MINECRAFT MOVIE TARGETING JURASSIC WORLD AUDIENCE
Lee—who produced The LEGO Movie—added his team is “also doing visual designs to show the studio what the world will look like.” And according to Collider, Minecraft developer Mojang will be “very involved” in the film’s development. Warner Bros. and Mojang will work in collaboration, sharing ideas so the film stays connected to updated versions of the game’s world.
“Minecraft would be part of a multiverse where humans can enter,” Lee said of the film, “that has the feel of what the live action version of a Minecraft experience.”
Warner Bros. Minecraft film is looking to target the same audience as Jurassic World. And as Collider noted, it’s unclear whether this means it’ll be rated PG-13 like Jurassic World, or PG like The LEGO Movie.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator and star Rob McElhenney will write and direct Minecraft. There is no set timeline as of yet, but Lee reported the movie should go into production later in 2016.
Top Five Games like Minecraft – List of The Best Alternatives
Independent game developer Mojang took the world by storm in 2011 with the release of open-world sandbox game Minecraft. Odds are, you’ve heard so much about Minecraft that you’re sick of it by now. For those that haven’t, here’s the gist. In Minecraft you explore a procedurally generated world in search of raw materials, which can be used to craft tools, weapons, or armor. You’re also able to build structures from the materials. It may not sound like much, but Minecraft has become one of the most popular games in the world. People were captivated by it’s open-ended gameplay and multiplayer capabilities, and it became a global hit.
Of course, with popularity comes imitators. Since Minecraft was first released, the gaming industry has seen a massive influx of games that are similar to it. Games that are open-world, multiplayer, and survival/crafting oriented. Some of these games are pretty bad. Others are fantastic. If you’re getting bored of Minecraft, and you’re looking for a new game that shares some of it’s core gameplay mechanics, then take a look at this list of a few games that are similar.
Top Five Games like Minecraft
5. 7 Days to Die
One of the most common complaints that I have heard from gamers about Minecraft is that it is too child-like. True, it is a more light-hearted game, and it’s very popular among children. If you’re looking for a game like Minecraft with a more mature twist, you may want to look into 7 Days to Die. 7 Days to Die is a survival/horror game, where players traverse an unfamiliar landscape and gather resources to protect themselves from hordes of zombies, who attack when the sun goes down. Sound familiar?
7 Days to Die has several mining and crafting mechanics that are very similar to Minecraft’s. You’re able to craft tools of varying effectiveness, which are used to mine different materials. These different materials, like clay and iron, can be smelted in a furnace to create weapons, armors, or other kinds of defenses. You don’t have to assemble items in a specific shape on a grid like you do in Minecraft’s PC version, but you still have to gather a specific amount of materials. I would argue that 7 Days to Die’s crafting system is more challenging than progenitor’s because it takes time for your items to be created. In Minecraft, you can craft a set of armor as quickly as you can click the button. In 7 Days to Die, you have to wait a certain amount of time (usually between 5 and 45 seconds) until the item is complete.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. The survival/horror Minecraft-esque genre is pretty oversaturated. Just off of the top of my head, there are games like Day-Z, H1Z1, The Forest, and many more. So what sets 7 Days to Die apart from its extensive competition? 7 Days to Die has a very active development team, who work hard to deliver regular, free updates on a regular basis. In my opinion, 7 Days to Die is currently the best in its overcrowded genre, if only because it’s constantly improving.
4. Lego Worlds
To me, the ability to create grand and magnificent structures has always been one of the best parts of Minecraft. Lego Worlds is one of the few open world sandbox builders out there that is able to capture that same level of creativity. As you can probably guess from the name, Lego Worlds is a game made by the fine folks over at Lego. Lego is already known for an expansive series of video games based off of movies and comic book characters, but Lego Worlds is very different from those games.
Lego Worlds is a game where you take third-person control of a character of your own making. You’re able to run around and explore a vast Lego world, fight skeleton monsters, and build structures. Since Lego World is brought to you by Lego, you can be sure that the building aspect of the game is absolutely phenomenal. There are so many different kinds of pieces to choose from, which allows you to create smaller, more detailed structures than you can in Minecraft. Lego Worlds will feel very familiar to the average Minecraft player, with other features like rideable creatures, pre-generated villages, and the ability to explore underwater biomes.
Lego Worlds, like 7 Days to Die, is still in early access. Certain aspects of the game are still a little glitchy. The game is prone to crashing unexpectedly, and there are a few key features that haven’t been made public yet. For instance, one of the biggest draws of Minecraft is its large and expansive online community. At the time of writing, Lego Worlds has yet to implement an online multiplayer mode. Still, the game is in active development. I think that if we give Lego Worlds another year or two, it could give Minecraft a run for its money.
3. Roblox
I don’t know if it’s completely fair to call Roblox a “game like Minecraft”, when it was released several years
before it. If anything, Minecraft is a game like Roblox. Regardless, Roblox was a game that was wildly popular during the late 2000s, and it still boasts a fairly active user base. If you like the building and multiplayer aspects of Minecraft, you’ll love Roblox.
Roblox is a game that enables players to build their own worlds and levels, in an environment very similar to Minecraft’s creative mode. Roblox’s character customization is also roughly on-par with Minecraft’s, allowing users to equip different skins and hats and what not. Roblox doesn’t really have a single-player survival mode like Minecraft does, however. The bulk of Roblox’s success has come from its active and friendly online community, where groups of people will come together and build a massive city together. If you watch someone exploring a Roblox world, odds are it was all built by a few dedicated Roblox users.
One of my favorite things to do in early Minecraft was jump into a server with a few friends and work on building a skyscraper or a bird or something equally silly. Roblox captures that same level of camaraderie and teamwork perfectly, and they’ve been doing so for ten years now. Roblox also has a lot of PvP style arenas and games that bear a resemblance to the competitive PvP servers that we have seen in Minecraft. If you find yourself spending a lot of time playing with strangers in Minecraft, you should give Roblox a shot.
