. It’s up to you to find meaning and fun in each randomly generated world you enter.
IDGBe friendly with the blocky wildlife… or punch them until they turn into beef and leather.
Luckily, that’s not difficult: the allure of freeform, trial-and-error exploration reveals surprises and secrets along the way, especially as you learn the ropes in the Survival mode, and there’s real joy in forging your own adventure in the face of unexpected challenge. With vicious block monsters appearing every night, you’ll need to utilize the resources around you to build shelter, craft better tools, and ultimately find your way to the final realm, called The End.
Meanwhile, in Creative Mode, you have all of the tools, blocks, and resources ready in your arsenal, and you can even soar through the air—all of which allows you to build massive structures and create your own experiences along the way. And you can also connect to online servers for multiplayer in either mode, and play with fellow fan-made maps and makeshift minigames.
IDGThe Apple TV Edition comes with a pretty cool bonus bundle of Christmas content right now, even if its immediate relevance has passed.
Playing Minecraft with a proper gamepad is so much better than using virtual buttons on your iPhone or iPad. While that’s adequate enough, there’s nothing quite like the steady, tactile sensation of feeling an analog stick and buttons under your thumbs, not to mention having an unencumbered view of the game on your TV. I’m using the SteelSeries Nimbus ($50), which is still the best of the bunch with Apple TV and iOS MFi gamepads, and Minecraft plays as well here as it does on other consoles and computers. While it’ll take a fairly sizable investment to start playing, it’s the only option that makes sense on the Apple TV: trying to comfortably squeeze all of the controls onto the limited Siri Remote seems an impossible task.
Double up?
Minecraft: Apple TV Edition is almost identical to Pocket Edition in nearly every respect. It has the same content as the recent 1.0 release of Pocket Edition, which also supports gamepads. However, the Apple TV Edition lacks a couple of features right now: support for Realms, the official service for setting up and running private Minecraft servers, as well the ability to sign into Xbox Live and add friends via the service. Both of those features are in development, which is great, but it’s no surprise that the Apple TV Edition’s $20 price tag is throwing some Pocket Edition owners for a loop.
IDGDig into the earth to find rare minerals. Ooh, redstone (and lava, too)!
While many purchased iOS games are then free to download on Apple TV, Minecraft: Apple TV Edition has its own $20 price tag that is separate from Pocket Edition’s paltry $7 charge. Seven bucks for Minecraft on your iPhone is a steal, while $20 for a home console version feels spot-on. However, given that you’re essentially getting a blown-up version of Pocket Edition, it seems strange that you’re asked to pay again, not to mention at a much higher price.
It’s a matter of Mojang and Microsoft following their usual playbook here, in which console versions of Minecraft cost $20, while Apple’s shared platform could allow for one purchase to cover iOS and Apple TV versions alike. But that’s their choice to make, and now it’s yours too. At least early buyers get a free add-on pack bundle that brings in a Christmas-themed environment, costumes, and other small digital goodies.
IDGConnect to online servers to play with friends or other random fans.
The Mac version is a bit more feature rich than this one (and is $27 by comparison), but playing on a TV with a gamepad is definitely preferable to using an iOS device. If you or your kids are still over the moon about Minecraft—or haven’t played and think it could be up your alley—then this may be $20 very well spent. Minecraft is infinitely replayable and Mojang keeps expanding its feature set, while online servers offer further modes and experiences. On the other hand, if you have Pocket Edition and are either perfectly content with it or don’t play much anymore, then there’s little point in buying the same game again at three times the cost.
Bottom line
Minecraft shines on the Apple TV, as playing on a big screen with a comfortable controller is even more alluring than playing on your iPhone or iPad—and it’s about on par with the Mac version in terms of overall experience. However, the price discrepancy with the Pocket Edition and need to buy this version separately may throw some fans for a loop
Nintendo Switch’s first party reveals may have been somewhat limited – even if Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild look great – but there’s still plenty to look forward to.
Aside from the next Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem Warriors and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, games like Project Sonic 2017 and Sonic Mania have also been confirmed (as per Sonic Stadium). Other titles like NBA 2K18, Dragon Quest XI, Dragon Quest X, BlazBlue and Minecraft have also been confirmed.
Many of the names in Japanese were translated courtesy of NeoGAF and include Derby Stallion, Taiko no Tatsujin, Arcade Archives, Bandai Namco’s Tales of series and Harvest Moon. Overall, not a bad collection of support though we’re obviously looking forward to more.
The Nintendo Switch is out on March 3rd worldwide and will retail for $299. What are your thoughts on the console and its games thus far? Let us know in the comments below.
It’s a famous North East landmark but have you ever wondered what Segedunum Roman fort would like in Minecraft form? The answer is probably not but now you can see for yourself.
The Wallsend attraction is inviting fans of the famous computer build and design programme to get a tour of the fort and then take on the roles of digital archaeologist and architect to build their own version using Minecraft.
The Time Craft event will take place during half term week on Monday, February 20 and Tuesday, February 21 with four sessions each day at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm with tickets price at £6 per person.
It’s aimed at youngsters aged 7 – 14 of for each paying child, one adult can accompany them for free.
Within each workshop, participants will be working together in pairs using a PC version of Minecraft and organisers will try to pair siblings and friends together.
While no prior knowledge of Minecraft or Roman history is needed, if your child has no experience of Minecraft its recommended they have a play before the event.
PCs and Minecraft will be provided as part of the workshop.
With the event likely to prove very popular, advance booking is definitely advised to avoid disappointment. You can book your tickets online via Eventbrite .
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