Minecraft for schools introduces Code Builder
The special schools edition of popular construction and exploration title Minecraft is adding a programming twist with a Code Builder add-on that controls a special assistant within the game.
Announcing the feature at the May 2 MicrosoftEDU event in New York, Code Builder is available within Minecraft: Education Edition right away.
“Learning can be done best when you don’t think that you’re learning… you’re enjoying yourself, you’re making something,” explained Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org, in a video introducing the Code Builder suite.
His company is committed to increasing interest and participation in computer science education in the US, especially among female students, underrepresented minorities, and those from less well-off backgrounds.
“Code Builder is a natural extension of the game that students know and love, and a welcome into the world of programming,” said Minecraft Executive Producer, Michelle Dauphiny Becker.
Learn-to-code packages like ScratchX, Tynker, and Code Studio will be able to connect with Minecraft: Education Edition through Code Builder, the game edition’s blog announced.
Microsoft bought Minecraft as a whole, along with its developer Mojang, for US$2.5bil (RM10.82bil) in 2014.
It licenses Minecraft: Education Edition to schools through the use of a subscription-based account system that launched at US$5 (RM21.64) per account per year. — AFP Relaxnews
Downey’s in, Law’s in: That means Sherlock Holmes 3 is happening
Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. James Watson in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure mystery Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.(Warner Bros.)
“It looks like it could happen this fall. Downey said he wants to do it. He’s gotta launch into another ‘Avengers’ movie right after the new year. So we’re trying to get it done,” Silver said.
“We have a script that we like. Jude Law is available and Downey is available, and we’re hoping we can get it done. If it works, great. If not, we’ll do it another time. But it looks like it could happen now.”
Downey Jr, Law and Ritchie’s respective schedules have been one big problem that keeps Sherlock Holmes 3 from happening.
Read: After 5 years, Robert Downey Jr will finally shoot for Sherlock Holmes
Downey Jr has been busy with his role as Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man in Marvel’s movies while Law and director Ritchie are working on Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur.
Follow @htshowbiz for more
Downey’s in, Law’s in: That means Sherlock Holmes 3 is happening
David Beckham makes his acting debut in King Arthur. See pics
Football star David Beckham will make his acting debut in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and there are pictures to prove it.
Beckham, one of the most popular football players in the history of the sport, has long been rumoured to switch to acting post retirement. But aside from appearances in a few documentaries, and a cameo in Ritchie’s previous movie The Man from UNCLE, Beckham has stuck to playing the occasional match, and improving his Instagram game – which is where he shared this first look at his character Blackleg Leader from King Arthur.
Beckham appears to be playing the leader of a squad of soldiers (possibly under the command of Jude Law’s villain). And by the looks of it, things don’t turn out so good for Beckham’s character, who in another picture appears to have been badly scarred.
Beckham was earlier rumoured to be making a cameo in the first Kingsman movie. He also appeared in the comic book that inspired it.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is scheduled for a May 12 release and stars Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law and Djimon Hounsou.
David Beckham makes his acting debut in King Arthur. See pics
Fast & Furious 8 zooms past coveted $1 billion mark. That’s Rs 6400 crore!
Actors Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuell, Vin Diesel and Ludacris attend The Fate Of The Furious New York premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The film, which released on April 12 in India, has collected $867.6 million from international markets and $192.7 million in the US since its release, reports variety.com.
Thank you to our #FastFamily all over the world! #F8 pic.twitter.com/8owVGOwiDa
— Fast & Furious (@FastFurious) April 30, 2017
The film holds the record for the highest opening weekend collection by amassing $542 million.
Directed by F Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan, the film features Vin Diesel, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Scott Eastwood and Charlize Theron.
The film made Rs 67 crore in its opening weekend in India.
The Fate of the Furious is the first in the franchise since the tragic death of actor Paul Walker in 2013.
Fast & Furious 8 zooms past coveted $1 billion mark. That’s Rs 6400 crore!
‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2’ Blasts Off With $106M – International Box Office
MONDAY UPDATE, WRITETHRU with GOTG2 actuals: Rocketing off in 37 markets this weekend, Disney/Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 came in nearly $5M higher than projected on Sunday. With a $106M opening at the international box office, the launch was notably stronger than forecast in both Europe (+$3.1M) and Latin America (+$1.1M). That ratchets the debut up to 64% bigger than the first Guardians, 57% bigger than Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 24% above Thor: The Dark World when comparing the same suite of territories and all at today’s exchange rates. Many markets have a holiday today for May Day.
The GOTG2 opening is in line with pre-weekend projections which hovered around the $100M mark. Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill got off to an especially good start on Tuesday last week, taking advantage of holidays in Italy and Australia/New Zealand. This is the same late-April sweet spot that has seen Disney release such Marvel tentpoles as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Iron Man 3.