2. Subnautica
A common criticism of Minecraft is its percieved lack of graphical fidelity. While I can understand the complaint, I think it is arguable that the voxel-based simplicity of Minecraft’s visuals will stand the test of time. However, for those who can’t stand looking at endless piles of cubes, there’s Subnautica. It’s stylized underwater wonderland is breath taking. Each and every monstrous beauty you encounter a work of art. Few games can match the atmosphere of this survive ’em up.
Subnautica is your standard survival/crafting game, where you explore an uncharted world and do everything that you can to survive in it. However, there’s a twist. As you may have been able to determine from the name, Subnautica takes place almost entirely underwater. You spend the majority of your time exploring the unknown depths of the terrifying ocean. And trust me, as beautiful as the game seems, it can be pretty scary. The ocean is a really mysterious, quiet place. It can be pretty unnerving to be searching for food, knowing that a dangerous fish of some kind could be lurking behind any corner.
Crafting in Subnautica is obviously more science-oriented than Minecraft crafting. You wouldn’t have very much use for a set of iron armor at the bottom of the sea. Subnautica is a particularly refreshing game, because it manages to be similar to Minecraft despite being so fundamentally different. Subnautica is still in early access, but the development team is very serious about delivering updates on a schedule, so I don’t think you have to worry about it being abandoned. Subnautica doesn’t currently offer online multiplayer, and there are some slight optimization issues currently, but the dev team promises that fixes are coming soon.
1. Terraria
No surprise here. If Terraria got a dollar for every time it was put at the top of a “Games like Minecraft” list, it… would have a lot of money. Terraria was released around the same time as Minecraft, and its fundamental gameplay elements are pretty simple, which means that it was one of the first games to have been compared to Minecraft since the moment it was released. (I don’t envy them.)
At first glance, Terraria looks really different from Minecraft. To start off with, Terraria is entirely two dimensional. There is no first or third person, because you view your character from the side, platformer-style. Combat in Terraria is also completely different from combat in Minecraft. In my opinion, it’s vastly superior. In Minecraft, combat often consists of strafing in a “strategic” manner while mashing the same button over and over again. Terraria’s combat feels much more Metroidvania-esque, and it’s an absolute blast.
What makes Terraria and Minecraft similar is that they both place a strong emphasis on crafting, mining, and exploration. When you play both games, you’ll realize that your general strategies are similar. You mine to craft and level up your gear in order to take on a larger boss. In both Minecraft and Terraria, you can’t really get by without crafting and mining, and you’re rewarded for taking risks and exploring dangerous areas of the world. Although certain aspects of their gameplay are radically different, the fundamental values are pretty much the same.
The Future of The Open World Survival Sandbox
As I mentioned before, Minecraft is really popular among younger gamers. It’s the game a lot of the world’s budding game developers will grow up on, and so I think it’s safe to expect more Minecraft-like games to come in the future. Even today, games like Guncraft, Unturned, Starbound, and Don’t Starve, are pretty successful and borrow heavily from the central mechanics that once made Minecraft unique.
Personally, I’m happy with the popularization of this genre of game, if only because it’s constantly being tweaked. There are very few popular games out there that are just like Minecraft. Games like Lego Worlds and Subnautica are very similar to Minecraft, but they still manage to feel brand new. Minecraft’s core mechanics are married with other unique ideas, creating something both expansive and innovative. If people are making games where incredible worlds can be explored, terrible beasts can be defeated, and friendships can be forged over the construction of a mighty fortress…I think that there are far worse directions for video games to go.
Top Five Games like Minecraft – List of The Best Alternatives
Minecraft Upcoming 1.9 Patch Will Bring Many Cool Features
Minecraft Upcoming 1.9 Patch Will Bring Many Cool Features
The last major patch that Mojang has released for Minecraft is Bountiful Update (version 1.8) and the fans were wondering when they will get a new patch. Their dream is about to come true, as in two days, Mojang will launch Combat Update (version 1.9) which will change completely the way miners and crafters will play this game.
Mojang won’t bring another set of blocks and other improvements to the game. Minecraft will suffer a great combat change, and the players will explore and farm better. Dual wielding is the big change and will allow the players to hold a torch in one hand and a mine in the other, or seeds in one hand and in the other a hoe. Both way, the farming operation will become more efficient, and the game will feel a little bit more realistic. Multitasking was necessary, as it will help the players use the best combinations for dual wielding.
The players are not only capable of working and eating at the same time (while holding food in one hand and a tool in the other), they can also enter dangerous cavern systems holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, for protection.
Another change in patch 1.9 is the “delay” to the combat, and the players will have more time to plan their strategy. Also, they will build an arena, where they will find many things. But, here’s the entire list of changes that will be brought by the Combat update:
Shields – while holding a shield in one hand and a weapon, the players will be better protected when others are soaking up arrows. Also, shields can be customized with a logo;
Axes – will be 60 percent slower, and the players can use an ax in one hand and a shield in the other;
Arrows – there will be 14 new arrow tips which can be used for healing or poisoning etc. For example, if the player is wounded, he can be shot by a healer with an arrow and this will raise his health;
Hidden Dungeons – the fans will have more opportunities to explore these places, which are placed usually in snowy areas;
Beets – with this new vegetable, the players can make soup and feed themselves;
The Changes to The End – the players will need to raid cities and ships in order to get rare materials. Also, they will harvest Chorus flowers, but it’s not sure what their role will be.
End Cities – End Rods (crafted using chorus fruit and blaze rods) will provide light as the “End” version of a lantern;
New Blocks – the most useful ones will be Purpur Blocks, which are located in End Cities. There will be four different variations, such as block, pillar, slab and stairs.
Minecraft Update Version Number Three Has Gone Live
Minecraft: Wii U Edition has been out for a couple months now, and many Nintendo gamers have since put in countless hours exploring its blocky environments. All the same, it’s not a perfect version of the game, with many fans complaining about certain features that were absent from this release. Naturally, the game is a work in progress, and a new patch has just gone live that adds a hefty amount of extra stuff.
