‘Minecraft’ News & Update: Nintendo Almost Made the Game for N64; Here’s Why It Didn’t Happen
‘Minecraft’ News & Update: Nintendo Almost Made the Game for N64; Here’s Why It Didn’t Happen
VG247 reports that Shigeru Miyamoto, who is responsible for the games found in the NES Classic Edition, admitted that he came close to making something like “Minecraft” for the N64. Miyamoto is credited for his work on iconic video games “Donkey Kong,” “Mario,” “The Legend of Zelda,” and more.
According to IGN, Miyamoto admires “Minecraft” and feels as if the game was something Nintendo “should have made.” He also admitted that back in the day, he and his team performed experiments that were much like “Minecraft,” adding that even the designs were similar as well.
There are no bad feelings between Miyamoto and Mojang, however, even if Nintendo almost made the game for N64. In fact, Miyamoto admitted that he’s very impressed with the success of “Minecraft” to this day. But the reason behind why Nintendo almost made the game for N64 remains unclear.
What’s the reason why it didn’t happen? Why was Nintendo’s version of “Minecraft” left on the cutting room floor? The gaming genius that is Miyamoto should have foreseen the success of something like “Minecraft,” given its status today. He did not explain why he and his team did not push through with Nintendo’s version of “Minecraft” for the N64, but he did admit his admiration for the game.
As we still don’t know why it didn’t happen, let’s all just be thankful that “Minecraft” does exist, and that somewhere in a parallel universe, a Nintendo version of “Minecraft” is existent. As for Miyamoto, we’re still waiting on what iconic games he’s going to release next
‘Minecraft’ News & Update: Nintendo Almost Made the Game for N64; Here’s Why It Didn’t Happen
Shigeru Miyamoto on Mario, ‘Minecraft’ and Working With Apple
Shigeru Miyamoto – the man responsible for creating Mario back in 1981– has been in the United States promoting the December 15th release of Super Mario Run for iPhone and iPad, keeping a brutal schedule that has included playing guitar with the Roots on The Tonight Show and speaking to a packed crowd at the SoHo Apple Store in New York. His new game marks a massive change of approach for the pioneering company he’s worked at for more than 30 years, as it sees its crown jewel property appearing on devices not made by Nintendo.
We caught up with Miyamoto at the end of his big publicity tour and spoke to him about his creative process, his feelings about getting older, whether he’s thinking of retiring any time soon and how he sees himself as a creator. He also reveals that he’s been able to find the time to work on ideas for Nintendo’s theme park partnership with Universal by not leading the charge on the company’s upcoming Switch console.
You mentioned in your presentation at the Apple Store this week that your core team has been together for 30 years. How do you keep that relationship together and keep it working?
It’s interesting, because people often ask me what I’m most proud of and for the longest time it was a question I always really struggled with. A few years ago, I realized that the thing that I’m really the most proud of is that I’ve been working with the same core group of people for the last 30 years – and really it’s because you just don’t see that happen very often.
There’s myself, Takeshi Tezuka, Toshihiko Nakago and there’s actually a fourth member of our group too: Koji Kondo. Usually it’s the four of us that work on things together. There are probably a few reasons for it. I think we’re actually somewhat special because we’re all Nintendo employees, and that’s unique compared to what you’ll sometimes see with other creative groups. The other is that in working together over the past 30 years, we’ve all fallen into these very specific roles in the development process and that’s enabled us to work really well.
What are those roles?
Well, I’m the boss. Because I’m the oldest.
What’s key is that all that we do is work very closely together to make sure the thing we’re doing is really fun. That’s what we’re always striving for. One of the things we’ve done to maintain the relationship is that we spend a lot of time together. Japan is a country where people really work a lot, so every day we always eat lunch together and go to dinner together.
When there’s an idea for a game or something that we think is just going to be fun, generally the four of us share a similar opinion. We all kind of agree on the fundamentals. The other thing I’ve noticed is that although we have this strange convergence of opinions, when other people come into the group and see what we’re getting all excited about, people will often question us and say “oh, does that really seem that fun?”
We just really trust each other, and that came into play with Super Mario Run because it was easy for us to drill down and know what we should and shouldn’t do on mobile. We aligned very quickly.
So what did that look like?
This time from the very beginning we decided that we wanted to make the very simplest Mario game that we possibly could. When we first made Super Mario Bros. 30 years ago, obviously a lot of people played it and part of the reason they liked it was that all you did was move to the right and jump. It was pretty simple. Gradually Mario games have become more complex and it’s harder for people to control now. This time we started off with the idea of: “What if we made a Mario game where all you do is jump and everything else is handled automatically?” Then we had to think about how we could take that basic structure and make it fun.
Shigeru Miyamoto on Mario, ‘Minecraft’ and Working With Apple
YouTuber Builds Working Atari Emulator In Minecraft
SethBling is a master at making games do amazing things. He’s managed to inject the code for Flappy Bird into Super Mario World and created a bot that learned how to play Mario. Now, he’s built a working Atari 2600 emulator in Minecraft. And he’s done it all without any mods.
The emulator runs Atari 2600 games like Donkey Kong and Space Invaders using a complex system of over 2,000 command blocks that plays actual Atari ROMs. They’re a little slow. The 2600 managed 60 frames per second. Seth’s emulator can do 60 frames every four hours. By the end of 18 hours, the first barrel in Donkey Kong has just reached the middle of the second platform.
Seth explains the process in a second, more technical video. He builds cartridges using basic materials like stone and dirt, each block standing in for a certain binary value. He can use those blocks to assemble the code for games.
After that? It’s the long process of using the allocated memory to draw the sprites. The data is occasionally drawn into the wrong spot on the screen but given the fact that this is an emulator that used Minecraft blocks that’s only a small setback.
Seth has shared the world file for people who want to check it out for themselves, as well as an editor to help folks load in their own ROMs. So, if you happen that have Atari ROMs laying about and are sick of seeing them run at normal speed, boot them up in Minecraft and sit down for the longer game of Pac-Man you’ll ever play.
Microsoft, code.org target beginner coders with minecraft programme
With 30 million trials of last year’s ‘Hour of Code’ tutorial, Microsoft and Code.org believe their new Minecraft offering will again introduce tens of millions to coding for the first time.
It is coming on the heels of Microsoft’s coding workshops worldwide during Computer Science Education Week.
The Minecraft Hour of Code Designer is a coding tutorial for students and educators created for Hour of Code, an annual, global campaign held during Computer Science Education Week, Dec. 5–11.
The new web-based tutorial enables beginner coders to create and share their own simple “Minecraft” game, and is designed to empower anyone to begin learning the problem-solving and critical thinking skills required in today’s tech-fueled world.
Created by “Minecraft” game designers at Mojang and Microsoft, in partnership with Code.org, the fun and easy-to-learn one-hour experience builds on the success of last year’s record-breaking “Minecraft” tutorial, which reached more than 30 million students worldwide.
With the goal of inspiring millions more to try coding for the first time — and to keep going on their journey of learning computer science — as of today, the tutorial is available in 10 languages, including Spanish. It is scheduled to be available in 50 languages by Dec. 5.
With the immense popularity of “Minecraft” around the world, Microsoft and Code.org believe the tutorial has the potential to reach people of all ages and likeness.
Women and girls already compose nearly half of the game’s global fan base. The tutorial also underscores Microsoft’s commitment to ensuring all young people have the opportunity to learn computer science, an economic and social imperative in this era of digital transformation which Microsoft aims to reach students most likely to be among those without access, particularly girls and minorities.
“We are partnering with Code.org again this year to make computer science more accessible to millions of youth around the world with ‘Minecraft’ and Hour of Code,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft.
“I am inspired by the ‘Minecraft’ generation who view themselves not as players of a game, but as creators of the new worlds they dream up. This is the generation that will imagine, build and create our future, and together we can equip them with the computational thinking and problem-solving skills to seize the opportunities ahead.”
Adding his comments, Hakeem Adeniji-Adele, public sector director at Microsoft Nigeria, Microsoft and Code.org are working globally with schools, educators and governments to deliver the benefits of computer science education in schools, after school and at home to give all youth the opportunity to learn the skills they need to achieve more.
Designed for ages 6 and up, the Minecraft Hour of Code Designer teaches students to create their own “Minecraft” experience where they can program the rules.
“They can make chickens that drop gold, or zombies that run away instead of attacking. Along the way, students use Code.org’s familiar drag-and-drop coding interface to learn computer science concepts such as object-oriented programming, event handlers and repeat loops. Players face a series of 12 challenges, culminating in creating their own simple game, which they can share with friends,” said Adeniji-Adele.
Also sharing her thoughts around the importance of Computer Science in their classrooms, Mrs. Abbas Omobolanle of Ikota Computer Centre (located in Obalende Primary School), as a class teacher, the importance of Computer Science is to enable our pupils fit in the society.
In her words, “We need to catch them young to reason and think faster. To enable our pupils to know the happenings in our environment and the world at large.”
“Code.org was founded with the vision that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science — not only because it’s foundational for any career, but because students love it,” said Hadi Partovi, co-founder and CEO, Code.org. “‘Minecraft’ is a special game that appeals to a diverse global community. We’re delighted to have the chance to teach students coding with the fun familiarity of ‘Minecraft,’ to engage students of all backgrounds and skill levels.”
In support of Code.org and the global Hour of Code campaign, Microsoft will also lead thousands of youth coding events in more than 60 countries.
Microsoft, code.org target beginner coders with minecraft programme
A redstone master has constructed a functional Atari 2600 emulator in Minecraft
Ex-Microsoft engineer SethBling has created an Atari 2600 emulator using nothing but Minecraft.
Redstone wizard SethBling has created an Atari 2600 emulator in vanilla Minecraft, recreating game cartridges and Atari hardware using dirt blocks.
While the emulator is impossibly slow, SethBling’s video details how the 1977 game console can be faithfully recreated by using Minecraft’s features and some scripting wizardry.
SethBling’s emulator uses a Minecraft armor stand to draw colored blocks to represent the game’s 8-bit visuals. It draws information from 128 bytes of “RAM” crafted from a huge slab of dirt and stone, designed to represent the binary code. Dirt represents zeros, while cobblestone represents ones. The video provides a very visual explanation of how information is handled by computational hardware to create animation frames.
SethBling also provided tools to allow people to try the emulator for themselves in the description of the above video, which even includes a tool to convert 4 KB Atari 2600 ROMs into block cartridges for the emulator’s Minecraft world state.
Microsoft is already offering Minecraft to schools to teach all sorts of subjects from maths to computer science. SethBling’s video exemplifies the game’s versatility in this area, particularly when it comes to engaging younger audiences with technical topics. I think I’ll stick to blowing up Zac Bowden with creepers, though.
A redstone master has constructed a functional Atari 2600 emulator in Minecraft
You can play Atari games inside Minecraft
YouTube personality SethBling has emulated the Atari 2600 inside Minecraft. It’s a clever use of the game’s command blocks, which act as the brains of the operation.
But don’t get too excited.
While SethBling has provided a tool to load Atari ROMs into Minecraft, once they’re in there you’re only going to be playing at around 60 frames per… four hours.
Instead, think of his project as a tremendous way to explain how games are made.
SethBling has assembled an array of more than 2,000 command blocks in his design. The way he has them configured, they read stone and dirt as either ones or zeros. When an Atari game is pushed into Minecraft it resolves itself as a 4 kilo-block chunk of land, a three-dimensional representations of raw game code.
It proves to be a remarkable visual representation of the ephemeral nature of programming. You can watch SethBling sculpt the blast shields from Space Invaders on the cart itself before they’re sent to the 2600’s “screen” by manually editing them with his in-game hand.
It’s easy to see how a teacher could use SethBling’s tools, capitalizing on the familiar landscape of Minecraft to teach kids programming. A much more technical explanation is available, and you can even download the world for yourself and mess around with it.
For more mind-bending Minecraft builds check out our guided tours of The Legend of Zelda and Pac-Man.
‘Minecraft’: Mojang Launches Community Hub Featuring News And Fan Content
The studio responsible for ongoing development of Minecraft is dipping its toes into the games journalism business, Mojang announced this week, re-launching Minecraft.net as a community hub dedicated to all things Minecraft -related. It’s not going to feature the world’s most objective coverage of the popular sandbox game but the new Minecraft site does show some promise.
It’s not clear what led Mojang to make the change, though the recent spate of publisher-owned blogs makes the news significantly less surprising. What is clear is that Microsoft and Mojang are doing what they can centralize discovery and distribution of new Minecraft content, regardless of whether it was created in-house or by a member of the Minecraft community. The new site will include snapshot announcements, patch notes and other developmental news. Mojang says it also plans to use the site to “[dig] into development secrets, inspiration behind our updates, DLC, game mechanics, and more.”
The studio also plans to use Minecraft.net to highlight community creations, including popular YouTube videos, Minecraft mods, new servers and even those who prefer channeling their love of Minecraft into physical art, like cosplay. Of course, seeing as it’s a company-run platform, we’ll also see plenty of Minecraft merch sprinkled into the mix. The studio even brought in Marsh Davies, known for his work at PC Gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun, to run the revamped site. Minecraft fans can currently read up on the inspirations behind the recently added underwater temple and one of the game’s most-popular world-generation tools.
Minecraft is currently available on PlayStation 3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, iOS, Android and PC.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Minecraft news throughout what’s left of 2016 and however long Mojang supports Minecraft in the years ahead.
‘Minecraft’: Mojang Launches Community Hub Featuring News And Fan Content
Minecraft blocks used to make virtual Atari 2600 console
A YouTuber has recreated the Atari 2600 games console – by building a virtual version of the device’s hardware out of Minecraft blocks.
Seth Bling, from Seattle, described his project online in a video.
The ones and zeroes used by computers as the basis for all programming are represented by alternating blocks – either dirt or stone.
However, the emulator is too slow to actually be playable – a single game could take months.
Mr Bling’s console comprises a giant screen, which gradually updates as the game animates, and a huge field of blocks that form the virtual console’s memory.
He has also designed game cartridges for Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Pac Man – in the form of huge Minecraft blocks that are scanned as though being read by the original hardware.
Two thousand command blocks – which can perform operations on other blocks – form the system’s processor. They manipulate blocks in the memory just like a physical processor operates on data in a computer.
But the processor works very slowly, drawing frames to the screen 60 times every four hours. The original console ran at 60 frames per second.
“Because of the structures that exist within Minecraft […] you could, weirdly, in an Inception-like way, build a Minecraft within Minecraft,” said Tom Crick, professor of computer science and public policy at Cardiff Metropolitan University, referring to the film.
The possibilities, he added, were more or less boundless.
“You could very easily construct a modern Intel ARM microprocessor – it would be very slow but it would functionally correct and complete,” he told the BBC.
He pointed out that, in the physical world, Lego also allows people to build all kinds of mechanical devices on a large scale.
Learning with blocks
The game’s developer, Mojang, released an educational edition of the game earlier this year and parent company Microsoft recently unveiled a one-hour online tutorial, built entirely in Minecraft, that teaches students to code.
But last month, the UK government’s “behaviour czar” Tom Bennett told The Times newspaper he was “not a fan” of Minecraft in lessons.
“This smacks to me of another gimmick which will get in the way of children actually learning,” he said.
Prof Crick said Minecraft was not a magical tool that solves educational problems, but added, “The fact you can create essentially anything is a very powerful thing.”
How To Change Your Minecraft Name
Mojang will give Minecraft players the ability to change their name on February 4th. While it’s a pretty simple process, there are some important rules to be aware of.
“The only thing you need is a Mojang account. If you currently sign in to Minecraft with an email address, you’re all good!” said Mojang today.
To change your name, do the following:
1. Go to your Mojang account page.
2. Click the “change” link next to your Minecraft name.
3. Choose your new name.
Older Minecraft accounts will need to be migrated over to Mojang before they can perform this change. You can migrate your account for free here.
Both the spelling and capitalization of your user name can be changed. Put some thought into your choice. While it’s free to change your name, you’ll have to wait 30 days until you can do it again.
Minecraft names are still unique so you can’t choose one already in use by someone else. Even if you convince them to change their name, you can’t switch to their old one right away. Their old name will become available 37 days after they switch to another.
Back in the early years of Minecraft, it was possible for players to register a username before they actually bought the game. These usernames will soon be deleted from Mojang’s system, though, so paying customers can snatch them up. If you have one of those unpaid user names, here are the steps recommended by Mojang:
1. Be sure that you have access to your old, unpaid Minecraft account. You will need access to its registered email address. If you cannot access that username, you can contact customer support, provide your registered email address or physical registration location, and we will set it to a new email address.
2. If you haven’t already, register a Mojang account at account.mojang.com/register. You cannot have more than one Minecraft username per Mojang account.
3. Purchase Minecraft with a gift code from minecraft.net/store or through a Minecraft prepaid card from a retail store. Old usernames can only be upgraded with gift codes or prepaid cards.
4. When redeeming your gift code or prepaid card at account.mojang.com/redeem, an option to import an old username will be available.
If you can’t complete this process before these unpaid accounts are purged, you could still register the name normally. However, you run the risk of someone else grabbing your preferred name before you manage to do so.
Name changes won’t wipe other parts of your account. If you’re banned from a server, you’ll stay banned. You’ll also retain whitelist and op status on servers along with your inventory, pets and stats.
Mojang adds that name changes should work fine with the game’s many mods. However, they add that they’re not responsible for any issues that arise.
What’s the best cheap laptop for running Minecraft?
I have just read your 2015 guide, What’s the best laptop for running Minecraft?, and wondered if you could update it for 2016. My 10-year-old son adores Minecraft, and his Chromebook isn’t cutting it. He’s really into Pixelmon, so I was thinking about spending approx £300, though I’m willing to go up a bit if it gets something that will grow with him. He is using the web and the usual office tools a lot, and he’s increasingly keen to learn coding. Claire
This has been a common query for three or four years, and when buying a Minecraft machine, the basic rules never change. First, get the fastest processor you can, within your budget. Second, go for the fastest graphics card you can afford. Shop around, but I doubt you’ll find anything under £300, unless you are willing to buy a refurbished or second-hand laptop.
Minecraft platforms
It’s actually quite easy to run Minecraft. There are versions for most platforms including Apple iOS and Google Android tablets, and for Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation games consoles. There’s also a free trial beta version that runs as a “modern” app in Windows 10. All these are great. The drawback is that they don’t support “mods” or modding platforms such as Pixelmon.
The main version of Minecraft runs in a Java virtual machine, which enables the same program to run on Microsoft Windows, MacOS and Linux (which you can install on an Intel-based Chromebook). This is the version that supports “mods” and Pixelmon. Unfortunately, it consumes a lot of resources, which means you need a reasonably powerful PC to get good results.
It’s therefore best to run full Minecraft on a desktop tower if possible. Tower PCs have lots of space inside, and cooling fans, so they can use hot, fast processors. They also have expansion slots so you can add a graphics card that wasn’t supplied as standard.
Laptops are cramped for space, so manufacturers install slower processors that run cooler. And because Windows laptop manufacturers compete heavily on price, they rarely fit dedicated graphics cards. Instead, they rely on the “integrated graphics” that come with the processor. These also use the computer’s main memory for graphics, instead of having their own fast memory chips.
The good news is that integrated graphics have improved a lot in the past 5-10 years. To benefit, go for the newest processor you can afford.
Either way, aim to buy at least 4GB of memory – preferably 8GB – and at least 64GB of storage for Minecraft. This eliminates most of the laptops in the £150-£250 price bracket. Also, buy a good USB mouse.
Intel chip choice
Intel makes two main ranges of processors. Low-end laptops use low power Atom designs, which are branded Atom, Celeron and Pentium. These are fine for most purposes, including running full-screen videos and Microsoft Office. However, more powerful Core processor are needed for tougher jobs, such as video editing and gaming.
So far, Intel has released seven generations of its Core range, and the generation is shown by the first number in the processor name. In other words, a seventh-gen chip will have a number in the form i5-7xxx while a sixth-gen chip will be i5-6xxx. If you’re relying on built-in graphics, aim for a sixth- or seventh-gen processor.
The three main lines of Core chips are designated, BMW style, the Core i3, i5 and i7. The i7 is out of your price range, while the Core i3 is a little underpowered, and lacks the “burst mode” (short speed boost) feature of the i5 and i7. The Core i3-6100U is unusually fast for an i3 chip, but may not save much cash compared with the superior Core i5-6200U.
Some gamers prefer AMD processors because they have more cores and are easier to overclock. In general, however, they are slower and run hotter than Intel processors.
You can compare processor speeds at NotebookCheck’s Comparison of Mobile Processors (CPU Benchmarks). Ignore the numbers and use search (Ctrl-F) to find each chip’s rank in the table.
Possible laptops
There are lots of laptops for just under £300 – it’s a popular price point – but it requires compromises. For example, the Asus VivoBook A540 at Currys PC World (£299) has a Core i3-5005U but only 4GB of memory, while the equivalent Asus X540SA at John Lewis (£299.95) has 8GB of memory but a much slower Intel Pentium N3700 processor. Unless you can find something in the sales, you should aim to pay a little more.
Your best bet could be the 15.6in Lenovo IdeaPad 310 laptop with a 1920 x 1080-pixel Full HD screen, Core i5-6260U processor, 8GB of memory and 1TB hard drive. This is available from both John Lewis and Currys PC World for £379, but John Lewis includes a 3-year guarantee.
You could get the same laptop with a Core i3-6100U processor, a lower-resolution 1366 x 768-pixel screen and a two-year guarantee for £349.95. However, it’s not such good value, and only saves £40. You could drop further down to an IdeaPad 305 with 4GB of memory and a fifth-gen Core i3-5005U for £329.95, but you’d be losing even more power and £50 worth of memory to save £20. The Asus VivoBook A540 has the same spec for £299.
Incidentally, Lenovo sells these machines direct. The Core i3-6100U version costs £349.99, with Core i5-7200U models at £449.99 and £479.99, and a Core i7-7500U for £579.99. The 2.5GHz i5-7200U laptop (£449.99) is faster than the 1.8GHz i5-6260U model that John Lewis stocks (£379), but probably not worth the extra £70.
If you can make it to a shop, you can compare the IdeaPad 310 with the HP 15-ay167sa, Asus and other machines, to see how you like the screen, keyboard and general build quality. The HP 15-ay167sa has the latest Core i5-7200U processor but a lower screen resolution (1366 x 768) for £399.
Dedicated graphics?
The improvements in Intel integrated graphics have pushed dedicated graphics cards out of low-end laptops, so they are now rather hard to find. However, eBuyer is offering an Acer Aspire E5-573G with a Core i3-5005U and Nvidia GeForce 940M graphics for £409.98, while Laptops Direct has an Asus X556UB-DM262T with a Core i3-6100U and GeForce GTX 940M graphics for £479.97. The main appeal of this machine is that it has a 128GB SSD instead of a traditional hard drive, but it’s way over budget.
Minecraft settings
As mentioned, Minecraft will run on almost anything. However, high graphics settings will bring most mainstream laptops to their knees. OptiFine and other optimisations can help. However, your son needs to understand that the settings he chooses for graphics, lighting, textures, render distance, and screen size – plus the number of mods and plug-ins installed – can all slow the frame-rate. If the graphics start to judder and lag, he will need to dial back the fancy effects until he gets a good playing experience. Hitting F3 shows the frame rate. I’d aim for at least 50-60 frames per second with Minecraft full screen. As usual, more is better.
Super-Hacker Builds Atari 2600 Emulator… In Minecraft?!
SethBling, a YouTuber known for pulling off crazy hacks of popular games, might have outdone himself yet again with this one: He’s gotten an Atari 2600 emulator running in Minecraft.
Let’s say that you’re a normal person and so you have no idea what this means. An emulator is a software program that lets one computer act like another computer. That’s how we can play Super Mario Bros. on an NES Classic; the hardware is pretending to be an NES. Minecraft, the block-building creativity game, has an item called a Command Block, which allows players to enter and execute rudimentary code instructions. SethBling strung enough of these together to create a program that acts like the 1977 Atari 2600 game machine, which is a rather simple computer.
Of course, turning on an Atari with no game in the cartridge slot produces a whole lot of nothing, so you need game data. SethBling recreated the ones and zeroes of three Atari game ROM files—Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong—using standard inert Minecraft blocks. The command blocks read the data by scanning down each row of bricks, execute the code, and then as if by magic Pac-Man appears in the Minecraft world. He can even edit the system’s RAM on the fly… with a pickaxe.
The emulator runs at a brisk speed of about 60 frames every… four hours. But that’s okay, because there’s no controller, so it’s not playable, either. It was only created to show that it could be done, not to any functional purpose. In other words: art.
‘The Sims 4’ Latest News & Update: Holiday Celebration Pack Released Alongside Bug Fixes, Details Here!
“The Sims 4” will offer players some Christmas spirit in-game with the release of the “Holiday Celebration Pack”. The new feature comes with lots of new items and goodies that should set the mood right for the Yuletide season plus some bug fixes to boot.
Among the new items included in the “Holiday Celebration Pack” for “The Sims 4” include stuff like a holiday table, a fireplace, nutcrackers, and a centerpiece. The patch notes detail the new changes for the game, most expected to make game play a whole lot more enjoyable.
“The Sims 4” players will need to download the latest version of the game to see the changes. The update should automatically take place but gamers need not worry in case it doesn’t.
All “The Sims 4” players need to do is right-click on the game title and select “Update”. Take note that mods and customized content will temporarily be disabled once the update is applied. Players can simply re-enable them once everything has settled down, per reports.
Looking through the patch notes for “The Sims 4”, a lot of bugs have finally been addressed. The list includes things like dishes placed outside boundaries, seeing a residential lot with to a generic type of a lot, and character behaviors. The complete patch notes can be viewed at Sims Community Info.
The “Holiday Celebration Pack” for “The Sims 4” follows the success of the previously released paid add-on “City Living”. While that add-on offered lots of things to do, “The Sims 4” gamers can look forward to more content to set the mood and tone of their Sims for the Holiday season.
It should be interesting to see if these new content can help improve “The Sims 4”. As most know, EA has been trying to make ends meet by adding content to the game which sorely faltered in terms of sales which places the fate of “The Sims 5” on shallow waters as mentioned in a previous post.
‘Minecraft’ Latest Update Release Date, News & Update: Holiday Update Sneak Peak Released; Elytra, End Citied, Lingering Potions & Amplified Terrain Are Here!
“Minecraft” console players are in for a treat this holiday. The game developer Mojang has prepared a spectacular holiday gift for console gamers. Here’s a sneak peak of your holiday goodies.
Since the last PC update of “Minecraft” last February called Combat Update – which changed the game intensely, this holiday update is much awaited for console gamers in all platforms. The long wait is almost over since the Holiday Update is within reach by this time.
This “Minecraft” Holiday Update will reportedly make the console version in close comparison with the PC version. Mojang unveiled four big features of the Holiday Update: Elytra, the magical gliding wings; the End Cities, which can be found after defeating the Ender Dragon; Lingering Potions, made from dragon’s breath, which can be thrown. These potions leave a bubbling slick behind which can be used as a trap. The Amplified Terrain, which has been in the PC version for a long time, is also part of the update.,
According to reports, “Minecraft” Holiday Update will also bring improvements to UI and introduce some new items, status effects, blocks and mobs. Aside from these sneak peaks Mojang has revealed, the game developer said that there are more surprises to look forward to. Though they won’t discuss more in further detail. There is one important part that is yet to be confirmed: the Combat Update for consoles.
This “Minecraft” Holiday Update is indeed exciting for PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U gamers. This holiday update is free to all “Minecraft” Console edition owners. There are still a lot of features to look forward to in this latest update and we just have to wait until it will be released. Moreover, “Minecraft” Holiday Update is slated to launch before December ends this year. For more “Minecraft” latest news & update, only here in Gamenguide.
‘Minecraft’ News and Update: Episode 1 Free On Steam; Lego to Release a Minecraft-Like in the Same Platform
Last month, Minecraft was only available for Windows 10 users and exclusively downloadable from the Microsft Store. But Minecraft has just announced that the first episode of “Minecraft: Story Mode” is now available on Steam and it’s also free for anyone to play. Meanwhile, Lego has also announced the upcoming release of their game and it’s undeniably similar to Minecraft but a bit different.
“Minecraft: Story Mode” Episode 1 is about the character, Jesse, and her quest to save the world. Together with his friends, the players will have to travel and discover new places in the world of Minecraft while doing their best to save the world from total destruction.
And it looks like “Minecraft: Story Mode” did a good job as the game has received mostly positive reviews and sold at the right price so players are not hesitating to buy it. And this could be one of the reasons why Lego will also be releasing a Minecraft-like game which will premiere on February 21, 2017, in the same platform, Steam. The company has announced they have been developing and testing the game for quite some time now through the early access program of Steam and now they’re officially ready.
The game is called “LEGO Worlds” and players in this game get to discover secret treasures in a new and exciting world. Players get to customize their own mode of transportation, creatures and even personalities including cowboys, vampires, steamrollers and so much more. And just like Minecraft, the player is the master builder of the game and they can create absolutely anything they want and make a story about anything they can think of.
Moreover, LEGO has upgraded some features that make its gameplay more interesting and convenient for players in building stuff. They offer a range of options that makes the process faster compared to Minecraft where players have to work on each piece one by one.
EFHS student wins Minecraft competition, Hardwick: ‘It’s my artistic form of expression’
FAIRMONT — When East Fairmont High School senior Justin Hardwick started playing the video game Minecraft four years ago, he didn’t think his hobby would turn into anything more than just that.
However, after entering a statewide competition to re-create the state’s Capitol with Minecraft earlier this summer, Hardwick used his love of the game to become one of the contest’s two winners.
Minecraft is a video game in which players can explore, fight monsters and build structures in a randomly generated world. One of the biggest uses of the game in its online community has been building just about anything one’s mind can conjure up and sharing it with everyone else.
In that spirit, the State Capitol Minecraft Design/Build contest saw students from around the state compete to remake the West Virginia State Capitol Complex in the video game.
While one group competed to make the closest replica of the Capitol, Hardwick joined the other group, in which he was able to redesign the Capitol from scratch and make it his own vision.
“I chose to design a new model just because I’m not very good at intricacies and details and stuff,” Hardwick said. “I definitely knew I wanted to do gold domes and marble because that’s similar to what’s there now. … but I didn’t want it to be so stereotypical as to all the Capitol buildings that look kind of the same. I wanted to make it more modern.”
While the contest took place over the summer, the winners were only announced Wednesday. Hardwick, the only winner from Marion County, traveled to Charleston to meet Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
Tomblin said in a press release that using educational methods and applying them to areas that the students can connect with and enjoy is one of the best ways to grow skills and experience.
“I applaud each student who took the time to create their own versions of our state Capitol,” Tomblin said. “More than once this summer, I saw students exploring the Capitol grounds, taking notes and preparing for the hours they would spend creating their submissions. Their efforts certainly paid off. It’s important that we encourage our students to develop the skills and interests that build a foundation for future success in STEM fields — into college, training programs and careers.”
Hardwick, who is also a member of the school’s champion soccer team, started playing Minecraft to unleash his creative side and has been playing the game for several years.
Upon graduation, Hardwick hopes to go to nursing school, all while playing the game that propelled him to the governor’s office.
EFHS student wins Minecraft competition, Hardwick: ‘It’s my artistic form of expression’
Minecraft Pocket Edition 1.0 will add an endgame and a dragon, among other goodies
Though the open-world crafting phenomenon doesn’t really have an end, any more than a big box of assorted LEGOs has some final way to assemble it, Minecraft does have an endgame. The original PC release was expanded with a “final” level and boss in 2012, but the Microsoft-branded Windows 10 version and the Pocket Edition on Android haven’t had access to it so far. According to Mojang’s developer blog, The End is nigh, and it has a gameplay trailer.
In the appropriately-titled “Ender Update,” which also finally brings the game up to version 1.0, players will be able to travel to a Lovecraft-inspired alternate dimension complete with new creatures and new crafting materials. There’s also the final boss, the Ender Dragon, and slaying it will grant players a peek at the elusive credits and a feel-good achievement. It’s best to tackle this final challenge in a group, if you can.
