Minecraft Shows Robots How to Stop Dithering
Why It Matters
If robots are to be useful in everyday settings, they will need better ways to plan their actions.
Minecraft was used to teach a virtual agent what steps to exclude when trying to put a gold block in a furnace.
The computer game Minecraft, which depicts a world made up of retro, pixelated blocks that can be modified and rearranged in endless architectural configurations, has been praised for teaching young players about creativity, problem solving, and survival skills (in certain modes you have to avoid threats including zombies). Well, it turns out even inexperienced robots can learn a thing or two by playing the game.
Stefanie Tellex, a professor at Brown University, is using Minecraft, as well as real-world machines, to explore ways for robots to solve new problems faster and more efficiently. This isn’t something most robots need to do, since they work in a fixed environment, performing work that has been carefully programmed beforehand. But it could be important as robots start to take on more complex, open-ended tasks in less structured settings. A robot designed to help around the home, for instance, would need figure out how to perform different chores.
“You might tell a robot ‘Make me coffee,’ but the next minute you might say ‘Do the laundry,’” says Tellex. “In this context, where you don’t know the goal in advance, there’s this planning problem. Finding the sequence of actions that’s going to work in this particular environment is very challenging. Our approach is about learning that faster.”
The researchers’ algorithm was tested on a real robot programmed to help with cooking.
The challenge for a robot is that it lacks contextual understanding about the world. That means it has to run through all the possible actions that might help it reach a goal. To do the laundry, then, a robot might consider whether using the coffeemaker could help. And for a sophisticated robot working in a complex environment, the number of scenarios that need to be considered may be huge, requiring extensive computational power.
Tellex, together with one of her graduate students, David Abel, and several other colleagues at Brown, developed an algorithm that lets a robot prune away certain possible paths of action by understanding the direction in which a particular task points. Armed with such an algorithm, a robot might understand that doing the laundry does not involve using any kitchen equipment or utensils—knowledge that can be either preprogrammed or learned through experience.
Minecraft was used to test the learning approach. The researchers controlled a virtual character that was tasked with putting a virtual gold block into a virtual furnace, while avoiding a virtual pool of lava. After performing the task in a limited setting, through lengthy trial and error, the algorithm controlling the character learned that certain behaviors, such as placing gold blocks on the ground, could be excluded when trying to achieve the goal.
When asked to perform the same task in a more complex setting, the character could then work through a much smaller set of potential scenarios. And the approach could let robots learn how to perform a task in a virtual setting before taking on real-world scenarios (see “Even Robots Now Have Their Own Virtual World”).
Manuela Veloso, a professor specializing in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, says virtual learning is an important area for robotics already. “Clearly a robot cannot use trial and error to learn to go down stairs, as it will break at the first trial,” she says. “Simulation, in general, can help train a model, which can then be used by a real robot.”
The Brown researchers also tested the approach with a real machine: a Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics. They assigned the robot to help a person cook, and programmed in an understanding of the actions that could be discounted for certain recipes. This made the machine more efficient when determining its own course of action in helping make brownies.
The approach followed by the Brown researchers is not only more efficient but, in a sense, more human, in that it requires a deeper understanding of a task and its context. “We were inspired by some of the literature on ‘affordances,’ which is how people look at the world when they’re trying to achieve something,” Tellex says.
A 6-year-old totally owned the Financial Times over a ‘Minecraft’ error
When you write about Minecraft, you’d better get it right, or millions of kids all over the world will be ready to pounce on your errors.
The Financial Times learned this the hard way. Last weekend, the paper published a story on the Microsoft-owned hit game, titled “The business behind Minecraft.” And this weekend, Zorawar Bhangoo, a 6-year-old from London, wrote in to correct the paper for a graphic it published to accompany the piece.
Bhangoo’s handwritten note, which the FT transcribed and reprinted in its letters section, reads:
Sir, Your big Minecraft picture on the front page of your Life & Arts section (July 4) is wrong.
In Minecraft, smoke does not come out of chimneys and doors cannot be a light colour. Doors need four boxes at the top of them. Trees have to be round and not any other shape and you put the trees a rectangle shape. The clouds have to be 3D. You put the clouds upright. The roof of a house cannot be blue.
Zorawar Bhangoo (age 6)
London SE21, UK
This kid’s got a bright future. And the FT may need to build itself a burn unit in Minecraft, because getting owned by a 6-year-old has got to hurt.
A 6-year-old totally owned the Financial Times over a ‘Minecraft’ error
Mojang is Still Open to Bringing Minecraft to Nintendo Systems
“If I had my way, we’d be on everything”
While the absence of a number of major multi-platform franchises and IPs from Nintendo hardware can be easily explained, the fact that Minecraft has never come to the Wii U or 3DS remains surprising. While technical limitations would hold a 3DS version back to being a lighter / smart device port, the Wii U would be a great home for the sandbox game, especially with the GamePad’s ability to offer physical and touch screen controls to deliver the best of console and tablet-style approaches.