This update is the third to go out for the Wii U, and it brings the game up to par with the Xbox 360 version’s 33rd patch. The full patch notes can be found here; it’s quite an exhaustive list of additions and tweaks. There are new mobs, blocks, items, and biomes, and dozens of tweaks to existent materials. Alas, there’s still no GamePad inventory management, but it’s nonetheless nice to see Mojang continuing to improve this edition.
What do you think? Are you glad to see this update? What would you like to see added in future updates? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Minecraft’s Galactic Mission: Round two recap
More than 100 Minecrafters are competing in White Plains to win Minecraft’s Galactic Mission, a worldwide competition that lasts for four weeks. The ultimate winner receives a $15,000 scholarship. Starlord is an 11-year-old gamer, who lives in New Rochelle. He’s been playing Minecraft for five years and is reporting on the competition for lohud.com and The Journal News.
This week, he’s joined by DinoGio, one of the handful of girls competing in the championship.
During last week’s round there were a few Wi-Fi issues that delayed the start, but this week ran smoothly, except for one little problem, according to team DinoGio: “We had one hack who compromised the server and cheated, raiding other teams. He fixed it so he wouldn’t die and controlled the leader board. Not fair!”
Her dad added that the techs running the competition were really on top of all the kids, caught all the bad behavior and put a stop to it immediately.
Starlord and DinoGio recap Round Two:
DINOGIO
Who I am: Hi! I am 9 ½ and my name is Brianna, but I like to be called Brie. I started Minecrafting when I was only in kindergarten (“I think”). My mom downloaded it five years ago just to keep me busy not knowing anything about it. I love Minecraft because if it’s in your imagination, you can build it; you can do anything. I am hooked on DanTDM, my favorite Minecraft YouTuber, who just married Jenn. They try out all the latest software.
What else do you do besides Minecraft? My mom says I need more days in the week for all the things I do: I take Taekwondo, Hip Hop, Jazz lyrical and I cheer for my school and I cheer competitively. I started singing the “National Anthem” for Mahopac High School basketball games (three times so far plus another in two weeks). I play the viola, I love art, attend CCD and I have also have been a Girl Scout for five years and do things for the community.
How was the Galactic Mission on Saturday? My favorite part was the building part, but I thought the whole competition was soooo amazing!
What was the hardest part? Hmm, I would have to say the hardest and most challenging was the P.V.P. because I think they should give you more time for more challenging stages. The looting part was way too short and I could hear all the frustrated kids around me. As you check the close looted chest, then the faster kids would kill you.
Any surprises? I loved how comfortable I felt and really fit right in from the minute I walked in that theater, even if I was one out of only five girls. I was very surprised how nice and awesome my team was. We all cooperated and listened to each other’s ideas and needs. I walked in not knowing anyone. My friend Maddie is obsessed with Minecraft and had to cancel last minute because her software was not up-to-date. I felt bad. So I didn’t know what to expect entering into a large group of over 100 unknown crafters. But I found the competition to be totally amazing.
How did you do? My team, The Exotic PVP won the League for the building challenge.
Any challenges? My least favorite thing was logging in to find I had to play as a Steve because I played under my brother’s game tag. Of course the they thought I was a boy! They never checked online or in person to find out who is a boy or a girl. It was also intense getting in and seated, and set up.
What’s your strategy for next week? I can’t wait to go back. My teammates exchanged contact information with me and we will try a few gaming sessions; maybe just maybe It will be super hard because we are all so busy after school.
STARLORD
Where did you get the name Starlord? Since there was another Starlord in the system, I had to tweak my gamer name a little. Now my name is jamesstarlord10. I got the name Starlord after watching the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” in which one of the characters is named Peter Quill a.k.a Starlord. I liked Starlord because his name is astronomy-related and I love astronomy. Plus he is a really cool character in the movie; he is the hero of the story.
You had a week to get prepared for Round 2. Did you practice? To get ready for round 2, I read “Minecraft Essential Handbook” on laptop controls when playing with the mouse and each day I practiced for an hour.
What did you do differently this week? I had the same plan, just to be more focused and to have fun.
Did you feel more confident? Yes, this week I felt more confident. I had time to practice with the laptop, which is different from playing on PC and PS4, how I usually play.
What was your strategy this week, build faster or get rid of your opponents? This week we played a survival game called “The Walls.” In my Team Base there is a character called The Wither (which is a materials trader). My team built a cage of Cobblestones to protect the Wither from people attacking him. When we played “Mayhem” (which is a survival game) we gathered as much loot (diamond sword, diamond armor and diamond pick-axe) as possible.
What were the other competitors doing? Most of the competitors were trying to get the most points and the most kills, along with building the best desert world they could.
Are people still having fun or is it getting serious? This week was more competitive; many teams were planning different strategies and trying to win. Next week I expect it to be 10x more competitive as the teams bond with each other.
Right now, who is the Minecrafter beat? The top three Minecrafters were amazing. They got the most kills in the survival games and had the lowest amount of deaths. They also knew when to get loot from the chest and when to strike.
What do you think your chances are of winning the tournament? This week my team did an amazing job. We grew a lot as a team speaking to one another and planning strategies. I think are chances are good.
What are you planning for next week? To practice more, be more focused and to have fun.
Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.14.0 Download Available on Google Play Store
Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.14.0 Download Available on Google Play Store
The mobile edition of the famous game was released in August 2011, for the Xperia PLAY on Google Play and its price was $6.99. In October, the game arrived on iOS and in November, it was added to the iOS App Store. A year later, in September, Mojang has released it on the Amazon Appstore and in April 2014, the Amazon Fire TV owners were able to play it as well. Eventually, the Pocket Edition reached the Windows Phone devices in December 2014 and the version for Windows 10, also known as Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta, was brought in July 2015. Today we’ll talk about the new update of Minecraft Pocket Edition, 0.14.0, which can be downloaded from the Play Store and played on Android devices.
A week ago, it was confirmed that the Minecraft Overworld update will be available for Windows 10 and the Pocket Edition, and now, the Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.14.0 can be found on the Play Store. This update allows the gamers to dress up as a witch, to play with new components and enjoy cauldron-powered Redstone comparators. Also, witches will assist the players in creating potions, dyes for the armor, and to generate power.
The update brings also slime blocks, red sandstone and 15 new redstone specialist skins for Redstone engineering, mining, rail-riding and TNT-ing; wearable pumpkins (a little bit too late or early for Halloween); improved chicken jockey mobs (baby zombies will have a 15 percent chance to want to be a jockey); item frames to display the coolest loot; dispensers; droppers; hoppers; trapped chests; more Minecart types etc.
These are some of the features that haven’t been included in the desktop version, but they passed the stable version for Android. The players have been waiting for them since the end of January and now they’re finally able to enjoy them, as well as the new features.
Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.14.0 Download Available on Google Play Store
Drone Barbie takes on Minecraft Ghasts in battle for the skies
Drone Barbie takes on Minecraft Ghasts in battle for the skies
Drones are finding a new place for themselves in people’s homes, and shaking up the toy market in the process
Drones have had a hard time of late. If they’re not interfering with air traffic they are dealing out death and destruction or just flying off and getting lost.
At this year’s New York Toy Fair there was a fresh take on how drones could offer a more positive contribution.
The first new trend was to combine the high-tech flying gadget with popular brands. Even Barbie got a look in, with her Starlight Adventure R/C drone.
Standing in hover boarding pose, as she is in the movie, this uses a hidden quadcopter to magically fly Barbie around the house. It sounds a little odd, but is actually a lot of fun.
After some practice, and a few crashes we were able to take Barbie to places she’d never been before.
Along similar lines is the Minecraft Ghast drone. This takes the floating ghost character from Minecraft games as inspiration for a hovering toy.
The controller is styled in Minecraft bricks and looks great. Again a bit of practice is required but once mastered the drone Ghast offers hours of entertainment – well, until the battery runs out at least.
The second toy-drone trend was to up the tech quotient. Adding more technology into the mix is the Skylanders Viper Hover Racer. This makes the flying of the drone easy with child friendly features.
Best of all is an auto take-off and hover mode that lets kids practice more easily. The drone can then be used in a series of video-game inspired missions with progress displayed on a smartphone app.
By placing special beacons around the room (or out in the garden) you can create a virtual track to race around. The app records your fastest time and lets you upgrade the performance of the drone between missions.
There is a co-operative two player mode where one person taps the screen to take down virtual missiles while the other player completes the mission.
Of the three, Hover Racer looks best placed to revolutionise the drone toy market. Provided it delivers on the prototype’s promise it could well be the must-have toy later this year.
Certainly there is a lot of investment in drones as toys, both in making the tech work better and combining it with big brands.
Drone Barbie takes on Minecraft Ghasts in battle for the skies
Minecraft 1.9 update pushed back to February 29
Minecraft 1.9 update pushed back to February 29
34.7% more hype added as part of update.
Update: Mojang has pushed the release date for Minecraft 1.9 to Monday, February 29.
Original report: Minecraft’s 1.9 update will launch on Thursday, February 25, Mojang has announced.
The update is also now in pre-release, giving dedicated players the ability to test it ahead of launch and give some feedback to Mojang.
Whilst you’ll have to wait for the complete patch notes, here’s a snippet of what to expect:
Notable changes:
- Bugs fixed
- Increased durability of shields
- Some crystals in the end are protected by cages again
- Added 34.7% more hype for Minecraft 1.9
Bugs fixed:
- [Bug MC-96863] – Marker ArmorStand Should Not Have Passenger Offset
- [Bug MC-97217] – Weird placement of player while riding an entity after swimming with elytra
- [Bug MC-97235] – Resource pack in minecraft world save file not working
- [Bug MC-97251] – Rail Duplication Glitch
If you wish to try the patch pre-release follow these instructions: “To get snapshots (or, in this case, the pre-release), open your launcher and press the “New Profile” button. Call it “snapshots” and check the box saying “Enable experimental development snapshots” and save. To switch to the normal version, you can select it in the dropdown at the bottom left corner of the launcher. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (See the “new profile” dialog).”
Minecraft: The Sandbox Game for All Ages
Sandbox games are games in which the player explores an open-ended world and they can do whatever they want to do with a few key note rules set in place. Other than those key note rules, the player can do whatever they want to, whether it would involve building structures or adventuring around the world to kill monsters. There is one game that I have been playing a lot recently that is a true sandbox game that is played by many, whether they are young or a little bit older.
I’m talking about Minecraft: the game that is all about building blocks to create the world that you want to live in and to do what satisfies you in the world. The block world allows the player to build structures and then they can earn items needed to create weapons, get food, and fight off monsters. The only limits of playing Minecraft is your imagination because it’s like anything that you can think of, you can create in the game with tools that you have and the blocks of the world that surround you everywhere you go.
I started to have an interest in Minecraft after I was watching some YouTubers play the game and it really seemed that the things they were doing in the game were fun. They were creating structures and they were using weapons that they had in their inventory to fight off some of the creatures that they were running into. Each video that they had in their Minecraft let’s play series was different because they were going on different missions that they chose to go on. This game isn’t just for the adults who choose to play it either for their YouTube channel or for fun, it’s also played by young kids, whether they are boys or girls. I first saw my younger cousin take an interest in the game by playing the game and also buying some of the merchandise, whether it would be wearing a Minecraft shirt or playing with Minecraft toy sets. I then saw my neighbor’s daughter that I used to babysit during the summer play it on her iPad; when I gave it a try for about 10 minutes, I didn’t know what I was doing and it was just confusing.
I convinced myself and my parents to let me get the game on my computer to play because it was during Christmas break and I needed to find something new to do. The first few minutes, I had to check the Minecraft Wiki page to see how to start building the basic tools because I was a noob (a person new to the world of Minecraft and had no idea how to start playing it). Expand over to a few days later, I started playing it more often as I explored the world that I was in, gathering up supplies, hunting animals and killing monsters that were in my way. I started liking the concept of the game as I played it more and I wanted to see what else I could do because my imagination was still running wild and the possibilities were still endless.
Another discovery that I have made while playing this game is that there is a multiplayer option and players can choose to go on a certain server that they know of to ask for permission to be a part of it. I remember watching a series of videos on a person’s YouTube channel that they had created a server for people to join on and it seemed like the people on the server were having fun, just playing Minecraft together. That acted as a inspiration for me to keep getting better and learning on how the game really is so I can become a part of the server that these people are a part of.
As I continue to discover the unknown things about Minecraft, I learn more about the game itself and it makes me more excited about what’s yet to come for the world of Minecraft. Having the open ended world and having a limited number of rules, it gives players the real chance to make up their rules and let them decide what they want to do in the game. There are a lot of people who play this game and it just keeps getting more exciting for those who lay it as updates are made to it almost all the time.
With more and more people choosing to be a part of the community of Minecraft players, the gaming company, Mojang, works continuously to make the game even more fun for other people. There are updates being made, which could mean more possibilities as to what players could do in the world of Minecraft that they are exploring. there’s a good chance that this game is going to be around for a long time because there are also toys and other video games that are based off Minecraft. It keeps becoming popular amongst people of various ages and I think it’ll continue to grow as the years keep passing by with new features for players to discover.
Minecraft Will Arrive To Oculus Rift
In 2014, Mark Zuckerberg took the decision to acquire the Oculus VR, which made Minecraft’s creator Markus Persson to cancel the development of the Oculus Rift version of this game. But when Microsoft acquired Mojang, the Redmond company has decided to continue work on the virtual reality version of Minecraft. Facebook was represented at the MWC 2016 event, where Zuckerberg had a short appearance during Samsung’s press conference, helping the company to showcase its latest Gear VR. With this occasion, Zuckerberg has confirmed that the Mincraft game will arrive to the Oculus Rift platform.
During Samsung’s press conference, Zuckerberg has explained what the purpose of his appearance was. He said that “VR is the next platform, where anyone can create and experience anything they want. For right now, it’s mostly used for gaming. That’s quickly evolving. That’s why Facebook is investing so much in VR, so we can deliver these new social experiences. VR is going to be the next social platform. And that’s why we’re working with Samsung.” At this event, it was revealed that Facebook will team up with Samsung in order to make the Gear VR headset load virtual videos faster using dynamic streaming, a feature which allow the user to view the area of a video at the highest resolution, even if the video will be loaded with multiple resolutions.
As for Minecraft, the game is currently supported by devices running on Microsoft Windows OS, X Linux, Raspberry Pi, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and it can be played as well on consoles such as Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, 4 and Vita, and Wii U.
This game is about building constructions using textured cubes in a 3D world, exploring maps, gathering resources, crafting and combating. There are multiple gameplay modes and in the survival mode, the player will build a world and protect it, while in the creative mode, the players are able to fly and they have unlimited resources to build whatever he wants.
When Minecraft Meets Dragon Quest
You know what’s popular in Japan? Minecraft. You know what else is popular?Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest Builders is what happens when you mix the two.
Broken down to its essence, Dragon Quest Builders is Minecraft, but with direction. In Minecraft you are basically dropped into a world and sent off to do whatever you want. In Dragon Quest Builders you are tasked with building a settlement and drawing various NPCs to it, eventually forming a new town and purifying the land. You do this by doing various quests for your fledgling settlement’s inhabitants.
These quests range from the mundane (e.g., cook food) to the epic (e.g., steal two fire-breathing demon statues from a cult deep within a pyramid). However, most are simply to go out, collect materials, and build specific items for the settlement.
There are generally two kinds of roadblocks when it comes to progression in the game. The first comes in the form of major monster assaults on your settlement. At first, these are easily defended against by you alone, though some of your fellow settlers will be sure to join in. But as time goes on, you’ll need to turn your outer walls to stone to prevent them from being broken down, lay out metal spikes around your perimeter, and build a heavy gate with accompanying booby traps.
The other hurdle you’ll need to overcome from time to time is leveling up your settlement. Each object you create is worth a certain number of experience points for the settlement, and while objects typically can be placed anywhere, certain objects placed together in the same room can make that room into a specific type of room, netting bonus points.
For example, six beds, an “inn” sign, and a torch inside a room turns it into a hotel. A stone crafting table, storage box, and torch makes a rock-working room. Of course, the more quests you do and areas you unlock, the more objects you can create, and more types of rooms you can build. You can also find blueprints for specific types of rooms hidden throughout the world.
The world in Dragon Quest Builders is segmented into different islands. Each is filled with different terrain, monsters, plants, and minerals, each of which unlocks via a magic portal as you progress through the quests. The various islands have plenty to explore. In fact, if you’re doing only quests and nothing else, there’s actually a lot to miss, including world boss monsters in the far corners of the world.
After you have completed all the quests for your settlement, you have one final, epic boss battle at the gates of your settlement. The battle involves a mixture of fighting the boss, killing the lesser monsters it summons, and defending your settlement as well as yourself.
Upon beating all the quests in the first world, you unlock a second one where you start in a new location from scratch again. You do this a total of four times to beat the game. Also, after you beat the first world, you also unlock the free roam mode, which basically turns the game into a Minecraft clone where you make your own adventure.
Other than the directed nature of the game, the biggest difference betweenMinecraft and Dragon Quest Builders is actually the camera angle. While Minecraftis designed as a first-person affair (so all you have to do is look where you want to place an item), Dragon Quest Builders is third-person, making the entire building aspect a bit more difficult.
Looking above and below your character is accomplished by using the shoulder buttons (one for looking up, the other for looking down). While looking up and down, your character strafes instead of turning in the direction you move, which is immensely helpful when building. (Pressing both shoulder buttons allows you to strafe and place blocks in front of you.)
While placing blocks is a bit awkward, it isn’t the only odd thing about the third-person camera. As the it usually floats high above your character, it freaks out when indoors, unsure where to go. Mining deep in a mountain has similar problems, leaving you unable to see. Ceilings are such an impediment, you’re better off never building any in your settlement.
The game’s pre-built indoor areas all have ridiculously high ceilings to combat the camera issues. So, if you plan to build any multi-story buildings in Dragon Quest Builders, better make that second story freakishly high if you want to be able to see when inside.
