by Stone Marshall | Nov 14, 2014 | Minecraft News, parent-news |
On Tuesday’s Mommy Matters — we’re trying to make sense of Minecraft.
If you have children over the age of five, you have probably heard of this popular video game.
Love or hate Minecraft, kids obsess over it, playing huddled over iPads or fixated on monitor screen.
Minecraft is an open-ended game where you construct and play in elaborate worlds.
Some kids recreate famous pieces of architecture, others express their creativity through fun or fantastical designs, but the experience is simple: in the free-form Minecraft “world” you can build practically anything your imagination can think up.
FACTS:
• Published by Mojang in 2011, the game is one of the best-selling, independently developed games, available on PC and Mac, iOS and Android, and even Xbox.
• Since Minecraft’s release in 2009, over 20 million copies have been sold, including 93,000 sign-ups in a 24-hour peak.
• 30 million people play worldwide
MINECRAFT CULTURE
Kids experience all things Minecraft beyond the game itself.
• They gather online on forums and in the offline at conferences and at Minecraft summer camps.
• Many follow YouTubers like StampyCat and iBallisticSquid who make videos using Miecraft. These Youtubers have MILLIONS of subscribers and viewers.
• Minecraft Parties – see photos of Audrey’s Birthday party
WHAT DOES IT TEACH?
Some schools, which understand that experimenting is an important part of learning, are taking notice, and integrating the game into classroom curriculum.
“Before Minecraft, I tried to use video games in class, but I always had to change my lesson to fit the game,” Joel Levin, co-founder of TeacherGaming, a company that helps schools set up games, told the Washington Post. “Minecraft was the first game that came along where I could change the game to fit my lesson.”
1. Creativity and imagination – they can build anything – my daughter built a spa for animals.
2. Resources – what kinds of building materials to use
3. Reading and Vocabulary: Kids need to read and know the names of items in the inventory of resources. For older children, reading the wiki and online guides can extend their skills.
4. Writing: Players can use the Book and Quill within the game to keep a log, or to communicate information to other players. By contributing to the Minecraft Wiki, older children learn to write informational texts in a collaborative, multimedia environment!
5. Math – The crafting system can help in teaching basic math (e.g. “I need 3 sugar cane for paper), which transitions to multiplication (I need 3 Paper and 1 leather for a book, and 3 books for a bookshelf, so I need 9 paper and 3 leather altogether”) and division (“When I create paper I get 3 at once, so 9/3 = 3 times per bookshelf I’ll have to create paper”).
6. Social skills: By setting up a private server, parents can provide a safe environment for children to interact with friends and make playing Minecraft a cooperative event – which lets kids play in the same room or same WI-FI network with their friends, on the phone, or with in-game text chat, they can play together wherever they are. These methods allows children to work together to build, explore, and learn as they develop their social skills, especially teamwork. For older children, contributing to the Minecraft Wiki can be a chance to learn about Internet etiquette and collaboration.
MINECRAFT IN THE CLASSROOM:
http://minecraftedu.com
Created by teacher Joel Levin: MinecraftEdu is a school-ready version of Minecraft, played by over 30 million people worldwide. Created by teachers for classroom use and officially supported by Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, MinecraftEdu contains a set of powerful yet simple tools to fine-tune the Minecraft experience for learning. Teachers in over 40 countries use MinecraftEdu in every subject area from STEM to Language, to History, to Art. Made by teachers for teachers, fine-tuned for the classroom.
MINECRAFT CAMP:
https://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/teen-summer-camps/summer-tech-camps-for-teens/3d-game-design-with-minecraft/
Read Original Article Here:
by Stone Marshall | Nov 13, 2014 | Minecraft News |
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, discussed the tech giant’s plans for the “Minecraft” game series, according to Game Spot.
In mid-September of this year, it was reported that Microsoft purchased “Minecraft” developer Mojang AB for $2.5 billion. Although the deal is not yet final, the acquisition caused fans of the game to worry about the franchise’s fate, Wall Street Journal reported.
According to Spencer, Microsoft purchased the developer because it thinks “Minecraft” will be a great addition to its roster of games.
“It’s a big deal,” he said about the acquisition. “For me, I look at it as a great game to add to our portfolio. I love [the gamer] who plays ‘Minecraft.’ I love that male, female, young and old – it’s something that lives on so many different screens. I’d love to bring it to more screens out there.”
As Microsoft’s first plan for “Minecraft,” Spencer said the company wants to unify the game’s different versions using Xbox Live. However, he didn’t clarify if this includes versions for rival consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation and PlayStation Vita.
“I think what we’ve learned through Xbox Live is something that we can help in unifying a little bit of what happens with ‘Minecraft’ today,” he said. “If I’m on PC I get access to the mod servers; if I’m on console or the mobile editions, I don’t.”
“We’re looking at how do we bring that whole system together a little more,” Spencer added. “Because there are other games out there that let me move from screen to screen fairly seamlessly.”
Regarding the possibility of developing “Minecraft 2,” Spencer said there are no plans yet to create a sequel. Microsoft will first focus on catering to the needs and desires of the first game’s gaming community before moving on with a second installment, VG247 reported.
“I don’t know if ‘Minecraft 2,’ if that’s the thing that makes the most sense,” he said. “The community around ‘Minecraft’ is as strong as any community out there. We need to meet the needs and desires of what the community has before we get permission to go off and do something else.”