With Mojang’s global phenomenon skipping Nintendo hardware we’ve seen smaller developers attempt to fill the gap. Yet, if Mojang COO Vu Bui is to be believed, there’s still an appetite within the company – despite its acquisition by Microsoft – to expand to more platforms.
Speaking to MCV, Bui was clear that Nintendo fans shouldn’t completely give up hope yet.
If I had my way, we’d be on everything.
We want to continue to be available to all players, and that means being on new platforms because everyone uses something different.
…I’ve never heard a reason why we haven’t ended up on Wii U or 3DS. It just hasn’t happened yet.
Of course, positive noises have been made in the past regarding Minecraft and Nintendo hardware, yet with different versions of the title continuing to sell in significant numbers it would still – even after its prolonged absence – be a welcome arrival.
Time will tell whether Minecraft arrives in some form on Wii U, 3DS or even NX.
Mojang is Still Open to Bringing Minecraft to Nintendo Systems
Minecraft 1.9 Dual Wielding & New Dungeons
Minecraft 1.9 has been in the works for a very long time now without a snapshot, and while this leads many to believe the developers are simply taking a break; the reality is in fact quite the opposite. Minecraft 1.9 will be the biggest update ever for the Java version of Minecraft, and what we know so far is very exciting.
The biggest feature though, is dual wielding. This is something players have asked for since the very beginning of Minecraft, and although it is available through a whole host of mods, none of them have pulled it off very successfully so far. This is how Dinnerbone, one of the key Minecraft developers is going to change things. Instead of having two hot bars or two interactions with the existing hot bar, there will just be a simple off hand slot in the inventory (also known as a shield slot) which you can put items in. Simple as that.
How does this second hand work then? When you put an item in it, the item will appear in your second hand. There is not going to be a second click function, however. These items will only work when there is something in your main hand which doesn’t have a “use” function. For instance if you have a pickaxe out, this will mine but can’t be used in the same way a torch is. So, if you want to have a pickaxe to mine with, and a torch to light up tunnels, this is entirely possible now because your torch will take up the use slot. This opens up an entire range of possibilities, like sword and potion, sword and ender pearl or pickaxe and torch to make a lot of things significantly easier.
For a more in depth explanation, check the video in the original article.:
On the subject on caving underground, there is a new type of dungeon coming to the game in 1.9. This has been hinted at by Jeb_ and is mainly a solution to the repetitiveness of the current design, which again has been the same for many many updates now (before even the beta). This new design is going to contain mobs very different to the current mob spawners, and contain a lot of birch wood and prismarine. The blocks besides these will also be very different, and this does open up the imagination to a variety of exciting new blocks that might be coming.
So, the next update already has new blocks, new mobs and a brand new way to wield weapons. Given the update is called the combat update, this appears to be just the start of development and we likely have much more ahead of us in the way of new structures, new weapons, a new set of off hand items and even the potential for a new dimension. I’m personally very excited for the combat update, and I’m sure we’ll see more features which excite and re-energise the game once more
Minecraft Download and Free to Play?
The creator of one of the most popular games – Minecraft, Markus Persson also known as Notch, seems to hate free to play games and he doesn’t want Minecraft to go that way. There are many hosting companies that host servers for Mojang and use them to make money.
He said that “Servers selling (“rewards for donations” is selling) items are turning the game into a F2P game. I absolutely HATE F2P, with a passion”.
There are some Minecraft servers which allow players to pay for “benefits”, exactly opposed on what Minecraft EULA says. Because Minecraft’s popularity has increased over the last years, people started renting servers, but now there are some companies that use this kind of hosting to make some extra money by giving their users “benefits” and Mojang seems to dislike this.
Markus Persson, along with Mojang, will try to stop these kinds of “companies” that sell these types of servers in order to make some extra cash, because it is against Minecraft’s policy. Many think that Mojang is doing this because the created released last month the “Minecraft Realms”. Minecraft Realms allows users to rent servers and thes Minecraft servers are hosted by Mojang.
Are you a fan of the Minecraft game? Do you have a rented server for this game or you are planning on getting one from Mojang’s Minecraft Realms service?
Minecraft Download With Top 10 Hidden Tips and Tricks
- Place torches on crafting tables and furnaces
Before you begin make sure that you have a transparent block behind your crafting table or furnace. In case that there are some solid blocks around the crafting table/furnace, remove them, because if you don’t, the torches will gravitate towards them and the torches will be placed on top of the table/furnace.
After that target the transparent block edge which is facing the table/furnace and right click while you have a torch in your hand and you’re done.
- Placing blocks on the side of a torch
To do this, right-click on the side of the torch while having a block in your hand. This will place the block to the side of the torch. You can use this trick to cross lava pools and save resources.
- Breaking minecarts and boats with your bow
By using a bow and arrows, you will be able to break minecarts and boats and still receive the same drops as you would receive for breaking a boat normally.
- Wooden Slabs: immune to fire
Fire can’t harm wooden slabs and they are very resistant to against blasts. Keep this in mind if you play on a server where fire-spread is enabled.
- Stopping Water and Lava
By using ladders and signs, you can stop water and lava. You can place them to stop the water and lava.
- Moving items by using Ice Blocks
You can move items very fast by throwing them into the water, with ice blocks under them. Items that are placed on ice blocks will move faster instead of flowing in water without ice blocks.
- Survival Mode
If you play in Survival Mode, you can use swords to break cacti and melons faster. Also, by using an axe instead of a sword, you will be able to break pumpkins.
- Furnace
You can use any item made from wood such as jukeboxes, trapdoors, saplings chests or bookshelves to light the furnace.
- Blazing Rod and Lava Bucket
By using a blazing rod you can light the furnace for 120 seconds and can cook up to 12 items. However, if you use a Lava Bucket, you will be able to light the furnace for 1000 seconds and can cook up to 100 items.
And the last one, 10: Creative mode
When playing in Creative Mode, while you’re looking at an object, if you click on the scroll wheel of your mouse, you will get that object. This works even for mobs, grass or leaves.
Huge Minecraft Updates & Features for 2015 Revealed
There are Minecraft updates and feature changes coming in the near future that could have a huge impact on the way millions of users play the game and interact with the worlds that they’ve built. Some of those changes include the ability to dual-wield weapons and two new versions of Minecraft built specifically for different audiences.
Video game developer Mojang announced the two new versions of Minecraft and what users can expect in future Minecraft updates this past weekend during an event called Minecon 2015. Minecon brings thousands of Minecraft lovers, modders and fanatics to one place for announcements and more. Though the new versions of the game are important, new information about future Minecraft updates are what is causing the biggest commotion.
In Minecraft’s survival mode, players have only been able to carry around a single weapon at any given time. Mojang says future Minecraft updates will alter that, according to video game website IGN. Going forward Minecraft players will be able to dual-wield, giving them two weapon options. The character’s primary hand will hold a secondary tool while the other holds a primary weapon. Which hand the primary weapon is in is dictated by whether the character is left-handed or right-handed.
To build on that new dual-wielding, future Minecraft updates will focus heavily on new weapons. A shield is coming to act as a primary defense for Minecraft characters under attack. New arrows complete with different passive effects are coming to. A Glow Arrow will allow players to spot an enemy from further away in the dark. Mojang hasn’t fully detailed the arrow line-up but it’s expected to be extensive, with different arrows having decent, but not over-powered effects on gameplay.
The End, an area already in Minecraft, is getting a huge update too. Instead of being one single island, it’ll grow to encompass “many islands” and feel fundamentally different from other environments in the game. Shulkers, a new enemy, will lurk around The End, ready to take down any ill-equipped Minecraft player. The Shulkers have projectiles that’ll cause players to levitate around The End if they aren’t careful. Getting to The End will require crafting an End Gateway, something that’s not currently in Minecraft.
Mojang hasn’t given a specific timeframe for these coming upgrades and changes, but has revealed a new version of Minecraft that’s set to arrive on July 29th. Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is getting its own dedicated version of Minecraft complete with new changes and features of its own. Called Minecraft Windows 10 Edition, this version will include Creative and Survival modes. Creating worlds, crafting materials and multiplayer are the focus of this version.
It’ll support all of the gaming features of Windows 10, including Xbox One controller support, GameDVR for video clips and multiplayer directly with the console version over Xbox Live. Anupdate coming later will add multiplayer for those using Minecraft Pocket Edition too. Minecraft Windows 10 Edition will be a beta at first, with more updates and features coming on a continuous basis. It’ll only cost users $10 throughout the time it is in testing.
The other new version of Minecraft is Minecraft Story Mode, a more streamlined experience coming from developer Telltale games. It’ll come in five episodes and focus on Jesse. Minecraft story mode is coming to all platforms that currently have Minecraft sometime this year.
Those who have Minecraft Pocket Edition on their iPhone, iPad and Android tablets can expect future Minecraft updates to include new options to reposition interface elements, and controller support. Dynamic weather, sprinting and crouching are coming too.
No doubt, Mojang will provide more detailed information about the new Minecraft updates as they launch on different platforms. Minecraft is available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 as digital downloads. The game is also available for purchase in the iTunes App Store, Google Play Store and Windows Store for Windows Phone.
Minecraft Updates From MineCon 2015: Three Changes We Know Coming To Console, Desktop And Mobile
Minecraft will undergo some hefty improvements and additions in the next year as the Microsoft-owned gaming company, Mojang, works to please and maintain its community. At a panel on Sunday during Minecon 2015, a Minecraft convention held in London over the weekend, Mojang developers announced several upcoming features for the console, desktop and mobile versions of the game.
The hourlong panel featured Mojang’s Owen Hill, Daniel Wustenhoff, Tommaso Checchi, Jens Bergensten and Nathan Adams, and the audience was about two-thirds adults and a third children, The Guardian reports. First released in 2009, the game involves building worlds out of virtual bricks. A creative and an adventure mode focus on constructing and exploring lands, while a survival mode allows for battling opponents. Below are several of the main updates coming to the game, with accompanying videos from Twitter user and Minecraft player @FoxyNoTail.
