by Stone Marshall | Oct 9, 2015 | Minecraft News |
Above: Twitch plays Minecraft plays Pokémon Red, anyone?
You can make almost anything in Minecraft, and fans have shown over and over that they will.
One community creator, who goes by the name Magib1 on Reddit, is attempting to rebuild all of the original 1996 role-playing game Pokémon Red. They’re actually using command blocks, which basically enable players to write programs inside the Minecraft world. People have previously used this to make calculators and other computers, but — as with all things — Pokémon was inevitable.
Magib1 has worked on this project for a while, and they have made some serious improvements to the way it performs.
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In a
post on Reddit from today, Magib1 noted that they have made the game look better by smoothing out the graphics. The big change on this front comes in the form of the full walking animation for Ash. This latest build also adds collision detection and the ability to hold down buttons.
Another major improvement came when Magib1 was able to change how he stored the information for menus. This helped him eliminate 25,000 command blocks … which is a huge number. This also improved the responsiveness of the onscreen (on a screen) action and it helped reduce the overall file size drastically.
If you want to download this to try it, Magib1 has some good and bad news regarding that.
“I do plan on releasing the map once it gets far enough along to actually be playable, but that is still a ways off,” they wrote.
What kinds of things does Magib1 need to finish before releasing it? Well, they next plan to work on reducing the delay when holding down a movement button even further along with improving (or adding) basic menus.
Once all that’s finally finished, maybe we can finally get Twitch Plays Minecraft Playing Pokémon.
The fan that’s trying to re-create Pokémon Red in Minecraft has made some updates
by Stone Marshall | Oct 8, 2015 | Minecraft News |
Minecraft is about to get an update on PlayStation platforms with the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita versions all receiving a new patch that will both fix problems and add content. The big piece being added is the Doctor Who Skin Pack, which has been available on Xbox for some time. PlayStation owners are used to getting these a little bit later though, so it’s good to see the packs continuing to be ported over, despite Microsoft’s purchase of the series and its developer.
As with every Minecraft update, this one contains a ton of smaller fixes and changes. You can check out the full patch notes for each version here: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita. The gist is that these versions of the game will all be getting the aforementioned Doctor Who Skin Pack, along with a bunch of technical fixes.
Those fixes include a memory leak that would cause a framerate issue and an issue where signs would go blank when playing the game over the network. The PS3 version is also getting some updates to its Trophies to bring it more in line with the other versions of the game.
Minecraft is available now on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, and mobile.
Minecraft Update Hits PS4, PS3, & PS Vita, Adds Doctor Who Skin Pack and More
by Stone Marshall | Oct 8, 2015 | Minecraft News |
Available now in Europe, with North America and Japan getting it later today (Update: It’s out now in North America), Minecraft update 1.20 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita adds support for the new Doctor Who Skin Pack, while also fixing a couple of issues, including a memory leak that caused frame-rate problems.
Here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s update, which apply to all platforms unless otherwise noted:
Additions
- Added Doctor Who Skin Pack Bundle trial content.
Fixes
- Fixed a memory leak causing frame-rate issues.
- Fixed an issue causing signs to go blank for network players.
- Updated trophies to include all those already on other platforms. 23 added in total. (PS3 only)
Discussing the future of big Minecraft updates on consoles, developer 4J Studios said earlier this month:
No news yet, other than we’re working on it. The next few updates will be small, while we get the 1.8 update ready.
If you’re looking to purchase the Doctor Who Bundle, it’s available through the PlayStation Store for $5.99 (PS4, PS3, PS Vita).
Here’s the description:
Launch yourself on an epic adventure in space and time with this bundle of Minecraft Doctor Who Skins Volume I and Volume II. With the combination of these two skin packs you will have over 100 characters from all eras of the show’s history including all the Doctors, Amy Pond, Clara Oswald, Rose Tyler, Zygons, The Master, Weeping Angels, the Daleks, Davros, Donna Noble, Captain Jack Harkness, K9, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the Sea Devil and the Cybermen.
You can check out some screenshots in the gallery below.
As Telltale Games and Mojang announced recently, Minecraft: Story Mode is coming to PS4 and PS3 this October through digital and retail stores.
Minecraft Update 1.20 Today on PS4, PS3 & PS Vita Adds Doctor Who Skin Pack, Fixes Frame-Rate Issues
by Stone Marshall | Oct 7, 2015 | Minecraft News |
If you’ve been playing Minecraft: Pocket Edition [$6.99] since the big 0.12 update, you’re probably enjoying how the game is now closer to the PC version than ever before with all kinds of new features added and plenty others reworked. Still, the work doesn’t end here since the developers are currently working on the 0.13 update that should add working redstone circuits among other features. One new feature that we now know about is the addition of rabbits, one of the later additions to the PC version. However, these bunnies will be different than the ones in the PC version: they are smaller, will run away from you, can be one-shot with a bow, only spawn in forests, and they’ll eat your crops. Now, that last one is going to be…fun. I can see myself turning into an old geezer with a bow screaming at those bunnies to leave my crops alone.
In addition to the bunny addition, going by developer Tommasso Checchi’s twitter feed, the stonecutter might go the way of the dodo and there will probably be some changes to the UI since he feels there are issues with the UI in the mobile version (he doesn’t specify what issues). He’s also experimenting with dragging & dropping items in the toolbar. Mojang plans to have a live 0.13 developer stream tomorrow at 11:30 EST at its Twitch channel to talk about the upcoming update. They will be answering questions from here, so you still have time to go post some questions.
New Spoilers for ‘Minecraft: Pocket Edition’ 0.13 Update – Adding Rabbits and Probably Reworking the UI
by Stone Marshall | Oct 7, 2015 | Minecraft News |
“Microsoft Monday” takes a look back at the past week of news related to Microsoft. Last week, “Microsoft Monday” included details about Office 2016 for Windows PCs, a teaser about the Xbox One bundles, Minecraft coming to Oculus Rift, etc. This week, “Microsoft Monday” will focus on Windows 10 privacy concerns, the new Xbox bundles, Skype updates, Microsoft’s latest acquisitions, a patent partnership with ASUS and more.
Windows 10 Privacy Concerns
Windows 10 was released globally on July 29th and there have been concerns about privacy in regards to the operating system since then. To address concerns, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and Devices Terry Myerson published a blog post last week titled “Privacy and Windows 10.”
Myerson said information collected by Windows 10 is encrypted in transit to Microsoft’s servers stored in secure facilities. What kind of data does Windows 10 collect? To improve application reliability, Windows 10 collects anonymous “telemetry data” like device IDs, device types and application crash data — which does not include content or files. Windows 10 customizes your preferences like your favorite sports teams to give you scores and updates. And Windows 10 also remembers the common words you type into text messaging conversations to provide completion suggestions. Privacy advocates may be thrilled to hear that Windows 10 does not scan the content of your email, files or other communications for targeted advertising purposes.
Fortunately, you can change around your Windows 10 privacy settings by going to Settings > Privacy. And you can adjust the privacy settings for each specific app through the Settings area within that app.
Myerson added that Windows 10 was designed with two privacy principles:
1. “Windows 10 collects information so the product will work better for you.”
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2. “You are in control with the ability to determine what information is collected.”
One of the benefits of information collection is quality control. For example, Microsoft noticed that a graphics driver was crashing on some Windows 10 PCs, which caused computers to reboot. So Microsoft worked with the graphics company to turn around a fix for Windows Insiders within 24 hours.
However, there is a feature that some privacy advocates believe is unnecessary. Microsoft Windows 10 has a feature that lets you monitor your child’s device use. Through this feature, you will receive regular activity report emails to your Microsoft account that summarizes how much time your children has spent on the PC along with the websites they visit, the games and apps they use and the search keywords that they enter into search engines.
Here is how Microsoft responded to the feedback about its family features:
“As an example of direct response to feedback we’ve received, all Windows 10 customers will receive an upcoming update to family features, with default settings designed to be more appropriate for teenagers, compared to younger children. Additionally, we’re working on ways to further enhance the notifications that kids and parents get about activity reporting in Windows.”
Windows 10 Activation: “Digital Entitlement”
Microsoft has recently created a website called “Activation in Windows 10” that provides clarity about verification. Windows 10 activation methods includes product keys or “Digital Entitlement.”
The digital entitlement activation method is used when you upgrade to Windows 10 for free from an eligible device that runs a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 or you bought a genuine Windows 10 copy from the Windows Store and successfully activated Windows 10. Or you bought a Windows 10 Pro upgrade from the Windows Store and successfully activated Windows 10. And finally you’re a Windows Insider and upgraded to the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build on an eligible device that was running an activated previous version of Windows and Windows 10 Preview.
If you bought Windows 10 from an authorized retailer or you bought a new device running Windows 10, then a product key is used as the activation method. Or if you have a Volume Licensing agreement for Windows 10 or MSDN subscription, a product key is necessary.
Windows 10 Hits 100 Million Installations
As a free upgrade, Windows 10’s growth has been rapid. Windows 10 already has 6.63% of of the worldwide desktop operating system market, according to Net Applications. And Windows 10 is the fourth largest desktop operating system behind Windows 7, Windows XP and Windows 8.1. As a whole, Windows has 95.37% of the desktop operating system market. Mac OS X has 4.91% of the market and Linux has 1.74%
About a month after Windows 10 was released, Microsoft reported that it was installed on over 75 million devices across 192 countries. Now it is running on more than 100 million devices, according to Petri’s sources. Microsoft said its goal is to have 1 billion Windows 10 installs within three years.
Microsoft recently rolled out a new By The Numbers website, which highlights company milestones. Some of the numbers that stand out includes more than 1.2 billion people use Microsoft Office and the company donates an average of $2.6 million in software each day.
“We’ve tallied some of the ways Microsoft is helping people all over the planet achieve more each day — and we’re keeping tabs on some less momentous stuff, too,” said Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Communications Frank X. Shaw.
Microsoft Monday: Windows 10 Privacy, Minecraft: Story Mode, Lumia 950 Leaks And Skype Updates
Quicksilver – Castle Bound, is out October 10th! But wait, where’s Issue 6?