“We look at Job 1 is to go out and meet the needs of the ‘Minecraft’ community first, and then we can think about ways that we can actually help grow it,” Spencer continued. “That’s our sole focus.”
by Stone Marshall | Nov 13, 2014 | Minecraft News |
This official handbook will teach Minecraft players everything they need to know to defend themselves from hostile monsters and enemy players. It includes tips on how to build a fort, craft armor and weapons, set mob traps, defeat enemies in one-on-one combat, and more.
Read Original Article:
by StoneMarshall | Nov 12, 2014 | Minecraft News, Stone Marshall Book News |
I’m finishing Flynn’s Log 4, but to make it work the way I planned, I have to adapt the existing Flynn’s Log series to take place in a near future.
This means more work for me but a more consistent story line for you, plus I’m adapting the game world to be something that doesn’t exist yet! It’s kind of awesome to be able to adapt, just like Flynn does in Flynn’s Log 2. 🙂
So, if you are waiting for Flynn’s Log 4, don’t worry, the changes I’m making in Flynn’s Log 1, 2 and 3 won’t be enough to make you re-read them. Just be open to the idea of a more powerful and flexibility plot that maintains the story line consistency and allows for the series to continue. Be ready for something awesome when Flynn’s Log 4 is finally released!
Thanks for reading!
-Stone Marshall
by StoneMarshall | Nov 11, 2014 | Minecraft News, parent-news |
by Stone Marshall | Nov 9, 2014 | Minecraft News |
Earlier this year Microsoft acquired indie developer Mojang for $2.5 billion. It was a big move, and it left many fans wondering how it might effect Mojang’s hit game Minecraft. In a recent interview with IGN, Xbox head Phil Spencer talked about the desire to meet the needs of the game’s community. He said that Minecraft 2 may not make the most sense, and his words were followed by every fan of the game breathing a sigh of relief. Minecraft already does what it was created to do perfectly, why would it ever need a sequel?
Why it works so well
From the beginning, Minecraft was a game all about building. Not only was the gameplay about letting you create whatever you wanted, but the game itself was designed to be built up into something better. If you look at its original release and look at it now, it’s a very different game. Thanks to Mojang’s constant support with free updates, the game was able to constantly grow into something more grand. Content is constantly being added, and bugs are always being squashed. A sequel could never improve on the Minecraft formula, because its formula is all about improvement. A sequel would be a radical shift away from the pre-established normal of the game, changing it from a single evolving entity to a standard game series with annual static sequels.
Now that Microsoft owns the game, the company’s best course of action to keep customers happy would just be to keep the updates rolling. Minecraft is now on more platforms than ever, catering to millions of players. Everyone who has purchased the game bought it knowing it would receive updates, that the developers would be adding more fun content. It’s essentially an Everlasting Gobbstopper: for a one-time price you get something you can never finish and that will remain good for years to come. If a sequel comes along it will make the original go stale, forever stopping progress in your old worlds. It’d be like a new Skylanders game that wasn’t compatible with last year’s figures, or a new box of Legos that didn’t fit your old pieces. New content shouldn’t intend to be a rigid standalone package; it should be an addition to the big Minecraft toy box.
Worst-case scenario
But what if, in some bizarre alternate future, a Minecraft 2 is made? Would it live up to its name? Would anyone care? What would it have to be to feel like a true sequel?
If Minecraft 2 rolls around Mojang and Microsoft can’t just add some new content. They need to add loads of new content, like the equivalent of 10 years’ worth of updates all rolled out at once. We’ll need new things to explore, something more than just new biomes and ancient structures. The most obvious option is new alternate realms like The Nether and The End. It’d be pretty sweet if we could explore space a la Really Big Sky, letting us visit and mine numerous randomly generated planets. More places to visit would also mean more building materials and new things to craft. It’d be nice to see new redstone elements, new light sources, new decorations — new everything! Maybe go the Banjo Kazooie: Nuts ‘n’ Bolts route and let us build our own custom vehicles to navigate the world faster. There are also so many odds and ends they could throw in, like an improved combat system and custom skins on consoles.
The possibilities for a sequel are limitless, but let’s face it, no matter how great it could be we’ll always wish it was just done as an update.
Other options
In the end, we have to remember Microsoft is a company, and the ideal future of endless free Minecraft updates isn’t going to bring in revenue. There’s many ways Microsoft could earn money from its new property without making a sequel. Maybe it’ll focus more on monetizing the game, delivering more skin and texture packs to consoles. Microsoft has provided some good paid content in the past, and as long as it’s kept cosmetic everyone can enjoy the game without spending extra cash. Maybe the series will get spin-off games instead of a sequel, releases that utilize the property without messing with the core experience. Microsoft could easily slap some creepers onto a free-to-play mobile puzzle game. It could also make small ID@Xbox games, maybe a randomly generated Diablo-esque dungeon crawler or a four-player party game. Minecraft has become a very recognizable brand, with its name and characters appearing anywhere that will garner a lot of attention.
For better or worse, we don’t know what the future holds for Minecraft. Despite Microsoft’s stated good intentions, maybe a sequel is inevitable. While we still have to wait and see if Phil Spencer’s words hold true, his statement did prove one important thing: Microsoft has a pretty good understanding of what Minecraft is, and what its community would want. The company may not be the ones that created the game, but it’s shown that the future of our beloved game rests in good hands.
Read Original Article:
