A guide to Minecraft: Education Edition
After months of development and testing, Microsoft has finally launched Minecraft: Education Edition, a learning-focused version of the game that’s been designed for the classroom.
To the uninitiated it might have seemed like a slightly odd development move from Microsoft. It’s all about building huts and fighting walking cacti-looking things, right?
But when Minecraft started development on the game, it was already being used in over 7,000 classrooms in over 40 countries in the form of MinecraftEdu, a third-party education-focussed build of the game. Sensibly, Microsoft seized on this and acquired MinecraftEdu, using it as the basis for the game it’s now rolling out to classrooms in 11 countries.
What is it?
So, how is Minecraft: Education Edition any different from standard Minecraft? Well, not that much different it seems. It’s the same basic gaming experience (crafting, building and creativity-fuelling teamwork) and visuals (blocky) but with extra tools added to effectively integrate it into a classroom environment.
The aim of Education Edition is to use the open plan Minecraft world to promote creativity, problem solving, and collaboration between students.
There are lesson plans in a wide range of subjects, including science, technology, engineering, math, history, languages, and art for a variety of ages.
Examples of lessons include exploring and understanding deforestation by having students create Minecraft worlds which show the before and after effects of deforestation and discuss calls to action for slowing the process.
There are also geometry lessons which have classes construct shapes in order to learn about the concepts of perimeter and area and recreations of historical settings.
Why is it worth your time?
The lessons enabled by Minecraft are much more visual and immersive than anything students could get from a textbook or physical group work. For students who struggle to get their heads around things like fractions by looking at numbers alone, seeing them used in these familiar digital settings could be a huge help.
According to Microsoft, the use of play-based learning in a virtual environment that students are familiar with is much more engaging for students.
Not only that, it’s an organised and more manageable way to enable students to collaborate. In classes with larger numbers of students, it can be difficult for teachers to control multiple groups of students working on different projects.
Minecraft: Education Edition includes classroom specific tools that make it easier for teachers to bring creative collaboration into the classroom and make sure all of their students are getting the most out of a lesson. The tools include a map through which teachers can track the location of their students in the game, as well as in-game chalkboards, and worlds themed around the lesson plans.
Who’s it for?
Minecraft: Education Edition is primarily to be used in classrooms. At the moment there are lesson plans for students from the ages of 5 all the way up to college level.
Microsoft says the game is supposed to create “unique and creative learning experiences for educators and students alike”. However, it seems like it could be an added pressure for educators.
Though the Microsoft website is already populated with a wide range of creative and interesting lesson plans, these aren’t endless and Microsoft is counting on teachers to add more worlds and lesson plans themselves.
The problem is, creating a Minecraft world is a time consuming process, even for someone familiar with the game. To help teachers completely new to the Minecraft world, Microsoft offers a Minecraft Mentor program which will teach them how to effectively integrate the game into their classroom.
It’s great that Microsoft is able to offer this. However, it seems unfair and impractical to expect that teachers should spend their days teaching lessons and their evenings not only planning future lessons, but building virtual worlds for them too.
Is it worth it?
Microsoft: Education Edition certainly offers students a dynamic and interesting learning experience. But it’s unlikely that it will take over the classroom considering the pressure it puts on educators to create worlds and plan lessons that use them effectively.
As well as this, the software isn’t free. Costing $5 (around £4 / AU $7) per student for a year’s subscription, it’s a costly addition to the classroom and requires students to have regular access to computers equipped with either Windows 10 or macOS, which not all schools can manage.
For a fun home experience, you’re better off with standard Minecraft. However, for any schools or home educators looking to get started with the Education Edition, you can get check it out on the Microsoft website.
- Minecraft isn’t just helping students, it’s also teaching AI a thing or two
‘Minecraft’ News: Minecraft’s New Exploration Update Offers New Enemies, Items And Quests
Minecraft launched this week the Exploration Update, which is a free expansion that offers a broad range of new enemies, items and quests.
Especially tailored for players who love searching through Minecraft’s wild wilderness for hidden treasures, the Exploration Update offers new elements such as map traders. Its llama caravans also let player-led expeditions produce special equipment and other valuables.
As soon as players install the new update, they will meet the new villager type known as the Cartographer, whose job is to dole out treasure maps in exchange for emeralds. These maps lead players to brand new locations and dungeons which have emerged across the worlds of Minecraft since its last content-expanding update.
Following the new treasure maps, players may bump into seaside Ocean Monuments, which include deadly Guardians who hand over important resources when they get defeated. Explorers who are well-equipped may also want to see the Woodland Mansions, a new location type that is festered with magic-wielding Illagers.
When players succeed in taking out enemies at the Woodland Mansion, they are awarded the Totem of Undying. This totem is a rare item that grants players the privilege to be automatically saved from risky and even deadly situations. The Totem of Undying gets activated as soon as the health meter of the player empties, to restore him to full strength.
With the new update, players can now also saddle wild llamas to create a protective caravan train. Having several llamas gives explorers little fear from monsters that roam around the Minecraft worlds, as they target threats that come nearby.
The Exploration Update is currently available as a free download for Windows 10 and Mac versions of Minecraft.
‘Minecraft’ News: Minecraft’s New Exploration Update Offers New Enemies, Items And Quests
Minecraft 1.11 Exploration Update Download Available for PC and Mac
Minecraft fans have been waiting for this update for a while and it’s finally live. But most important, it will make exploration more exciting, as it brings new ways to transport items, new treasure maps and mobs, as well as tones of bug fixes.
According to the change-log, the exploration map will be from Cartographer Villagers, which will ask for emeralds in exchange. This map will be used to locate Ocean Monuments (slightly blue) and the new Woodland Mansions (brown). It won’t be easy to just grab treasures, because they will be guarded by Illagers, which are Villager’s “creepy cousins”. The two Illagers that players will face are the Vindicator (axe-wielding) and Evoker (spell-casting). If players defeat the latter, they are able to find the Totem of Undying which will resurrect them when taking lethal damage. Players shouldn’t explore for treasure without this tool, and they should hold it in the moment they are close to death.
After finding a new treasure, in order to transfer the goods, players will use llamas, which they will ride with the right equipment – a chest for portable storage. And a llama with a leash on it will attract the nearby ones, forming a caravan that the player will be able to use.
Another thing that will help players manage their treasures is the Shulker Box, which is a new type of chest that will keep all of its items even if it’s destroyed. And it can be considered a portable container that players will use to store what they need.
In the new update have been fixed 279 bugs, and we’ll mention a few of them:
– Dropped anvil wasn’t making any sound when it broke;
– Compass was pointing wrong direction after returning from nether;
– Chickens’ necks didn’t have any texture;
– When looking at an Iron Door/Iron Trapdoor players couldn’t eat, throw, or shoot;
– Ender dragon was hostile to players in Creative;
– Repeaters updated differently;
– Wither skeletons flickered in direct sunlight etc.
The full list of changes in Minecraft Update 1.11 can be found here.
Minecraft 1.11 Exploration Update Download Available for PC and Mac
Red Dead Redemption 2 Release Date and Speculations
It’s safe to say that the internet exploded upon seeing the official teaser trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2. The sequel to the original Red Dead Redemption has been long awaited by fans, ever since the launch of the now iconic western adventure that swept the gaming community off its feet.
However, after the hype piped down a bit, people started wondering about the release details, which weren’t made clear at all, the only viable information received being the fact that the game is slated for a 2017 launch.
Although it’s pure speculation at this point, there are some small factors that can lead up to uncovering some important details about the game’s release. For starters, let’s take a look at the supported systems. It’s a no-brainer that Rockstar will oblige the numerous Xbox One and PS4 users with a copy of its newest hit game, as skipping over any of the two platforms while they are at their peak would be the equivalent of marketing suicide. A big name such as Rockstar knows better than to dump a huge revenue source like PlayStation or Xbox.
PC fans however, are more anxious to hear news about the RDR 2 release, as they have history with the franchise. Back when Red Dead Redemption was released, the developer promised a PC version, generating massive hype in the PC community, but ended up failing to deliver those promises, meaning that PC users waiting to play RDR were left empty handed. While there were no official promises of a PC version made yet for RDR 2, PC users hope that Rockstar will allow them to get piece of their newest gun-slingin’ pie.
Taking a look at the release date, it seems that RDR will be launched some time during the Fall of 2017. It is in the developer’s best interest to ship the game out in a timely manner, but also make sure everything is set before putting the game in the consumer’s hands, as technical difficulties, lackluster features or otherwise anything else that might seem inconsistent, will only result in a stain not only on Rockstar’s portfolio, but also the image of Red Dead Redemption, which went down in gaming history as a classic.
Steve Carell set to star in Minecraft film
The actor, seen recently in Café Society, is in talks to play the lead in Warner’s adaptation of the popular video game
Steve Carell is likely to be the first actor to join Warner Bros’s Minecraft movie, which adapts the bestselling Mojang game for the big screen.
Minecraft, which was first released in 2009, is an avatar game that allows players to create their own characters and environments using textured cubes to vanquish nighttime monsters. Some 106m copies of the game had been sold by summer this year. Minecraft is the bestselling PC game to date and the second bestselling video game of all time, after Tetris.
The studio acquired the movie rights in February; the film is set to be released on 25 May 2019.
Other forthcoming video game adaptations include Assassin’s Creed, reuniting Macbeth’s Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and director Justin Kurzel; Call of Duty, Pokémon Go, Fruit Ninja, Monster Hunter, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tetris and a reboot of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, produced by and starring Alicia Vikander.
Xbox One Minecraft Bundle Available on Black Friday Deals
Black Friday is getting close and the most sought after discounts are gaming consoles deals. Retailers know that too well and they have already released Black Friday deals for Xbox One bundles. The biggest retailers to already provide Xbox One deals are Walmart, GameStop, Dell, Microsoft, Kohl’s, Target, Costco and Best Buy. We are going to take a look over all bundle discount deals and see which one offers the best one.
Xbox One Bundles
The most popular holiday gift items are Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 and for that reason big retailers are already selling console bundles. The console bundle includes one gaming console and a new released game, some bundles also contain additional accessories. The prices have significantly gone down in comparison with last year’s deals. The standard price for a gaming console bundle in 2015 was $349 and this year the standard price has gone down to $299.
Best Black Friday Deals
The minimum discount for the Xbox One bundle is $50. Walmart, Bestbuy and GameStop are offering the Xbox One Minecraft bundle for only $249 but these are not the best deals yet. Money wise the best deal can be found at Kohl’s, and they are offering the Xbox One Minecraft bundle for only $175 by including $75 in Kohl’s cash which can be spent on different items found in Kohl’s store.
Dell is also offering a great Black Friday deal by making the Xbox One Battlefield 1 bundle include a Gears of War 4 additional game and an extra Xbox One wireless controller for the price of just $249.
Microsoft themselves are also putting an online deal for their own Microsoft bundle, a $25 Microsoft gift card and an additional game that the customer can select.
It seems that Kohl’s has the best price, but Dell is the one who wins the round since they are packing up the bundle with an extra Xbox One wireless controller as well.
‘Minecraft’ is coming to Apple TV
It’ll be available before the end of the year.
Today’s Apple event might be about new Macs, but the company is taking time to detail updates for its other products too. First up: Apple TV. On stage today, CEO Tim Cook said that the box now offers access to over 8,000 apps, and will soon become home to one of the most popular games on both consoles and mobile: Minecraft. That’s right, Microsoft’s huge open-world sandbox game will be available on Apple TV “by the end of the year.”