Dragon Quest Builders is exactly what you’d expect. It is a retooled Minecraftwith a Dragon Quest coat of paint. I personally enjoyed the quests and direction the game gave me, as well as the fact that free-build mode was unlocked after the first world instead of after beating the whole game. If it weren’t for the problematic third-person camera, there wouldn’t be anything to complain about in this title. Still, even with that issue, if you like Dragon Quest andMinecraft—or wish Minecraft were a bit more goal oriented—Dragon Quest Builders is certainly worth a try.
Dragon Quest Builders was released on January 28, 2016 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita. There is currently no word on a Western release.
Minecraft 1.9 pushed back slightly, second snapshot released
Minecraft 1.9 is going back in the oven a few more days, but at this stage what’s half a week between friends?
Minecraft 1.9 was expected on February 25 but has since been shifted to February 29, Mojang has announced.
The extra few days will presumably allow the developer to test and gather feedback on a second pre-release beta version, which squashes a few bugs found in the first one. The second snapshot is available now.
Full update patch notes are not yet available, but fans are pretty excited; 1.9 has been in the works longer than any major release to date.
Note that this update is for mothership Minecraft only – that is, the Mac and PC build, not consoles, mobile or Windows 10, which run on their own update cycles behind the core build.
Minecraft 1.9 pushed back slightly, second snapshot released
Super League Gaming Attracts ‘Minecraft’ Fans To Movie Theaters Across U.S., Canada
PLAYA VISTA (CBSLA.com) — Young gamers across the country have been packing movie theaters as part of a tournament with some big bucks at stake.
“It’s just amazing that I can finally … there’s a league for doing something that I like cause I don’t like sports. There’s a league for that,” said Max Cummins, 11, who isn’t interested in traditional sports.
Known as Max5267, the fifth grader is part of Super League Gaming, which is basically a video game little league.
For four weeks, kids ages 6 to 14, crowd a movie theater and play Minecraft on the big screen. They’re divided into teams and play against one another as well as leagues across the U.S. and Canada.
Their parents are in the audience cheering them on just as they would in the stands.
Max says it’s no different than playing soccer or football.
“They do it ’cause they enjoy it. It’s their passion and that’s exactly how I feel about Minecraft,” he said.
Minecraft is one of the world’s most popular video games. It’s basically a digital version of LEGOs.
The creators of Super League Gaming say this isn’t mindless entertainment. President and COO Brett Morris says Minecraft may not be physical, but it is educational.
“It helps out with STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math education] skills,” Morris said, adding that the game also helps with social skills, critical thinking, and creativity.
“If anything, maybe more here with our events with Minecraft than some traditional after school activities,” he said.
Bruce Brownstein, Max’s dad, says it also gets his son out of his bedroom and into a social setting.
“This is great that he gets out and he meets other people with similar interests because he’s never liked team sports for various reasons and this he likes,” Brownstein said.
Indigo Carey likes it too. She’s 9.
“Everybody says that video games are meant to be for boys but also girls can do it,” she said.
Tara Carey, her mom, says her three kids play sports as well but she wanted them to learn how to code, something many of these Minecraft gamers are already doing.
“Technology going forward, I mean, the kids, the younger the better,” she said.
In its second season, Super League Gaming is in 70 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The cost to play is $60 per player. At the end of this season, the team in first place will split a $15,000 college scholarship.
Super League Gaming Attracts ‘Minecraft’ Fans To Movie Theaters Across U.S., Canada
Mojang Launches Loot Crate-Like Swag Box for Minecraft
Attention Minecraft fans. Mojang this week launched a new LootCrate-like swag box just for you.
The $29.99 Mine Chest promises all types of Minecraft surprises and DIY crafting projects you’ll be able to do at home. Each month, you’ll get an exclusive Minecraft T-shirt, plus toys, collectables, and more. The boxes are designed for all ages and meant to “last well beyond the un-boxing,” according to the Mine Chest site.
“When you play Minecraft, you never know what you’re going to find when you break past those next few blocks, and that feeling of anticipation can be quite exciting,” Mojang Brand Director Lydia Winters wrote in a blog post. “Well, we wanted to bring that same sense of discovery and creativity, but with cool monthly shipments of Minecraft gear.”
You can sign up now if you’re interested, and the first package ships May 2016.
“Each month a care package of Minecraft collectibles is sourced from an in-game location and shipped straight to your front door,” the Mine Chest site promises. “Who doesn’t love to get packages? Especially from places as far away as the Jungles, Frozen Plains, and even the Nether.”
At this point, Mine Chest is only available for U.S. Minecrafters, but if you live elsewhere, don’t feel too left out. Mojang is “working on a grand plan to get these boxes of joy out to the world,” Winters wrote.
The new service is, of course, similar to Loot Crate, a subscription service that focuses on all things nerd. The $20-per-month Lootboxes contain six or more techie, comic, and/or gamer items customized to a different ‘geeky’ theme.
Minecraft: 5 things parents should know
More than 20 million people play it, and nearly 10,000 more every day. Microsoft bought the company that developed it for $2.5 billion. It spawned an entire genre.
Minecraft is not a game like most. Rather than fighting or racing or, the game encourages creativity and collaboration, and offers a blank slate on which entire worlds can be built. More than just hand-eye coordination, which any shoot-’em-up can develop, Minecraft can build visuospatial reasoning skills in a limitless but nonthreatening, kid-friendly way.
A study conducted by researchers at Australia’s Griffith University, called “Minecraft as a teaching tool: A statistical study of teachers’ experience using Minecraft in the classroom,” concluded that Minecraft can be “very successful as a teaching tool and that learners showed high levels of motivation and participation – which suggests improved learning.”
“More interestingly is the emergence of science and math as subject areas where Minecraft can be used,” the study says. “During construction of large-scale projects, learners might need to calculate the number of blocks required to complete the project. Angles and distances can be calculated too, along with speed, weight, and trajectory (projectiles).”