Dual Wielding With Shields
Minecraft players will now be able to equip their characters with two items, one in each hand. That could mean weapons or other tools. For example, a player could hold a pickaxe and a set of torches, IGN notes. Another update will add shields and custom-made banners to a player’s collection.
Tougher Mobs and Monsters
The Ender Dragon, a monster players must beat at the end of the game on Minecraft’s desktop version, will become more difficult. Players will also have the ability to respawn the dragon. But don’t expect a baby version. “A baby dragon would be too cute to kill,” Mojang’s Adams said. Mojang will also introduce a new mob called the Shulker that will shoot projectiles.
New Game Areas and Levitation
Mojang revealed a new game area with a purple and yellow color scheme at The End of the game. In this land, players can levitate and avoid the projectiles sent by the Shulker mob. That levitation effect helps players reach the top of cities, outside of the typical ladders found in other areas.
The Pocket Edition, Minecraft’s mobile version on iOS, Android and Windows, will also undergo some revamping with the addition of regions and items found on the console and desktop games.
Earlier this week, Mojang revealed that Minecraft has hit over 70 million sales since its first PC version was released in 2009, Polygon reports. Microsoft took the hint about the company’s growing popularity and acquired the Stockholm-based game studio and thereby the rights of Minecraft in November for $2.5 billion.
Other major updates for the company include a spin-off game called “Minecraft: Story Mode.” Mojang premiered a trailer for the upcoming game at the convention on Saturday. There is no official release date.
Virtual reality with Minecraft is also on the way as Mojang works with its owner, Microsoft, on developing the game for the company’s holographic headset HoloLens. A Minecraft feature film is expected by 2017.
This year was the fifth consecutive year of a convention specifically dedicated to Minecraft and hosted by developer Mojang. The convention was held at London’s ExCeL London Exhibition and Conference Centre Saturday and Sunday.
Minecraft Updates From MineCon 2015: Three Changes We Know Coming To Console, Desktop And Mobile
Minecraft Update 1.9 Features Discussed During MineCon Panel; Will Include New Combat Mechanics
The wait for Minecraft Update 1.9 continues this month, now that we’re eight months removed from the game’s last major update, and we’re finally learning more about what fans can expect to see when Mojang finally begins to roll out the first round of Minecraft 1.9 snapshots.
This year’s MineCon certainly wasn’t running short on news, thanks to a pair of announcements from Microsoft and Telltale Games. But, while news of Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition and the first Minecraft: Story Mode trailer are interesting, most people keeping an eye on MineCon are likely interested in the future of the Java version. And a handful of Mojang employees offered the world’s first meaningful look at Minecraft Update 1.9 during the Upcoming Features panel at MineCon 2015.
Leading off the presentation, members of the Minecraft dev team confirmed plans to overhaul the game-ending Ender Dragon encounter. Despite serving as Minecraft‘s equivalent of a final boss, the Ender Dragon isn’t particularly tricky to take down and there’s also not much incentive to do so. In the future, players can expect a much more formidable opponent to be waiting for them in the End, which will receive more than a few landscape changes of its own. Mojang hopes players will have reason to revisit the Dragon, by tying new drops to the creature, and explore the new islands coming to the End.
In addition to overhauling the End, the Minecraft team will introduce a new dimension (reached via the new End Gateway) that will give players an ongoing sense of progress after defeating the Ender Dragon. The new zone will introduce new blocks, a new food source, new mobs and a variety of other changes that will presumably justify the lengthy wait between updates. The dev team offered a brief look at the new zone but says it wants to leave the exploring to those who download Minecraft 1.9 snapshots.
On the equipment front, Minecraft Update 1.9 will include a variety of new items, including new spell effects and enchanted arrows, both of which will help Mojang continue to flesh out the rudimentary combat mechanics currently present in Minecraft. Beginning in Minecraft Update 1.9, players will be able to coat arrows with any potion (or poison) in their inventory, many of which will confer special effects upon striking a creature or player. The list of new projectiles includes spectral arrows, invisibility arrows and poison arrows. Minecraft Update 1.9 will also introduce dual-wielding, along with the ability to toggle the primary hand of your character.
There doesn’t appear to be an official upload of the Upcoming Features panel, on any of the YouTube channels associated with Microsoft, Mojang, etc; however, we did manage to find a streamable version on YouTube. It’s possible the video could be taken down, via a copyright infringement claim, but those interested in watching the entire Upcoming Features panel do that have option (for now).
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Minecraft coverage throughout the rest of 2015 and for however long Mojang continues to support the original Minecraft client in the years to come.
Minecraft Update 1.9 Features Discussed During MineCon Panel; Will Include New Combat Mechanics
Minecon 2015: World record for largest convention ever for a single video game
Announcing: Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta
Hello!
We have exciting news to share! A whole new version of Minecraft is on its way. This time, it’s for Windows 10 – Microsoft’s new swanky operating system that’s due for release on July 29th.
We’re calling it Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta.