Apple has provided no additional details about what is in store but you’ll likely want to invest in a third-party controller to get the most from the title. Sure, Apple’s new wireless remote sports a touchpad and hosts more buttons than the minimalist silver remote that shipped with the company’s older streamers but we imagine it won’t be the best tool to help you (or the little ones) build that all-important End Portal. We’ve contacted Microsoft and Mojang for more details and will bring you more information as we get it.
Ender Dragon is coming for your Windows 10 ‘Minecraft’ realms
Microsoft is all about unified apps these days and that applies to its $2.5 billion baby Minecraft, too. The Pocket and Windows 10 versions of the blocky creation-and-survival game are almost at parity with the original Java version, developer Mojang announced today. The 1.0 update, dubbed “The End,” brings end-game boss The Ender Dragon and the The End dimension to desktop and mobile players. But, despite its name, Mojang says that continual updates are planned after this is released. Oh, and the 1.0 version is what will arrive by year’s end on Apple TV as well.
More than just adding a dragon (as cool as that is), world height is getting a bump to 256 blocks — a big step up from the previous Pocket and Win10 version’s 128. For a bit of context, clouds start appearing at 127 blocks high. Reach for the sky, y’all. There’s also a new Elytra glider available for soaring over the pixely world, in addition to a handful of bits like a new mob (the Shulker) and new resources to mine.
Android users can try it out in beta starting today, but everyone else will have to wait until the update is released because the beta is exclusive to Google’s mobile platform.
Ender Dragon is coming for your Windows 10 ‘Minecraft’ realms
Minecraft PS Vita models announced for Japan
image: http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Minecraft-Vita-Model-Ann-JP_11-14-16_002-280×157.jpg
Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia has announced two “PS Vita Minecraft Special Edition Bundles” for Japan. Both are due out on December 6 for 27,000 yen each (plus tax).
Each bundle includes:
- Minecraft-themed PS Vita hardware (in one of two designs)
- A copy of Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition
- Minecraft-themed PS Vita original pouch
- Minecraft PS Vita original theme
- Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition DLC set (x 13)
- Christmas Mash-Up
- LittleBigPlanet Mash-Up Pack
- Greeky Mythology Mash-Up
- Battle & Beast Skin Pack
- Battle & Beast 2 Skin Pack
- Biome Pioneer Skin Pack 1
- Pattern Texture Pack
- Cartoon Texture Pack
- Candy Texture Pack
- Plastic Texture Pack
- Natural Texture Pack
- City Texture Pack
- Fantasy Texture Pack
- Minecraft-themed original packaging
Pre-orders are now available at Sony Store Japan.
Microsoft Uses Minecraft To Teach Kids To Code
Code.org runs a program called Hour of Code, which aims to make computer programming more accessible and fun for students across the nation. The core of the program are coding tutorials disguised as bite-sized games. Unlike most games, students must input a string of commands beforehand, then watch as their character does what they told them to do — and find success, hopefully. Students learn how to think in terms of programming, making the program invaluable in grabbing the attention of young girls and minority students who might otherwise stay away from learning about programming.
While anyone can learn from an Hour of Code tutorial, they’re made mostly for kids. And, as we know, kids love Minecraft. Yesterday, Microsoft and Code.org released a brand new Minecraft-themed tutorial. It’s not the first one — they already have one Minecraft tutorial that had kids play the game using programming commands. This new tutorial puts kids into the role of the developer — step by step, Minecraft Hour of Code Designer introduces basic commands that game developers use to spawn creatures into games and tell them how to act. At the end, kids have enough tools to develop their own mini-Minecraft level.
Hour of Code was founded on the idea that an hour of coding practice can help get kids interested in and prepared for a career in programming. The tutorials don’t always take an hour, but they usually allow for some kind of free play at the end to let kids be creative, as the Minecraft Designer tutorial does by letting kids build their own levels. All of the tutorials can be found on Code.org for free, and can easily be understood and accessed by teachers who want to introduce coding to their students.
This is only the latest way Microsoft has used Minecraft to help teachers and students. The company released Minecraft: Education Edition to teachers in June of this year, which can be used to teach lessons in a broader base of subjects.
Read more at http://www.chipchick.com/2016/11/microsoft-minecraft-designer.html#EMDPe9kjdUhtcEA2.99
Minecraft: The Exploration update is live for PC and Mac with mansions, llamas and more
The latest update introduces the Cartographer, which is a new type of Villager. They will exchange spare emeralds for a map, which marks the spot where certain treasure caches can be found.
Some maps may point players to Ocean Monuments which have spiny Guardians to contend with, and others will be Woodland Mansions which are inhabited by the Villagers “creepy cousins,” the Illagers.
Illagers aren’t fond of strangers, and as a deterrent, will perform spells which summon traps from the floor or can conjure foes called Vexes. Should the player survive these dangerous obstacles, they will find the Woodland Mansion contains the Totem of Undying. When in the player’s possession, they can face any danger without the fear of dying.
Players can also use a llama to transport all of their goods. The cute creatures will form a caravan when traveling across the land, and can even be swathed in snazzy drapes. Should the player run into enemies along the way, the llamas will do what they do best: unleash a hail of spitballs at any nasties encountered.
Finally, players can also make use of a new item called the Shulker Box, which can be used for extra inventory. The best part, is the chest will retain its contents even when knocked down.
Sounds fun. And those llamas are rather adorable.
Minecraft: The Exploration update is live for PC and Mac with mansions, llamas and more
Exclusive: ‘Minecraft’ Luminary Jens Bergensten Talks About the Game’s Future
Minecraft’s lead developer on the new Exploration update, sequels and the ‘Minecraft Curse’
They’re far bigger than you’ve seen in erictures.