Although Civil War is not a fantastic comp here given that it hulks out as essentially an Avengers movie, it’s interesting to note that GOTG2 has opened above it in some key markets. Those include Germany and France which are both in the Top 5 hubs.
GOTG2 is currently in 58% of its offshore footprint with domestic and the rest of the world, including China but not yet Japan, pressing play on Awesome Mixtape #2 this coming week. It’s expected to continue to outperform the previous film with China potentially playing a pivotal role. The market was tops on GOTG in 2014, even after the movie released more than two months later than the rest of the rollout. It still charmed the PROC with $96.5M to lead all overseas plays.
In all openings this weekend, the James Gunn-helmed sequel was the No. 1 movie (save in Portugal, Turkey and Vietnam). It also bested the original in each market, except for Belgium which had previews the last time around. On 176 IMAX screens, and ahead of a big push this week, GOTG2 made $5M.
The biggest play is the UK with $16.9M, followed by Australia at $11.8M, Germany with $9.3M, Mexico at $8.2M and France with $7.9M. In the UK, Disney now has the top two openers of 2017 led by Beauty And The Beast and with GOTG2 in 2nd. The film’s Friday debut is also the 2nd biggest opening day ever for a Marvel Cinematic Universe title — behind Captain America: Civil War, and ahead of GOTG by 86%.
In the rest of the box office galaxy, Universal’s The Fate Of The Furious pushed past $1B worldwide while Disney’s Beauty And The Beast has moved up to $1.142B global with a 9% increase in Japan’s 2nd frame. And, in India, S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2: The Conclusion had grossed an estimated 121 net crores ($18.2M) on its opening day to shatter records at home while the action sequel is also a monster in North America and other overseas play.
Breakdowns on the films above and more have been updated below; actuals will be updated on a rolling basis.
The ragtag troupe of Disney/Marvel space-savers rocketed to $106M at the international box office this weekend. The opening, which began on Tuesday in Italy and Down Under, comes in 64% above the previous GOTG movie and tops other sequel comps Captain America: The Winter Soldier (+57%) and Thor: The Dark World (+24%). The launch is in line with projections from ahead of the weekend where the range was $85M-$100M with most thinking it would get to the latter number, if not a bit higher.
Notably, GOTG2 outperformed Captain America: Civil War in some key plays, even though it’s not a perfect comp given it scales more as an Avengers installment. In only 37 material markets this frame, there are several majors to come including China, Russia and Korea this week. Japan tunes in on May 12. GOTG2 should continue to outperform the previous film, although China as ever will be key. The day-and-date release with domestic is better timing than 2014’s GOTG, and the market has been energized by the massive success of The Fate Of The Furious.
On the last movie, China was the top offshore play at $96.5M, followed by the UK ($47.4M), Russia ($38.5M), Germany ($24.6M) and Australia ($23.3M) to round out the Top 5.
This weekend, GOTG2 was No. 1 in all of its debuts, except Portugal, Turkey and Vietnam and was higher than GOTG the first everywhere save Belgium where the original had previews in the mix.
The UK was the biggest launch market for the space jam with a 67% share. It’s the 2nd biggest opening of the year, behind Disney’s own Beauty And The Beast; and the 2nd best first day for an MCU title (behind Civil War). The $16.9M bow is over 86% higher than the first film.
Australia came in with $11.8M after being boosted by the Anzac holiday earlier in the week. At the weekend, it was 27% bigger than GOTG. Germany kicked off with $9.3M and the 2nd best MCU debut ever. It’s over 11% ahead of Civil War there and better than GOTG. Mexico jumps up to No. 4 in the actuals with $8.2M and France rounds out the Top 5 at 16% higher than Civil War and 36% better than GOTG with $7.9M.
Other key market cumes include Brazil ($6.9M), Italy ($4.1M), Indonesia ($3.4M), Spain ($3.3M) and the Philippines ($3.2M). Austria saw the best MCU debut of all time.
IMAX pulled in $5M of the total weekend gross on 176 screens in 35 hubs. The UK portion of that was $1.4M for 50% better than GOTG. Standout performances in the large format were seen in Turkey (+139% on GOTG), Mexico (+80%), France (+73%), Australia (+69%) and Brazil (+57%). The film adds 700 more IMAX screens in 31 markets next frame, including China and North America.
BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION
It is notoriously difficult to get solid numbers out of India, particularly when a movie is released in four different language versions as is the case with S.S. Rajamouli’s sequel to 2015 Telegu smash Baahubali. However, Day 1 estimates came in at 121 net crores ($18.2M) with 285 gross crore ($42.8M) through Saturday, according to local analysts. The worldwide gross of 217 crore ($32.6M) on Day 1 topped the entire first weekend of Salman Khan’s Sultan. Through Saturday, the global estimate is 382.5 crores ($57.5) which is, frankly, unheard of. It also topped box office king Aamir Khan’s Dangal opening on Day 1.