Just like the first release of Minecraft all those years ago, this version will develop and evolve over time with the help of your feedback. That’s why it has “Beta” in the title – because it’s not quite finished, and will become even more fun over time. Just like the other versions of Minecraft, all future updates will be free. We spoil you. We really do.
If you’re one of the 20 million(!) players who have the PC edition of Minecraft (referred to by techy people as the Java version) you’ll be able to download Windows 10 Edition Beta from the Windows 10 store for free. Other players can get it for the paltry price of $10 during the beta period (the length of which is still being decided).
Minecraft is available on Windows, Mac, Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, and now, Windows 10. Not every version of Minecraft is exactly the same, but they all feature two distinct game modes – Creative and Survival – that cater to different types of players. All versions of Minecraft support multiplayer.
You’ll recognise some Pocket Edition features in Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta, along with potpourri of cool extras. Here are some highlights:
- Craft, create, and explore online with up to seven friends playing Windows 10 Edition Beta, through local multiplayer or with your Xbox Live friends online.
- Play online and local multiplayer with other Pocket Edition players thanks to a free update, due to arrive soon after launch.
- Multiple control schemes! Switch between controller, touch, and keyboard controls with little to no effort!
- Record and share gameplay highlights with built-in GameDVR.
- Help shape the future of Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta with our built player feedback mechanisms!
- Chickens, zombies, pigs, boats, armed skeletons, potatoes, zombies, baby squids, enchantment tables, villagers, naked sheep, iron golems, potions, ghasts, pickaxes, carrots, and all the weird and wonderful goodness you’ve come to expect from Minecraft.
We hope you’re as excited as us for Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta. It’s gonna be cool!
Thanks for reading!
Owen
*Oh, and while we’re here, don’t forget to read the easy-to-understand legalese featured below…
The “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” beta will be available for download in the Windows 10 Store beginning July 29. Players who already have the PC edition of “Minecraft” will be able to download the Windows 10 beta version free. Others can download “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” at a discounted price of $10 throughout the beta period. Players who download “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” during the beta phase will still have the game when it comes out of beta, and receive all future updates to the game at no additional cost.
Minecraft reaches 20 million sales on PC and Mac
Commentators thought everyone interested in Minecraft had already bought it when Microsoft aquired Mojang last year, but the sales are still rolling in.When Microsoft bought the free-form exploration and building game Minecraft along with Mojang, the studio behind it, for a gobsmacking $US2.5 billion last year, many industry commentators questioned their wisdom.
There was no doubt that Minecraft was popular — this is a game that sold four million before it was even officially released, after all — but $US2.5 billion is an enormous amount of money. At the time Microsoft finalised their sizeable purchase, the game had sold 60 million copies across all platforms, worldwide.
How much more could this investment be expected to grow?
We now have our answer: a lot more, and it shows no signs of slowing. This week the Minecraft website reported that the game had reached another sales milestone: 20 million on PC and Mac. Even though it went on sale way back in 2011, around a quarter of those sales occurred in the past year.
Amazingly the number is on top of the more than 20 million copies sold across Xbox platforms and another 20 million on mobile and tablet devices. Mojang and Microsoft continue to update Minecraft and offer it on more platforms: it is already on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and even Sony’s PS Vita handheld system.
A large part of Minecraft’s popularity is that it is child-friendly. It is used in school teaching programs, and many parents play it with their children.
Parents will also have noticed the plethora of Minecraft merchandise on store shelves last Christmas season, a trend that will no doubt be repeated this year. Expect more action figures, plush toys, and even Minecraft Lego when the gift-shopping season begins.
Microsoft certainly took a risk paying such an enormous sum, but less than a year later the signs are already good that their investment was a wise one.
Microsoft launches site for teachers taking Minecraft into the classroom
Minecraft in Education portal aims to get educators sharing tips on how Mojang’s popular game can be used to teach children
Millions of children are already playing Minecraft at home, whether on computers, consoles or mobile devices. Now the game’s parent company Microsoft wants to encourage more teachers to use it in the classroom.
Microsoft, which bought the game’s developer Mojang for $2.5bn in 2014, has launched a new site aimed at teachers, aiming to foster a community of educators swapping lesson plans and other tips based on Minecraft.
The new site was announced by Microsoft’s vice president of worldwide education Anthony Salcito, complete with a list of some of the ways schools are already incorporating Minecraft into their lessons.
“Elementary students in Seattle are learning foundational math skills by calculating perimeter, area and volume in Minecraft during a Saturday math program. Middle school students in Los Angeles are learning about major world religions as part of their humanities class. They are visiting sacred sites in their city, researching international sites and then building them in Minecraft.
Alfriston College students in New Zealand are partnering with Auckland War Memorial Museum to learn the history of the New Zealand people who served in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign by re-creating the landscape in Minecraft, block by block. Middle schoolers are learning the building blocks of computer science in an online Minecraft coding camp. Elementary students in Scotland are learning about city planning and engineering by reimaging, redesigning and then building in Minecraft what they think Dundee waterfront should look like.”
Mojang has sold more than 70m copies of Minecraft across all platforms since the game’s launch in 2009, with the game becoming a firm favourite among children as well as the adult gamers it was originally aimed at.
Minecraft has also spawned a thriving network of YouTube channels, including one – run by British creator Joseph “Stampy” Garrett – that recently launched an educational show called Wonder Quest filmed within the game.
Other educational projects involving Minecraft include MinecraftEdu, a separate version of Minecraft with features designed for schools, and its own community of educators swapping tips on how to use it.
In 2013, Google worked with MinecraftEdu and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter to launch a mod called qCraft that used Minecraft to teach children about quantum computing. Meanwhile, a project announced in March 2015 will see MinecraftEdu supplied to every secondary school in Northern Ireland.
Microsoft’s launch of the Minecraft in Education site comes days before Minecon, Mojang’s annual conference for all things Minecraft. Microsoft will be one of the exhibitors at the two-day event in London, where several panel sessions will focus on Minecraft’s role in schools.
Microsoft launches site for teachers taking Minecraft into the classroom
Microsoft Putting Up Portal to Support ‘Minecraft’ Use in the Classroom
Microsoft seems to believe that their popular open world building game “Minecraft” has a huge potential in education. This belief is apparently fuelled by actual experiences of classroom teachers who have used or are using the game to foster creative thinking and help kids in class learn better through technology.
According to a report in Tech Times, it is because of these experiences that Microsoft is setting up a portal where teachers and educators can share examples of what they are doing in the classroom and how they are using the game as a tool for teaching and learning.
The Microsoft in Education team is going to launch a new forum called Minecraft in Education specifically for this purpose. Elementary school teachers who use the game to teach mathematical concepts such as area, perimeter and volume can post what kind of activities they ask their students to do. Middle school teachers who come up with a more interesting way to teach history or ancient civilizations through the game may also share how they do it. College professors who have explored how groups of students can collaborate on a Minecraft-based project may also have something interesting to post as well.
The game’s open world sandbox gameplay allows its players and in this case, the students to do whatever they want within educational parameters of course. The report said that the “only limit in the game is the user’s imagination” thereby allowing students to “reimagine art, master problem-solving skills and explore their own creativity.” Given the game’s possible use in collaborative building projects, it also fosters communication and problem-solving skills among the students.
Minecraft is just one of the tools that the company wants educators to use in the classroom. This and other technology tools such as Office 365 and Bing Pulse will be showcased by the company during the International Society for Technology in Education Conference in Philadelphia from June 29 to July 1.
Microsoft Putting Up Portal to Support ‘Minecraft’ Use in the Classroom
LittleBigPlanet meets Minecraft! Minecon capes!
Hello! I bring DLC news for console players. Read on for the info.
LittleBigPlanet meets Minecraft! (Playstation editions only)
Good news for LittleBigPlanet fans on Sony’s consoles! A brand-new mash-up pack featuring Sackboy, Sackgirl OddSock, Toggle, Swoop and many more, is on its way to Minecraft on PlayStation.
Mash up packs let you change the way Minecraft looks. This one lets you LittleBigPlanet-ify your Minecraft world with textures, characters and creatures from Media Molecule’s adorable platformer. It even comes with a pre-build landscape and some catchy tunes taken straight from the game. What more could a Little Big Minecrafter possibly want?
The LittleBigPlanet Mash-up pack will be available to download from July 1st. It’ll cost £3.29/€3.99.
The Minecon 2015 Skin Pack (All console editions)
Even more DLC news for y’all! To celebrate the awesomeness that is next week’s Minecon 2015, we’re releasing a free bundle of skins for both Sony and Microsoft consoles. This pack is extra-special because it features Alex and Steve wearing a selection of smart capes.
The Minecon 2015 Skin Pack will be available for just 15 days from the 1st of July onwards. Download it from Xbox Live Marketplace/PSN while it’s still hot. You’ve got nothing to lose but your bandwidth!
Have a great week, everyone!
Minecraft PS4 Adds The Simpsons DLC This Week
Following its release back in February for Xbox consoles, Microsoft and Mojang announced today that they will release The Simpsons DLC for the PlayStation versions of Minecraft later this week.
It’s expected to become available when the PlayStation Store refreshes tomorrow, April 28.
The full list of Simpsons characters available through the $3 pack is below. This expansion is specifically focused on the Simpsons family itself and Springfield Elementary School characters, suggesting further character skin packs could come later.
In other Minecraft news, Mojang has announced that, in an effort to give players more diversity options, all console versions of the game are being updated with a new female character skin called Alex.
“Now, everyone loves Steve–he’s probably the most famous minecrafter in the world, and has excellent stubble,” Mojang said in a post on its website. “But jolly old Steve doesn’t really represent the diversity of our playerbase. For that reason, we’re giving all players opportunity to play with an Alex skin instead. She brings thinner arms, redder hair, and a ponytail.”
Alex, already available on PC, will come to all console versions of Minecraft this coming Wednesday.
In addition, Mojang has rolled out new achievements for the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft, which–until now–had fewer achievements than the Xbox One edition. “That’s a bit silly when you think about it,” Mojang said. The new update will add 30 new achievements, which together elevate the game to a total gamerscore of 1,000.
