by Stone Marshall | Nov 15, 2014 | Minecraft News |
Seventeen-year-old Sean Fay Wolfe, a senior at South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island, is already an experienced writer – and multitasker. An Eagle Scout and a four-time All-State viola player, who holds a second-degree black belt in karate, Wolfe is the self-published author of the Elementia Chronicles, a fan fiction trilogy based on the popular game, Minecraft, and he is about to release book two.
The series obviously benefits from the enormous popularity of the game. which Microsoft purchased from Mojang earlier this fall for $2.5 billion. Tie-in books from Scholastic helped push its revenue up 2% in the fiscal year that ended May 31. As of the week ending October 26, five Minecraft titles were on PW’s nonfiction juvenile bestsellers list. Sky Pony Press has a bestselling fiction series as well: GameKnight999, written by Mark Cheverton.
Wolfe’s trilogy is set in the world of the Minecraft server Elementia and focuses on three new Minecraft users who become friends: Stan, Charlie, and Kat. When the trio stands up to the prejudice that they see against new players on the server, they end up in a race against the perils of Minecraft, the forces of Elementia’s king, and the mysterious Mr. A. The first book, Quest for Justice, from Wolfe’s Diamond Axe Studios, came out in January. The second volume, Noctem Ascension, will be out in mid-December or early next year. The trilogy closes with Herobrine’s Message, slated for late 2015.
To write the books, Wolfe carried around a notebook at school in which he would jot down ideas. Soon he decided that what was going to be one book needed to be more. When he finished writing the first book at age 16, he showed it to his parents. “After reading it, they said they had a lot of faith in it,” says Wolfe. That meant that his mother did extensive editing on the 420-page book, which was reworked 10 times. She also handles the book’s publicity and marketing. Wolfe’s father helped with the backend, including the book trailer and website. His parents also paid to publish the book in print and in digital format. It’s currently available at Amazon, BN.com, Kobo, Smashwords, Scribd, Oyster, and several Rhode Island bookstores.
Although Wolfe likes independent publishing and believes that it is going to grow and get easier to self-publish, he says that he is “blown away” by the effort that it required. At the same time he calls traditional publishing “a double-edged sword.” “In order to get traditionally published, you need luck,” he explains. “In order to get noticed if you’re self-published, you need luck. The three things you need to succeed are: talent, perseverance, and luck.”
Despite the extra effort that independent publishing takes, it is working for Wolfe. The paperback edition of volume one currently ranks in the low 7,000s at Amazon, a number many older, traditionally published authors might envy. Wolfe’s local independent, Wakefield Books in Wakefield, R.I., is also doing well with it and has sold close to 200 copies. “Everybody’s eagerly awaiting the next book,” says bookseller Sue Martin, who notes that volume one is shelved in the store’s local author display and Wolfe comes in regularly to sign copies.
Librarian Pat Horton, at the Blue Hill Public Library in Blue Hill, Maine, has been equally enthusiastic about the book. She posted this comment online: “I have been a Youth Services librarian for over 12 years and have never had such a successful Young Adult program as I did when Sean Wolfe came to the Blue Hill Public Library. Yes, Minecraft and pizza seem like a sure hit, but Sean’s presentation was way beyond what I had expected. The 40-plus boys and girls were excited, engaged and educated during the evening and I haven’t seen the two copies of his book since!”
As for Wolfe, in addition to the finishing touches on book two, he’s also completing his college applications. His “ultimate goal” he says is to be able to write fulltime. He would like to attend a school where he can study creative writing and computer programming, as well as make time to finish book three.
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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/
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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.
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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 |