This Saturday, gamers worldwide, including more than a few at City Center 15: Cinema de Lux in White Plains, will try to out-Minecraft each other, with a $15,000 scholarship awarded to the winner.
For the parents who may not have the slightest idea about this whole Minecraft thing — who know little more than that “it’s like Legos” — here are five things you need to know, a sort-of Minecraft primer for the uninitiated:
It really is like Legos
The basic unit of measurement and construction in Minecraft is a cube, commonly called a block. When you launch a game, you create an entire world — a world so large you can get irretrievably lost — complete with forests, deserts, mountains, savannahs, caves, towns, people, animals and more, all made out of cubes.
You, in the form of a block-based avatar, destroy blocks and strategically place blocks to reshape the three-dimensional online world as you see fit.
Every type of cube has specific attributes — put rock cubes on top of a sand cube and the sand cube will disappear. Set fire to a wooden cube and it will burn. Players spend hours, which can stretch into weeks and years, building ruby cube castles and wooden cube towns and stone cube fortresses.
It’s essentially nonviolent
There are two basic ways to play Minecraft, creative and survival. In creative mode, every type of block is available at the outset, and creatures like zombies and spiders will do no damage to your avatar. You can also fly, which makes building those cloud-high towers a breeze.
On survival mode, every resource must be obtained and managed, food must be consumed and mobs of nefarious block-based creatures must be fended off. There is also adventure mode, similar to survival and intended more for multiplayer play.
Zombies and spiders notwithstanding, fighting is not the central activity in any of Minecraft mode, the way it is in “Halo” or “Mortal Kombat.” Building effective fortresses, block by block, is just as important in Minecraft as fighting zombies.
In creative and survival mode, there is no way to “win” in the traditional sense — you build as much or as little as you’d like, as opposed to fight- or race-based games, in which there is a clear winner.
There is in-game chatting
Minecraft is, to a large degree, a one-player game. In order to play with other people, you must be on the same server, either creating one yourself or joining a public server.
Once you are on the same server and in the same world, you have the ability to chat with other players, and — depending on the server — there are little to no protections on what can and cannot be said.
The emphasis, though, is on collaboration, teams of people working to build a world. The easiest, and safest, way for kids to play together is via the mobile, or pocket, edition which allows gamers using the same wifi signal to join each other’s worlds.
It’s big business
As of Feb. 17, 2016, almost 23 million people had purchased and downloaded the PC version of the game, with nearly 10,000 buying into Minecraft in the previous 24 hours, and that does not count players on XBox gaming systems or mobile phones.
In 2014, Microsoft bought Swedish game developer and Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 billion. According to Forbes, as of 2015 the game grossed more than $700 million over the course of its life, with the word “Minecraft” trending more on Google than the Bible, Harry Potter and Justin Bieber.
Sweden native Markus Persson, who created the game, launched it in 2011 and sold Mojang to Microsoft three years later, became an almost overnight billionaire and bought a $70 million Beverly Hills home before 2014 was over.
There is a Minecraft Hell
Yes, you can create a portal to Nether, consider it Minecraft Hell, where giant Chthulu-like squid demons swim through rivers of lava. Going to Nether is a good way to get lost, after which you may have to travel a long way to find your fortress or carefully crafted beach house.
There is also the Minecraft approximation of electricity, called “redstone,” which allows enterprising players to build powered railways, doors that open and close, electric light and more.
Players can also tame wolves to create dogs, breed cattle and sheep and chickens, and perform other real-world activities to create more nuanced gameplay.
HOW DO YOU WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
To be part of the action, visit SuperLeague.com and register. On the site, you can create a team, sign up for an existing team or let Super League assign you to a team. Teams will consist of 4-7 players. The grand prize, a Super League championship trophy and a $15,000 team scholarship (Super League uses a scholarship fund partner to make sure awarded money is used for college only), will be awarded to the team with the highest cumulative score. Teams — which will play for 90 minutes once a week — can visit SuperLeague.com, where they can select Leaderboard and see how other teams rank according to scores. Point totals across the four weeks for all teams will be available on the site. At the end of four weeks, the team with the highest cumulative score wins.
‘Minecraft’ News: ‘Minecraft’ Getting Its Own Monthly Chest Of Treasures
Mojang, the developer behind the hit building and exploration game, “Minecraft,” is bringing something new and exciting for its players and it will be coming every month. According to a report in Tech Times, Mojang is setting up a subscription service that will bring new “collectibles” to its players every month.
The new service will be called “Mine Chest” and inside the chest every month, players will get new items that can be worn, collected and can even be used to create or build with. Some of the items will only be made available through the service and cannot be found elsewhere. These include “Minecraft” toys and “Minecraft” shirts. Even the chests, where the goodies are found, can be collected as well.
In their announcement of the new service, Mojang describes it as something that will “bring that same sense of discovery and creativity” every month. They also listed DIY crafting recipes as part of what subscribers can get.
According to the official Mine Chest site, each “Mine Chest” will also be themed according to where they are found or discovered, which means chests can be themed as the Jungles, Frozen Plains and the Nether.
Since the monthly service will also be bringing physical products, a shipping fee is included in the monthly service fee. Gamers need to shell out $29.99 a month plus $7 shipping, handling and tax. Only gamers in the United States are able to avail of the service in the meantime, but Mojang promised that it will bring the service worldwide soon and will try to find a way around expensive shipping costs.
Those who want to avail of the service can start signing up now via the service’s site at minechest.com. First shipments will be made in May and gamers who are able to sign up by the end of February receive a special gift: a limited beta version including “items that explore the beginnings of ‘Minecraft.'”
‘Minecraft’ News: ‘Minecraft’ Getting Its Own Monthly Chest Of Treasures
Minecraft Pocket Edition Newest Update – Additional Redstone Components
The first update of 2016 for the Minecraft: Pocket Edition is finally here. The new Minecraft version 0.14.0 comes with new additions for the Redstone builders and we remind the players that the Redstones have been released for Minecraft in November.
Redstone is a structure that will allow the players to control powered-mechanisms. With other words, you will be able to make simple devices such as a light switch, or even more complicated things such as elevators. This feature surely opens up many possibilities, so you will do whatever you want in the Minecraft game. Just use your imagination and this feature will help you materialize your ideas.