Minecraft‘s mysterious woodland mansions are sprawling timber and cobblestone compounds visible from hundreds of blocks away. They erupt from banks of fairy tale oaks punctuated by giant speckled mushrooms, orthogonal aberrations beckoning like inscrutable mausoleums. Inside lies treasure guarded by grumbling gray beings that can summon winged imps, crowds of snapping teeth, or chase you with hatchets down long carpeted halls. There’s even a variant of the latter nicknamed “Johnny.”
They’re part of the Exploration update, another complimentary iteration of studio Mojang’s blocky, do-it-yourself sandbox. It’s available now for the Java edition, and includes other curious novelties, like llamas (they’ll schlep your stuff around and spit on command), shulker boxes (they retain what’s inside even when broken) and village cartographers who’ll sell you exploration maps, so you can find your way to the new mansions, as well as the older ocean monuments.
TIME spoke with Minecraft creative lead Jens Bergensten about what inspired the Exploration update, getting to platform version parity, settling on a programming language, and why sequels are probably a bad idea.
Here’s what he told us.
Jens Bergensten: The design process for Minecraft is sometimes very random. Some days we just sit and play around, or we chat about the ideas that we have. And then we experiment with these ideas, and sometimes they explode.
So what happened was that I was building a house we use in the dark woods, and I was testing out different kinds. And then I figured that maybe I could generate a house using the structure block, which is essentially the block that copies a part of the world. After I’d spent some time on it, I decided I really liked it, and that I was going to put it in the game. That was essentially the thought process.
At the same time, I also knew that if I was going to add this feature, which would essentially become a dungeon type, I needed it to contain some kind of new mob. I was also discussing with a colleague that there aren’t really any mobs in Minecraft that can be expanded to have their own agenda or purpose. And as we were talking about that, I was inspired to do these kind of evil villagers that would have their own ideas and essentially be very hostile.
After that, everything got very interesting. So I started trying to create a gray-skinned Illager, and then tried to give it new behaviors and such. I already knew I wanted to create some kind of mob that would summon other mobs. And I also already knew that I wanted to create some kind of attack pattern. Those two features were then added to the Evoker [one of the two new Illager types, the other being the axe-wielding Vindicator].
The Illagers can summon flying minions called Vexes. Was that an attempt to encourage ranged engagement?
It’s fun to find things, but it’s really boring to look for them.The idea wasn’t so much about making people use ranged weapons, it was more about getting players to move around. It’s about ensuring they don’t stay put. Normally, you’d just stand still and wait for the monsters to come within attacking range. I wanted to try something different.
It’s also tricky to make something feel difficult in Minecraft without just increasing the attack damage and health. I thought it would be more interesting to have a combat situation where you might be attacked from different angles all the time. That said, I know some people [playing the beta release] think the Woodland Mansion and Illagers are quite easy, but it’s very difficult for me to develop the game in a way that pleases everyone.
There’s something about sinister mansions in dark woodland biomes that feels tailor-made.
Speaking of the mansions, there was also a problem for me that when we added the Ocean Monuments, people knew they were in the ocean, but if you didn’t find one, it was kind of annoying trying to find them. That’s something I’ve mentioned to people before, that I feel it’s fun to find things, but it’s really boring to look for them.
Sometimes it’s best when you unexpectedly discover things in Minecraft. For instance, you don’t really go looking for a desert temple or a jungle temple. But it’s a nice surprise. That’s why I was quite happy that we managed to solve the technical challenge of making it possible to search in this infinite world, to put the Ocean Monuments and Woodland Mansions on this exploration map that you can trade from the Villagers. It ties together both with the villagers trading and the addition of the new dungeon.
Let’s talk about version uniformity, since the game is on so many different platforms at this point. Microsoft has said a major goal is version parity. But the console versions can’t do infinite worlds. And the original Java version keeps adding things the other versions have to wait for.
I think some of the older generation consoles, they will probably never catch up to all of the Java features. 4J Studios has done a really good job of keeping up with the updates. But ultimately, at some point in the future, we’ll need to draw a line in the sand and say “This is the game.” And then we’ll focus on the more modern consoles.
At some point in the future, we’ll need to draw a line in the sand and say “This is the game.”The current consoles, like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, should be able to keep up with the new features. That said, I also feel that sometimes when we add new features to the Java edition, I wouldn’t say that we ignore the other editions, but we obviously do it for the Java edition first. And when we put it on the other platforms, we sometimes need to rethink and redesign how it works.
Two quick examples of this. On Pocket Edition, when we added the Strongholds, at that time we didn’t have the Nether, so you couldn’t create the Eye of Ender, which is needed to find the Stronghold. So what we did then was to make sure that the Stronghold was always generated beneath a village. So if you saw a village, that was a hint that there may have been a Stronghold nearby.
And likewise, on consoles, which have limited worlds, 4J has made it so that you’re guaranteed to find the important pieces of the landscape you’d have in the Java edition, even though the latter version’s worlds are infinite.
Windows 10 and Pocket Edition are programmed in C++, and with The End and Elytra gliders and 256-block world height imminent, they’re nearing parity with the Java version. Will the Java and C++ versions continue in parallel, or will C++ eventually win out?
That’s a tricky question, because in a sense we feel the C++ edition is more future-proof since we control the technology from the ground up. The C++ version is also much easier to add new features to. So for instance, when we did the Gear VR version, or when we did the HoloLens project, it’s much more flexible from our point of view. It also allows us to have the mobile phone and computer cross-platform play, which we really want.
From that perspective, it looks like down the line that C++ will eventually be the main engine and also the main game version. At the same time, we have such a huge following on the Java edition. It’s also that most of the modders and YouTubers and essentially the opinion leaders are all on Java. We also know that even though the Pocket Edition has sold more copies, Java has a large essentially pirated active community which we want to reach. And of course the Java edition is much easier to mod.
Our ambition now is to work on both of these versions, and I almost see them as separate games. Obviously they’re the same game, but the community on Java edition is very strong, and the community on Pocket Edition is very strong. I think people understand that these are two different things, even where you have players like yourself who play both.
The C++ version just added support for tweaking the game by way of JSON text files. At this point, we can only fiddle with stuff that’s already in the game. Would we ever be able to do something like create new mobs from scratch, or is that a problem the JSON approach can’t solve?
That’s probably one of the problems that it can solve. Since the JSON files currently define the behaviors for mobs, it’s not such a stretch to imagine that you could add your own graphics for a mob and animations. I don’t want to promise anything right now, but I know that we want you to be able to mod as much as possible on the C++ version.
[At this point, Microsoft’s Aubrey Norris jumps in to mention that work continues on developing a scripting API to supplement the JSON files. Jens isn’t able to talk about that in detail yet, as it’s still “super early,” but Norris says it’s something the teams both in Stockholm as well as Redmond are pursuing.]
You’ve talked about there being a physics problem with doing larger creatures. Is that a fixable problem?
I would say that it’s definitely fixable. It’s a matter of putting someone on that task. It’s just the way the Minecraft physics engine works today that it’s tricky.
In the console versions, composer C418’s music plays constantly. In the Java and C++ version, the same tracks play infrequently. The mobile version doesn’t have music at all. Have you considered making any of that player configurable?
I’m trying to tell people that I don’t want to turn Minecraft into an editor.Yeah, I guess that would make sense. The way it plays in the Java edition is the way Notch [Markus Persson, the game’s creator] and the creative team envisioned it. I believe the reason it was changed for console was to ensure the game would never be completely silent. But you can’t quote me on that because I wasn’t involved when it was changed several years ago. And to be honest, when I play, I turn off the music because I want to listen to my own music when I play Minecraft.
We recently hired someone in the Stockholm office to focus on the sound effects in Minecraft, because our process in the past was that we’d add a new feature, then we’d imagine what sound effects we wanted afterward. Now, with a person devoted to handling all the sound in the game, I told him, “You are the sound effects guy. Anything to say about sound, that’s essentially your orbit, your area of expertise.”
Even though obviously we discuss things when it comes to changes in the game, this same approach is how I feel about music. That if the composer believes the music is best played infrequently, then that’s the way it should be. People have different opinions about these things, so maybe an option to change the frequency would work. But in this case, I’m not a fan of options.
We’re used to seeing updates that significantly alter Survival mode, but what about Creative mode? Any plans to overhaul its toolset down the road?
Not really, though there are a couple of things I would like to improve in the user interface itself. The creative menus are starting to get really crowded, and there may be better ways for people to find the blocks they want to use. But for actual building in Creative mode, I’m not planning to change anything drastically right now.
One of the reasons for that is, I’m trying to tell people that I don’t want to turn Minecraft into an editor. I’m starting to see examples of people using Minecraft as a map editor for their games. And Minecraft is not very good at that, because it can only interact with one block at a time. For it to be a proper editor, we’d want you to be able to build things faster. Again, there are mods to do that. But for the core game, I feel it’s very important to keep it at one block interaction.
I feel that if we were to make a “Minecraft 2,” we’d be our own worst enemy.The main reason is that I want to encourage cooperation and playing together. If you build something with someone else, you can build it faster. And secondly, if you only can place one block at a time, it’s very easy for someone else to understand what you’re trying to achieve.
When you think about the game years from now, let’s say years and years down the road, do you still see Minecraft and not “Minecraft 2?”
Yes, I believe so, but that’s also one of my challenges. If you compare the core vanilla game to what you can do with mods, it looks like we are really holding back. That’s actually the case. And the reason for that is when we add things to Minecraft, we’re trying to partly go slowly so that people can adjust to the changes, but we’re also trying to remember that we need to grow slowly in all directions. So some people like Creative mode, some people like exploring, some people like fighting, and some people like Redstone.
One example might be the mod Mo’ Creatures, which adds hundreds of different animals. We could do that ourselves and add lots of new animals. But we don’t want to emphasize Minecraft as one particular thing, we don’t want to say “This is what Minecraft’s about.” So we try to grow slowly in all directions.
Regarding starting over and making a sequel, I look at Minecraft as somewhat like an online roleplaying game, even though you play locally. By that, I mean people who are playing Everquest, who were very into Everquest, when Everquest 2 was released, most people didn’t make the leap. When they were asked to make the switch, they didn’t feel an obligation to, in part because they suddenly had dozens of different roleplaying games to choose from.
In a sense, I feel that if we were to make a “Minecraft 2,” we’d be our own worst enemy, and open up the field for any creative block building game to step in and take some of our players.
You’ve helmed and shaped what Minecraft has become for years now. Is there a point at which you see yourself moving on? To pass the torch as Notch did to you? Or would you like to hang around indefinitely?
[Laughs] I wouldn’t say indefinitely. I still think it’s very fun. I would say that sometimes I complain that I have the Minecraft curse, because I’d really love to work on different games. But it’s also a kind of self-imposed limitation, that I really like focusing on one thing at a time. And currently, that is Minecraft.
I still love the game and I still feel inspired by it. I wouldn’t say that I’m going to work on Minecraft for the rest of my life, but at the same time, I’d say I’m definitely not done with it.
Exclusive: ‘Minecraft’ Luminary Jens Bergensten Talks About the Game’s Future
‘Minecraft’ Latest News & Update: Mojang Confirms New Patch 1.11 Up for Release; Fans Disappointed?
“Minecraft” is close to having its new update named the Update 1.11. The release of this patch was confirmed earlier this week. This is good news to fans as they haven’t received any update for a while now.
On Nov. 8, Mojang announced the pre-release of “Minecraft” Update 1.11. As can be seen in the list of fixes, the team responsible for sandbox video game came up with at least 18 remedies for common flaws in the game.
“We have reached a point for ‘Minecraft’ 1.11 where we feel ready to level up our snapshots to pre-release status!” the post on Mojang website reads. “The observer, llamas, and exploration maps will soon hit all vanilla servers across the world, and here’s your last chance to give it a test run before it does so.”
Then again, there are people who were saying that the fixes presented may disappoint some avid “Minecraft” gamers. This is due to the fact that long-time gamers noticed that there are not many new features offered in the supposed “next big update.”
In contrast, “Minecraft” players were quite impressed with the major features that were introduced by Mojang last month. They like the Exploration Update that was unveiled during the 2016 MineCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California.
Gamers were thrilled with the experience of getting to ride llamas and the update allows them to look inside mansions with all sorts of treasures. Thus, it is somehow understandable why some “Minecraft” fans are frustrated with Update 1.11’s lack of really notable feature.
On the brighter side, “Minecraft” players may instead look forward to a range of bug fixes that will improve and make things easier in the gameplay. For instance, the update offers fixes to reduce lags and the maps were made better to make finding mansions and underwater temples a lot easier than before.
Meanwhile, Mojang stated that these things will go well and the “Minecraft” team will not experience any issues. The update 1.11 is coming on Nov. 14. The target release date is three days away so fans still have time to prepare for the upgrading of their game.
‘Minecraft’ Latest News & Update: Mojang Confirms New Patch 1.11 Up for Release; Fans Disappointed?
Soon we’ll see the beginning of The End in Minecraft for Windows 10
Ender Dragon set to grace Windows 10 beta and Pocket Edition
A major update is incoming for the Windows 10 and Pocket Edition versions of Minecraft, bringing with it the ultimate block-based boss bash – a fight against the Ender Dragon.
The Windows 10 Edition beta and Pocket Edition will reach version 1.0 with this soon-to-be-released update, which will introduce the final dimension of The End, the scary void which plays host to the aforementioned Ender Dragon (as well as Endermen and Shulkers).
As Mojang notes, the boss beast represents a tangible end-game goal (literally) for survival players – although you can of course still keep on playing after you’ve vanquished the foe.
Aside from The End, there’s another big change coming to version 1.0 with the developer increasing the maximum height of the world to 256 blocks. Much taller buildings are coming, then…
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Minecraft gives you wings
And Mojang also revealed it’s introducing the Elytra, an item which is a pair of wings that allow you to glide around the world.
There are a lot more features coming besides, the developer promises, although these are the only ones mentioned at this point.
Mojang also clarified that version 1.0 doesn’t mean it’ll stop cramming features into the Windows 10 incarnation of Minecraft, and we can expect plenty more new stuff down the line.
Oh, it’s also worth noting that this is the version which the Apple TV Edition will ship with upon release.
How long do you have to wait for The End to begin? Windows 10 and Pocket Edition players can expect to see it before the year is out, with v1.0 currently available to beta test on Android if you sign up to partake.
Recently, we saw the Windows 10 Edition beta get bolstered VR capabilities with Oculus Touch support, not to mention add-ons which take customization of the game to a whole new level.
The start of November also saw the introduction of Minecraft: Education Edition, the education-flavored variant of the game which can be played in the classroom – we’ve got a full guide to what it’s all about right here.
Our Verdict:
Soon we’ll see the beginning of The End in Minecraft for Windows 10
Dev Turns Minecraft Into Level Editor For An Indie Game
Dev Turns Minecraft Into Level Editor For An Indie Game
A creative game developer has worked out a way to incorporate Minecraft builds into his game, turning the blocky builder into a level editor of sorts.
As you can see in this short video, the developer, r00nk, is able to place blocks into a configuration that matches the level size in his game, Back Into Orbit, a cutesy retro-looking isometric shooter, and then very easily import them (in the video it happens instantaneously.)
This is how it works, according to r00nk’s comments in the related reddit thread:
“In order to make the in game buttons do commands, I use a server wrapper which searches for the docmd keyword. It’s important to note that this is somewhat insecure, because anyone who writes “docmd(banana)“ can make the server execute the “banana” command, so don’t try this at home kids, unless you know you’ll be the only person on the server.”
R00nk can only export and use levels made with certain types of blocks, not the full arsenal of what Minecraft has available. It’s still an impressive feat, especially if you take it as a proof of concept. If you could get this working on a large enough scale or with enough ease, it could be one of the smoothest level creation tools since the days of Warcraft III.
Game development, especially at the indie level, is as often about what’s fun and interesting as about what’s efficient, and r00nk has definitely shown some serious chops here.
Minecraft will make its way to Apple TV later this year: Tim Cook
Minecraft has transformed from a game into something more akin to a cultural phenomenon. The game has graced just about every platform out there, even making its way to the Raspberry Pi and the Windows Store as a UWP app.
The latest news now suggests that this game is finally making its way to the Apple TV. When Tim Cook introduced the new Apple TV last year, we were impressed by its potential as a casual gaming platform.
Polygon reports that Tim Cook made the announcement at a corporate event. Cook added that the game will be compatible with the Minecraft Pocket Edition on iOS devices and that players can take their worlds on Apple TV and share them with other players on iOS.
There haven’t been many noteworthy games on the platform; those killer titles like Super Mario Bros or God of War that transform a platform from an also-ran to a must-have. Maybe Minecraft is that title.
The fourth generation Apple TV was unveiled on 15 September 2015. The SoC is an Apple A8 running at 1.5GHz (that’s a little faster than on the iPhone 6) paired with 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 64GB of storage. You can control the Apple TV via an iOS device or using the bundled remote with its in-built accelerometer.