Finally, Mojang has also updated the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft with more music tracks.
The Simpsons Skin Pack Includes:
- Homer Simpson
- Marge Simpson
- Bart Simpson
- Lisa Simpson
- Maggie Simpson
- Principal Seymour Skinner
- Mrs. Edna Krabappel
- Groundskeeper Willie
- Otto Mann
- Milhouse Van Houten
- Nelson Muntz
- Jimbo Jones
- Ralph Wiggum
- Martin Prince
- Kearney
- Dolph
- Wendell
- Database
- Üter
- Janey Powell
- Superintendent Gary Chalmers
- Mr. Dewey Largo
- Sherri
- Terri
Minecraft takes over at Lancaster University
James Howard plays Minecraft at Lancaster University.
Boys from Our Lady’s Catholic College jumped at the chance to play the game about breaking and placing blocks which has sold more than 60m copies worldwide.
Brandan Dalby, 13 and Michael Hope, 14 at Lancaster University.
The university is aiming to become the first UK campus to be accurately recreated in the game.
More than 500 hours has been spent on the build so far – which is at an accurate scale of two bricks per metre.
Buildings so far recreated include Alexandra Square, the hub of Lancaster’s campus, the Ruskin Library, and the university’s newly completed Engineering building.
The digital skills event at the Management School saw Our Lady’s pupils help with the Balrigg Campus.
Jason Donnelly, 14, James Howard, 13 and Cameron Calvert, 14.
Dan Nixon, head of IT at Our Lady’s said: “A lot of the students have never been to a university before so today is a completely different atmosphere, it also gets them thinking about their future as well as learning about new technology.”
The ‘virtual’ build is expected to take between six and 12 months to complete, however one of the main purposes of the project is to raise awareness of the potential of digital skills for young people.
James Howard, from Our Lady’s, said: “Minecraft is almost like a computer version of Lego. It has got so much stuff to it, you can do anything on it.”
When completed, the build will allow prospective students to tour the campus even from the other side of the world.
Rob Ellis, from Lancaster University’s Innovation Hub, which is running the Minecraft campus build, said: “It is hugely important to engage young people at an early stage and to get them thinking about their future options – and that is what this Minecraft project is all about.”
‘Minecraft’ Dev Wants To Know What Playstation Games You Want To See As Future Mash-Up DLC
It’s interesting to see the studio seeking fan input on new Minecraft content specifically for Playstation platforms considering that Microsoft purchased Minecraft creator, Mojang, earlier this year. This is just further proof that Microsoft legitimately meant that they plan to continue supporting the voxel-based title across all platforms despite the fact they could have easily decided to turn the widely popular franchise into an Xbox console exclusive.
Playstation owners will likely be pleased to see more DLC available for the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita versions of Minecraft. Since the series existed on Xbox platforms for more than a year before appearing on Sony consoles, Playstation gamers have access to fewer pieces of DLC.
Thankfully, that may soon change since 4J Studios is now seeking feedback for new Minecraft mash-up packs based on Sony titles. In the past, Playstation owners have had to wait long periods before being able to play similar DLC packs such as the Skyrim Mash-up Pack. The prospect of new Sony-specific Minecraft add-ons would likely give Playstation platforms exclusive access to the upcoming content.
Minecraft – 4J Studios
The Playstation editions of Minecraft have seen a few skin packs inspired by Sony games such as The Last of Us, there has never been a full mash-up pack available exclusively on the PS3 and PS4. While Minecraft‘s popular skins packs allow console users to change the in-game appearance of their Minecraft avatar, mash-up packs completely change nearly every aspect of the block-filled game.
In addition to including character skins, mash-up packs also completely alter world textures in order to create an entirely new Minecraft experience, these comprehensive DLC packs also change the music of user interface of the game to more closely resemble the licensed property that the add-on is based on.
As 4J Studios looks for fan input, Mojang is busy working on an upcoming Minecraft update that will fully redesign the combat mechanics of the game. Mojang’s Searge tweeted a screenshot earlier this week that shows off the new equipment system that the developer is currently designing.
What Playstation titles would you like to see recreated in Minecraft with a new mash-up pack DLC?
‘Minecraft’ Dev Wants To Know What Playstation Games You Want To See As Future Mash-Up DLC
Kid-Friendly Minecraft Server Launches Bitcoin Economy
A multi-player server on the wildly popular video game Minecraft has introduced bitcoin to its world as a way of teaching children about digital currency.
While in-game currencies exist in several different minecraft worlds, using bitcoin means that players can take their money out of the game and use it in the real world too.
The server, PlayMC, features an in-game currency called ‘bits’ which the company has set at 100,000,000th of a bitcoin (commonly known as a ‘satoshi’). The unit was chosen for its ease-of-use, as it represents a whole unit and allows players to be rewarded seemingly on a larger scale.
With additional opportunities for players to spend their bits on classes, items and other additional content within the game, PlayMC says it provides a “safe gaming environment for kids to enjoy and have the opportunity to earn their own money”.