The new Minecraft 0.14.0 add even more Redstone components such as repeaters, dispensers, comparators, hoppers, trapped chests, droppes and many more. Here is a video that shows of a few new features that the Minecraft 0.14.0 comes with:
The new Minecraft version also comes with some spooky witches along with their huts. Inside the huts you will find cauldrons that are filled with random potions and something that will dye your armor. There are also wearable pumpkins, slime blocks and item frames that will allow players to display their awesome items for all to see.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition is available for mobile devices that run on iOS or Android and it can be purchased from the App Store or Google Play Store for 6.99 dollars. You can also download and play the Minecraft: Story mode game that costs only 4.99 dollars and it comes with five-part episodic series. However, keep in mind that the game comes with the first episode, while the other four episodes you will need to purchase (either separated or as a season pass).
Have you installed the Minecraft 0.14.0 on your mobile device? Tell us your opinion about the latest Minecraft: Pocket Edition!
Minecraft Pocket Edition Newest Update – Additional Redstone Components
‘Starlord’ reports on first round of Minecraft’s Galactic Mission
The first round of Minecraft’s four-week Galactic Mission championships was held Saturday at the City Center 15: Cinema de Lux in White Plains. This Minecraft experience is a custom, space-themed adventure in which gamers build and battle together in a fun environment inside a movie theater instead of at home.
Gamers of all ages had the opportunity to play face-to-face against other video game enthusiasts in the theater as well as against thousands of others across the world, while watching the action unfold live on the big screen.
Some local players will be reporting for lohud.com from the “battle front.” This week, meet StarLord:
Who I am: Hello, I am StarLord and I am 11-years-old and live in New Rochelle. I have been playing Minecraft for 5 years and I love it because I get to build whatever I want and how I want, too. I am in control of the building. I am also on my school newspaper, I enjoy reading books, playing other video games and playing with Legos.
The coolest part of playing on Saturday: I enjoyed playing with other kids like me who are into Minecraft.
Round 1 recap: At first I started to build a volcano. It was hard because I was trying to make it as realistic as possible in a short time. I think I did okay; it was a little hard because I kept getting killed by other players who were faster than me.
How hard or easy is it? I am used to playing on my PS4 or my PC. This was my first time playing on a laptop and it was a little difficult using the laptop mouse, but once I got the hang of it, I started playing a lot better. The games are timed for building; you have to think quickly on what you are going to build.
What’s the competition like? There are a lot of really good players here; I have never played with so many players at the same time, but it really awesome to see Minecraft on the BIG screen. The competition was cool; I have never played in one before, but I had a lot of fun today!
Strategy for next week: I don’t know yet, but I will practice a lot this week to get better for Round 2.
Interested in becoming a contributor? Email kcroke1@lohud.com
‘Starlord’ reports on first round of Minecraft’s Galactic Mission
Facebook’s Zuckerberg appears at Samsung event to talk VR, confirms Minecraft is coming to Oculus
BARCELONA, Spain — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered a much-needed shot of adrenaline to Samsung’s Unpacked press conference by making an unannounced appearance on stage to talk virtual reality and to praise his South Korean partner.
“VR is the next platform, where anyone can create and experience anything they want,” Zuckerberg said. “For right now, it’s mostly used for gaming. That’s quickly evolving.”
Zuckerberg asked the audience to imagine being able to do anything from sitting around a virtual campfire with friends any time they want to holding spontaneous meetings in VR.
He added: “That’s why Facebook is investing so much in VR, so we can deliver these new social experiences. VR is going to be the next social platform. And that’s why we’re working with Samsung.”
Zuckerberg said Samsung is the only company that can build the OLED screens at the scale needed to deliver the “low-persistence rending” necessary to make VR a mainstream technology.
In addition, Zuckerberg cited some new VR-related stats, noting that more than 1 million hours of video have been watched in VR. He also touted Facebook’s wholehearted embrace of 360 video.
“We’ve been working to make Facebook the best platform for 360 video,” he said. “360 videos are even more immersive. You feel like you’re actually there. Our community already loves 360 videos. More than 1 million people are watching them every day. And more than 20,000 360 videos have been uploaded.”
Zuckerberg said Facebook has created new teams with Samsung to develop next-generation social apps for VR. And he said more engineers have been shifted to accelerate the underlying VR technology. As an example, he said that in the coming weeks Facebook would deliver a technology called “dynamic streaming” to Gear VR. This tech delivers higher-resolution video to the area someone is watching and lower-resolution to other areas in order to improve quality and reduce the bandwidth needed to deliver the video.
Finally, Zuckerberg said that 200 gaming apps have already been developed for Oculus and that Minecraft would be coming to the VR platform.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg appears at Samsung event to talk VR, confirms Minecraft is coming to Oculus
Minecraft’s first big update of the year comes to PC and Pocket Edition
Minecraft’s first big update of the year comes to PC and Pocket Edition
Above: More Minecraft.
Correction: We originally stated that the 13 redstone skins cost $2 each, but they actually all come in a bundle for $2 total.
Minecraft’s getting more content today.
Microsoft announced today that the first big update of the year for its block-building game is available now for the Windows 10 and mobile versions. Minecraft, which is on just about every platform imaginable, has sold over 70 million copies (which is why Microsoft bought Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014). However, this new content, called the Overworld Update, is currently only available on PC and mobile. Sorry, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U players.
“With the Overworld Update, make more advanced mechanical contraptions with additional components, including comparators, repeaters, dispensers, droppers, hoppers and more,” Microsoft details on its site, Xbox Wire. “Stumble upon witch huts as you explore spooky swamps, and steal their unique potions to use for yourself. Other new gameplay elements include slime blocks, wearable pumpkins, and red sandstone.”
Microsoft is also rolling out new skins based on the game’s redstone component along with the update. Two of them, the Composer and Artisan, are free, with 13 more available in a bundle for $2.
Minecraft’s first big update of the year comes to PC and Pocket Edition
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