In effect, the hardware can be favourably compared to the iPhone 6, making it a competent, casual gaming platform.
Minecraft will make its way to Apple TV later this year: Tim Cook
Meet Snowbox, Another Minecraft Server You Can Be a Part Of
Meet Snowbox, Another Minecraft Server You Can Be a Part Of
The title of this post makes it seem like Snowbox just arrived into the Minecraft server scene. That’s quite the contrary as the server has been around for five years and counting. They just celebrated their fifth-year anniversary this past February. As with any other server, you want to know what makes them special enough to want to join in on the fun. Well, here are a few reasons:
- They have players from different parts of the world. This helps for a number of reasons. First, you can make a new friend from another country. Second, you can feel more comfortable knowing someone speaks the same language as you.
- They are on version 11 as of this writing. The new version of course has new features including a Lobby Spawn World which provides access to the new worlds part of the update. Other new features include a Members Creative World and two SandBox Worlds where one features a natural landscape allowing players to build castles.
Minecraft servers are generally for those who want to play in multiplayer mode. While you can absolutely build worlds by yourself, there’s a certain fun factor when you get to play with others. This way, you can team up in creating a world with features you’re all interested in.
While an online server does allow you to play Minecraft with others, there’s a catch: the version of your game should match the one on the server. So if you want to join in on the fun, make sure your game’s version matches theirs.
Minecraft has come out with a couple of changes recently which surely delighted their dedicated fan base. And while you can always enjoy solo play, why not change things up a bit and give Snowbox a go?
Minecraft News & Update: CEO Tim Cook Ready For Minecraft; New Version Of Minecraft Specifically Developed For Apple TV
It is undeniable that Minecraft has become a very popular game which prompted millions of gamers to play the game. Minecraft which is developed at every platform will soon be available in Apple TV. The good news was highly appreciated by Mac users as the announcement was made public just last week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook released the statement in the confidence that Apple will be bringing bigger games into its top box. Minecraft will soon join Apple’s 8,000 apps and games on both consoles and mobile, Engadget reports. It is reported that Minecraft will be soon be accessible by the end of this year.
Minecraft was developed by Microsoft’s Mojang, and to incorporate Minecraft into the Apple TV is a great milestone for the company. This will not be another pocket version of the game, but it will be released specifically as Apple TV edition, Techcrunch reports.
Although Apple will incorporate the same code base, Apple users will be excited to know that there will be new features that will be present in the Apple edition, which will be different from other versions. With the entry of Minecraft, Apple is willing to invest on more appealing games for its users.
Although there are no further announcements on what to expect on the Minecraft Apple version, Apple gamers may possibly want to purchase a third party controller to maximize playing experience, Forbes reports.
In the meantime, avid Minecraft players will have to wait for more updates.
Microsoft, Gaming, and Libations – Join us live next time!
We’ve rebranded our leading Beam.pro stream to Microsoft, Gaming and Libations!
Microsoft, Gaming and Libations (formerly Microsoft, Minecraft and Libations) is a live show hosted on Microsoft’s newly acquired streaming network, Beam.pro. We have recently rebranded the channel to coincide with our desire (and your requests!) to play games beyond Minecraft!
Moving forward, our live streams will take place on Wednesdays, at 6 PM ET (3 PM PT, 10 PM GMT). You can find the start time based on your location and time zone in our event announcer.
We’ll be kicking off our eighth episode of Microsoft, Gaming, and Libations very shortly, where we’ll talk about Microsoft while playing Minecraft, and, well, having a few drinks! Join us in the chat for some big announcements and giveaways.
If you missed our earlier announcement for the full context of what the show is, you can find that here to learn more about the format and plans.
For now, all you need to do is watch the live stream above or head to our Beam channel at Beam.pro/windowscentral when the stream begins where you can jump in on the live chat.
We’ll occasionally field some questions from the audience, so it’s best to sign up for Beam. Plus, doing so will help enter you in our contest to win a Hitman Collector’s Edition, detailed below! We’ll also be giving away spooky Minecraft Halloween skins in the chat during the stream. If you entered last week’s controller giveaway, we’ll post the winners here soon!
For those curious, we’re aiming for a 90-minute air time, but honestly, we have no idea how long it will go. So grab a drink and join in on the fun to find out!
The Impossible Problem of Where Minecraft Goes Next
It’s been two years since Microsoft bought Minecraft, and the new owners are faced with a conundrum: what do you do with a game that is already a phenomenon?
Complicating things further, Minecraft is now a seven-year old game. While lot of work has been put into keeping the game current, Minecraft is also beginning to show its age. Mojang developer Nathan Adams compared it to rebuild the engines of a jet in the middle of a flight, because taking the game down to patch it just isn’t an option. The tension at the heart of Minecraft heightens when you consider that the developers say difficulties associated with coding the blocky builder sometimes prevents them from adding features that the community wants, like a working API or a server browser.
I got a chance to suss out the future of Minecraft at last month’s Minecon, where the community rubs elbows with the people who make Minecraft great. Obviously, that description includes the developers, but it also expands farther into the YouTubers who make hilarious videos, the modders who create new ways to play, and the builders, who create wonderful worlds for others to enjoy as well.
This was at the forefront of my mind when I attended Minecon. Minecraft has always been a community-driven game, and I was curious how Mojang would handle that aspect of Minecraft’s identity while also pushing the game into new frontiers.
I met with Saxs Persson, developer for the Pocket and Windows 10 editions of Minecraft, and Matt Booty, head of Minecraft, in nearby Marriott hotel. Persson was dressed casually, in a black shirt and jeans. He came off as enthusiastic, prone to geeking out about new tech or features. Booty on the other hand was dressed in a button-down, slacks and came off as more reserved. They couldn’t have chosen a better pair to represent Minecraft.