Other features promised in the 1.0 update include the World Seed Library, polar bears and cubs in appropriate environments, and free access to the Minecraft soundtrack (though that will be offered as a separate download). Exactly when Pocket Edition will receive this update hasn’t been shared yet, but Mojang usually posts these announcements a few weeks before they go live. Hopefully you’ll be able to get a little dragon-slaying done before the end of the year.
Minecraft Pocket Edition 1.0 will add an endgame and a dragon, among other goodies
The art of Minecraft: Building beauty, block by block
The art of Minecraft: Building beauty, block by block
Think you’re good at building castles and towns in Minecraft’s creative mode? Excerpts from ‘Beautiful Minecraft’ show what serious talent can do.
Minecraft’s Pocket and Windows 10 editions reach 1.0
Minecraft is a game that seems to run on anything. Be it your phone, PC, Xbox, or even your VR headset, Minecraft has a version for it. What all these versions all lack, however, is feature parity. The Windows 10 PC edition even lacks content found in the Java PC edition, and it results in a pretty different experience when you try the game out on another device. The team at Mojang has been taking steps to fix that, and a big leap ahead is coming soon to both the mobile and Windows 10 versions: 1.0.
This update adds a variety of things depending on your platform, but the biggest addition is The End. This area was originally released in version 1.0 of the original Java PC version of the game, and feature’s the game’s final boss. It’s a big enough addition to the game that this update’s even being officially called The Ender Update.
It’s been five long years since the original release of Minecraft: Pocket Edition, and it was the first of many strides to get Minecraft running on all the platforms it runs on today. Originally an insanely barebones port that hardly featured anything, it’s gone on to become almost as big as the original version of the game. One big thing it’s consistently been missing is the game’s soundtrack, and that’s thankfully changing with 1.0. It won’t be included in the main download for the game, but it will presumably be easy to find.
Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition owners who happen to have an Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch also have a special reason to be happy, as 1.0 will bring support for Oculus Touch.
The Ender Update is coming soon.
‘The Ender Update’ Bringing Music and More to ‘Minecraft: Pocket Edition’
Those who’ve been following my articles on Minecraft: Pocket Edition [$6.99] know what feature I’ve been patiently (and impatiently) waiting to see come to the game, and we are finally getting it in the upcoming 1.0 update, or The Ender Update. Yes, we are finally getting the original soundtrack, and I can’t wait for it. It will be a separate download, so if you don’t have the space you shouldn’t worry about it. The iconic Minecraft music is for me one of the best parts of the game, and I’m very excited to finally have it in MCPE. The Ender Update is bringing much more than just the music, though. We are also getting The End, which makes the game a “complete loop” as the developers call it.
The End is coming to MCPE with all its sights and sounds: Shulkers, Elytra, End Ships, and the Ender Dragon. For those who are into questing, now you have the ultimate prize to hunt for. We are also getting Polar Bears and Igloos in the Snowy biomes and a new World Seed Library, an ever-growing curated list of fantastic seeds. We don’t have a release date yet, but I don’t think it’s going to be too far off given that Mojang is celebrating MCPE‘s 5th anniversary and might want to give us all a present. I’m very excited about this update, and I can’t wait to go exploring and crafting while listening to that amazing music.
‘The Ender Update’ Bringing Music and More to ‘Minecraft: Pocket Edition’
Minecraft: Pocket Edition celebrates 5 years with a new trailer for the Ender Dragon update
The Ender Dragon update should bring Minecraft: Pocket Edition to version 1.0, an achievement that took more than 5 years to accomplish.
Well, we’re not there yet, but Mojang thought it would be nice to celebrate 5 years since the game was launched on the mobile platforms with a little sneak peek at what’s to come. So, with the Ender Dragon update a new chapter opens up for Minecraft: Pocket Edition.
That being said, Mojang released a comprehensive trailer that shows some of the new features and improvements the Ender Dragon update brings to Minecraft game on mobile devices.
Some of them have already been announced weeks ago, but if you don’t know anything about it here is a quick roundup of what’s to come.
First of all, Minecraft players will be able to battle the ultimate boss, the Ender Dragon. Then, the update will make it easier for players to locate weird and amazing worlds with a curated catalog of superior seeds.
Polar bears will be introduced as well, but as long as you don’t approach their cubs too much you should be fine. The original soundtrack will finally make it to the mobile version, but it will be available as a separate download for those who want it.
So, there you have folks, happy birthday and, hopefully, the Ender Dragon will come sooner rather than later.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition celebrates 5 years with a new trailer for the Ender Dragon update
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