Minecraft for the uninitiated
As the third best-selling video game of all time, Minecraft has sold over 60 million copies. Especially popular with younger people, it allows players and game developers to build worlds from 3D blocks not unlike digital Lego.
Everything in the game is based on these blocks, which can either be destroyed or moved and placed to create anything within a player’s imagination. It is an open-ended world with a high degree of flexibility as to what is possible, though some elements of the world are consistent across the different games.
Players can play alone or connect to servers like PlayMC, allowing multi-player games and interaction in the online world with thousands of other players.
Plugins allow game creators to determine the nature of play and objectives of the game, which usually involves players acquiring resources in order to build tools and structures, and sometimes fight off enemies.
PlayMC’s bitcoin economy
PlayMC’s server has plugins that change the main Minecraft game into mini-games, where players either cooperate or fight against each other to win. Each game has different objectives and different ways for players to earn their bits.
A company spokesperson said:
“For example in our game type ‘ArcherGames’ players fight each other in a last man standing game mode. Each player is rewarded a small amount of Bits for killing other players and if they come in first, second or third they are rewarded with a larger amount of Bits.”
As well as awarding bits for standard play actions like kills and wins, PlayMC also allows its players to earn them for winning tournaments and powerups, and in non-game actions like bug reporting, blog post writing, bounties, and acting as server staff.
No parents had yet approached the company for more information on bitcoin but plenty of young players have been actively trying to understand digital currency, the spokesperson said.
Most of the team’s time is now spent clearing up misconceptions about bitcoin and providing links that explain bitoin in simple terms.
PlayMC also has an extensive explanation of bitcoin and its in-game ‘Bitconomy’ on the company website.
E-commerce for kids
PlayMC follows in the footsteps of other bitcoin-oriented Minecraft servers such as BitQuest, though PlayMC is aimed specifically at children.
One of bitcoin’s touted advantages is the way it provides access to electronic payments to those under 18. Children generally have restricted access to banks or credit card accounts.
Of course, anyone wishing to turn their bits into fiat currency will still need to go through a bitcoin exchange, which have similar verification requirements to banks. This could actually promote a bitcoin-based economy by engaging users who can’t easily escape it.
PlayMC was founded from a partnership between AcroMedia and developer Brandon Gordon, the latter of whom has been involved with Minecraft for five years and bitcoin for three. Given his personal interests, incorporating bitcoin into the game “seemed like a no-brainer,” he said.
The server was founded to introduce new levels of reliability to Minecraft, which often have an ‘anything goes’ reputation and servers come and go with regularity.
It boasts 99.9% uptime and is regularly updated to the latest Minecraft version. Its community is always able to make suggestions and the focus is being as kid-friendly as possible.
[Update: Released] Minecraft: Pocket Edition 0.11.0 update will finally be jumping out of beta and going live this week
If you’ve been in the version 0.11.0 beta since it began a few months ago, you’ve probably been enjoying a lot of the upcoming features we’ve been reporting on. Well it finally appears that everyone without beta access will be able to play all the new features in version 0.11.0 soon as the update will finally be leaving beta and going public onto Google Play later this week.
Update: June 4th, 2015 8:22am PST: Mojang has finally released the Minecraft: Pocket Edition 0.11.0 update onto Android. It was supposed to arrive last week but for whatever reason it wasn’t. Instead it has been released today, which isn’t bad. It could have been much longer of a delay. If you have Minecraft: Pocket Edition installed, you should be able to see and download the update now.
For those of you who missed our previous coverage, there is a lot coming to the game with this update. There will be a new female character model named Alex that people can play as well as custom skins finally making their appearance officially in Minecraft: Pocket Edition. Boats will also be arriving, including different wood variants and the ability to hold two people. Fishing will also be arriving in version 0.11.0 as well as Squids. In fact there is a few new mobs arriving including baby zombies, cave spiders, and more.
Boats!
Here is the full changelog for version 0.11.0:
– Multiple language support
– Boats with space for two! Take your pet for a pleasant ride.
– The ability to throw stuff from boats, including snowballs and eggs
– Fishing! Now you can fish for fishies!
– Squids!
– Spider jockeys!
– Cave Spiders!
– Bats!
– Adorable baby zombies!
– Weird chicken jockeys!
– Edible clownfish. Yum!
– A fancy new World Edit screen so you can rename worlds, change game modes and do other things
– Creative players can no longer be set on fire. Controversial
– We’ve stopped cheeky chickens from walking on water
– Animals can no longer breed without touching each other ooh err
– Drinking milk now removes mob effects
– Ridiculous amounts of bug fixes
– More cool things that you should discover for yourself
Potion Effects
The last thing in that changelog is probably referring to things like potion effects which will be included in this update even though potions, as an item, will not be arriving in version 0.11.0. There will also be pressed Dirt blocks and other little goodies which we have covered while playing in the beta for version 0.11.0.
So when can you get your hands on this update? Version 0.11.0 for Minecraft: Pocket Edition will be arriving later this week, although no specific date was announced. It will most likely be either Thursday or Friday. We will post an update once it launches.
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