“We want everybody to play with everybody,” Persson told me. “Minecraft is better when you can connect to your world wherever you with whatever device.” Windows 10 and Pocket Edition players already enjoy cross-platform play, but Persson paints a picture of complete compatibility – console and Java and Win 10 players all connecting and enjoying Minecraft together. In his ideal world, you’d be able to log on to the same persistent server from your iPad, your computer, and your console—a technical and legal hurdle that has been branched in part by games like Rocket League, but full connectivity across all platforms still seems like a lofty goal for Minecraft.
What’s more, this idea seems to ignore that the various Minecraft editions floating around all have varying features, something that even the biggest Minecraft fan finds annoying. For example, MCPE is still missing The End, but at the same time it will get additions that Java won’t see till later (or ever.) Persson didn’t specifically address version mismatches when I asked if feature parity was still a priority, but he also didn’t seem concerned about potential version conflicts. “There’s not a lot holding us back from connecting these versions, and parity is not the main goal,” he said. There is no doubt that this kind of cross-platform play would be popular and welcomed, but I’m skeptical as to how it would actually work. I’m also not sure it’s a feature that the community truly cares about.
Persson also enthused about “new input methodologies,” specifically the Oculus touch. Actually, VR played a big role in Minecon: the line to try it out was hours long throughout the entire event, and Mojang highlighted it often enough that VR seems to form a centerpiece for Minecraft’s future plans.
Virtual reality is still an incredibly niche technology, and Minecraft’s hallmark has always been its accessibility—you can run the game on pretty much any device. It’s hard to understand how adding a style of play that requires a powerful computer or console and a pricey headset fits with the existing appeal of Minecraft. Community response to VR offerings is and always has been tepid at best, especially among veteran Minecraft players, who remember Notch’s quarrel with Oculus in the past.
For now, most of the YouTubers and map makers and modders attached to Minecraft seem pretty happy with their current arrangement—Mojang is still very relaxed about letting people profit off of their game—but some are starting to see the writing on the wall. Long-time Minecraft YouTubers, such as skitscape and setosorcerer, have been moving on to other games or other careers. Map creators like Hypixel have had to adapt and often abandon single-player maps in favor of multiplayer ones, and the often-ignored mod community is starting to feel the strain of an aging game. Each recent patch has created a new set of problems — a recent one, for example, made many large texture packs unuseable, and while a different patch made PvP unplayable for many. With add-ons and an API still a long way off, frustrations continue to mount for some fans.
Mojang’s vision for the future of the game and the communities’ vision have not always been in line, and you could see the effects of that fissure on the showfloor itself. When I asked how they chose the people that ended up on stage at Minecon—essentially receiving the Mojang stamp of approval—or heading up the panels, Persson and Booty were a little evasive. “There is an active curation [of exhibitors],” Booty said about the people that were invited to attend the event and present, “ranging from trying to stay true to Minecraft’s indie roots to working with corporate partners and everything in between.” This was an obvious nod to the big name partners like Mattel that were taking up large amounts of real estate on the expo floor. There were plenty of indie names and creators features, but their competition was fiercer. The Minecon docket was stacked with young, high energy personalities who curated an atmosphere of fun and excitement—the old guard, like Hypixel and
other creators, were less well represented.
Persson and Booty still recognized, at least in part, the debt that they owed to the the community. “We ask that they come and meet their fans with open arms,” Persson said, “as a true fan event, not just a primarily corporate one.” Persson and the Mojang team seem eager to signal to their fans that they were still the focus of the event and of their efforts, and that the Microsoft buyout still doesn’t indicate a change in direction or an abandonment of their core users. It was a necessary reminder, given that Minecraft’s indie origins made some people deeply skeptical of Microsoft’s purchase, and these same fans have remained guarded even as the company seeks to reassure them.
Regardless, the Mojang team has actually shown that they are listening to the community in some respects. Minecon saw the first full presentation of the add-on system, which allows players to tweak the behavior and statistics of mobs at first, and will eventually allow wide modification of all entities. Players have been asking for something like this as far back as 2011.
“Add-ons are just the first step,” Persson said, confirming that an application program interface, or API, was being co-developed – a feature that would make modding significantly easier. Persson admitted that two previous attempts at creating an API had failed, and that they had brought on the creators of Bukkit–a popular mod utility–to help them make this attempt stick. This may represent a serious commitment to developing an API, but those promises go back as far as 2009. The community remains skeptical after being burned so many times before.
It’s also obvious that Microsoft has invested heavily in making Minecraft more than just a video game. Minecraft’s developers preferred to use words like “platform”, “tool”, and “environment” instead of “game,” and they were effusive about applications for research, education, and machine learning. “At a high level, we want to maintain Minecraft as an innovation brand,” Booty said when asked about his vision for the future of the game. It was a little hard to pin down exactly what they meant by this — it sounds like they want Minecraft to be all things to all people, which, while ambitious, sounds like a recipe for failure.
Despite the abundance of buzzwords, Mojang’s description is a telling indication of Microsoft’s concerns over their $2.5 billion investment. Minecraft is a completely unprecedented phenomenon, and so too is a massive buyout of an indie game by a major corporation. Minecraft has already conquered video games, so it seems natural that Microsoft and Mojang now want to create something that supersedes gaming.
Everyone I talked to at Minecon was excited about exactly one thing—meeting their heroes, whether that was one of the developers, a popular YouTuber, or a modder. As far as the fans are concerned, the future of Minecraft will always be with the people who make the game great, not fancy technology. Mojang has loftier goals, though it’s hard to say if VR and added connectivity truly hold the key to where Minecraft goes next. Then again, predicting the future is no easy task.
The Impossible Problem of Where Minecraft Goes Next
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