Outside of India, in seven markets including North America, it made $13.83M including $10.14 domestic.
In IMAX, shows sold out across the weekend scoring the No. 1 opening ever in India for the format with $334K on 10 screens, about 15% bigger than The Fate Of The Furious. The launch is also IMAX’s biggest global opening ever for an Indian title and the biggest domestic bow for a foreign language movie. On only 66 IMAX screens worldwide, it grossed $2.34M.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion reunites the Rajamouli with star Prabhas, along with Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia. The first film went on to be the third-highest grossing Indian title globally with an estimated $97M. It won the National Award for Best Feature Film in 2015. At opening, it grossed over $20M locally and had a weekend take of about $28M worldwide. The period war epic hails from Tollywood (as the Telugu industry is known) and is released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.
This one picks up with hero Shivudu (Prabhas) as he comes to terms with his legacy and the responsibility placed on him by this knowledge. Shivudu’s quest aims to find the answer to the question that’s plagued fans of the franchise: Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?
Released on over 9,000 screens worldwide, the Prabhas-starrer received a rapturous reception at home and abroad. In India, it played on a record 6,500 screens. The Day 1 score there came in nearly 6 times bigger than the top opener of 2017, Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees. We will update with full-weekend figures as they become available and I’ll have a separate report with more detail a bit later.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS
Joining the $1B club, Universal’s high-octane 8th installment in this $4B+ franchise added $68.4M in 69 territories this frame. The international total is $867.6M for $1.06B worldwide. This is the fourth-highest-grossing Universal film worldwide after Jurassic World ($1.67B), Furious 7 ($1.52B) and Minions ($1.16B). It is also the studio’s 5th film to reach the $1B mark, and tops Jurassic Park’s $1.04B.
Japan was the only new play, also the final release, with $7.5M. That’s the best start for the franchise in the market, although it came in at No. 2 behind Beauty And The Beast whose ardent fans kept that film at No. 1.
Most notably this weekend, F8 grew to 2.43B RMB, making it the biggest imported movie of all time in the market. It is No. 2 ever amongst all movies with local pic The Mermaid still at No. 1 overall with 3.4B RMB. The dollar figure on F8 in the Middle Kingdom is $361M.
The Top 5 markets are now China, Mexico ($33.4M), the UK ($32.8M), Germany ($27.5M) and Brazil ($32.4M). F8 is Universal’s highest grossing film ever in Egypt, Indonesia, Paraguay and Venezeuela.
In IMAX plays this frame, TFOTF earned $5M on 858 screens. The global cume is now $58M in the format; China alone is $27M.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Coming off of a $17.2M weekend in 46 territories, the Bill Condon-directed Beauty has played to $662.4M worth of overseas audiences. Globally, the total is $1.142B, making it the No. 13 highest grossing movie of all time. This week it waltzed past Transformers: Age Of Extinction, Skyfall, Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King, and Transformers: Dark Of The Moon.
In Japan, Disney saw turnstiles spin 9% harder than on the first weekend. The cume there is now $33.6M and Golden Week is upon us. Elsewhere, holds were strong including in the Netherlands (-10%), Spain (-30%), New Zealand (-30%).
In Europe, the estimated cume to date of $267M, makes this the 2nd highest grossing film of the past 12 months in Europe (behind only Rogue One). In the UK/Ireland, Beauty And The Beast is the 8th biggest movie of all-time, and the biggest musical ever there with $87.4M..
THE BOSS BABY
Alec Baldwin’s briefcase toting tot cashed in with another $15.6M this weekend on 9,281 screens in 72 markets. The DreamWorks Animation pic that Fox is releasing is seeing super holds with an international cume of $248.2M.
The lead market is the UK with $29.6M after 4 frames while France has banked $20.2M after five. Holland jumped by 51% in its sophomore session ($3.6M cume). Spain dipped just 16% ($8.8M to date) and Poland also slipped just 16% for a 2.65M cume.
Boss Baby has also become the biggest grossing DWA title ever in Hong Kong (topping Kung Fu Panda 2). Korea is still on deck on May 3.
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
The blue boys and girl found $11.7M internationally this weekend. Animated in 62 markets and on 9K screens, the Sony release now has an overseas cume of $117.8M. In the 2nd China frame, the film added $5.1M for an $18.1M cume to date.
GOING IN STYLE
This Warner Bros’ remake lifted another $3M from the international box office on 2,370 screens in 46 markets. The overseas cume is now $24.2M. Australia dropped 34% from opening to total $2.1M to date. Mexico also had a good sophomore hold with $437K from 419 screens. The total there is $1.8M. Germany’s $516K weekend was a 32% drop for $2.9M to date. The lead market remains the UK at $3.4M. France and Italy get in on the action this week.
MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Get Out (UNI): $1.6M intl weekend (30 markets); $21.4M intl cume
Ghost In The Shell (PAR/MS): $1.3M intl weekend ($1.1 in 40 PPI markets); $126.2M intl cume ($124.9M PPI)
Sing (UNI): $800K intl weekend (10 markets); $357.6M intl cume – Japan now highest grossing offshore hub with $42.3M
Logan (FOX): $118K intl weekend (13 markets); $383.2M intl cume
Hidden Figures (FOX): $116K intl weekend (10 markets); $60M intl cume
Split (UNI): $100K (18 markets); $136..8M intl cume
LOCAL-LANGUAGE
There were also a handful of new titles that performed well in Asia this weekend. The Fate Of The Furious was supplanted at the top of the China chart by Shock Wave. The Hong Kong action pic about a hostage situation grossed $24.4M to win the weekend, although F8 was ahead of it on the Sunday. Also debuting in the Middle Kingdom this session were Battle Of Memories, a sci-fi thriller from Leste Chen with $21.8M; romcom Love Off The Cuff with $13.7M; and Derek Hui’s drama This Is Not What I Expected with $12.3M. In Korea, political drama The Mayor led box office at $5M per comScore although Kobiz has it higher at $6.1M. That was followed by comedy/adventure pic The King’s Case Note with $4M per comScore, $4.9M according to Kobiz. F8 slipped to 3rd place there this weekend with a $23.2M cume.
‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2’ Blasts Off With $106M – International Box Office
Michael Rooker Explains Why Yondu Didn’t Always Have A Huge Mohawk
The first Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a lot of people to some of the most obscure superheroes in Marvel’s vast library. Though characters like Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, Rocket, and Drax have existed for decades, but they didn’t even exist as Guardians of the Galaxy until the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Paul Pelletier, Rick Magyar, and Nathan Fairbairn.
One of the film’s breakout characters comes from the original Guardians team from the ‘70s—the red-mohawked, blue-skinned Yondu. Played by Michael Rooker in the film, this version of the character was different from his comic book counterpart, with their main similarities being a name and whistle-powered arrow.
Even Yondu’s mohawk is different in the films and in the first movie it was much smaller than how it appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which is more comparable to his comic book counterpart.
Rooker spoke with ScreenCrush regarding his meatier role in the latest Guardians flick, revealing just why the mohawk was different in the first film.
“One ship was … the ceiling was too low,” Rooker said. “There was a couple of vital scenes that we’re doing and it was a little too … I would have hit my head. I would have had to duck down and scrunch over.”
So there wasn’t some cosmetic reason or in-story purpose behind the change, it was just practical with the production of the set.
“Dude, at least that’s the reason they told me,” Rooker added. “They lie to actors all the time. You know these directors and producers lie to us all the time. ‘No, no, no, we can’t do that because of this and this.’ But in reality they just don’t have the money in the budget to make the ceiling higher, okay? Yeah, that’s what they had mentioned. It was low.”
While the shorter, protruding metallic mohawk helped establish Yondu’s aesthetic in the first film, sequels are about going bigger and bolder and that attitude is matched with the bigger version of the ‘do.
Hopefully Rooker sports an even bigger mohawk in Avengers: Infinity War, something reminiscent of an ‘80s gutterpunk.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters this Friday.
Michael Rooker Explains Why Yondu Didn’t Always Have A Huge Mohawk
Custom Minecraft figs with glowing eyes and swords
Red Lava Toys is a Detroit-based startup that make super cool, low-cost custom Minecraft figs at a local makerspace: they CNC-milled their own injection molds for the body and joints, and have precision die-cut vinyl stickers that they print to order with long-lasting ink and cover with a clear adhesive coat, then place them on the body of the toy.
Better still, they’re 3D printing glowing swords and other accessories, and augmenting the heads with glowing eyes — prices range from $15-$20.
You can order from a variety of readymades, or give them your Minecraft username, or upload a skin and they’ll print your character. They offer a full, 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
I picked up a couple of these at Detroit’s Penguicon this weekend. They’re really fantastic!
Minecraft hits the big screen in Foxborough
FOXBOROUGH–Local gamers will get the chance to play Minecraft on the big screen this weekend at Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place.
Beginning on April 29, Showcase Cinema de Lux is teaming up with Super League to host the tournament, Boston Revolt City Champs: Minecraft.
Instead of playing the popular 3-D online game at home, participants are given the chance to come to the theatre, team up and compete in a series of three head-to-head sessions for a chance to enter the Grand Final championship, taking place on Saturday, May 20.
“The idea is to take Minecraft and make it a more communal environment where kids can play together,” said Showcase Vice President, Mark Malinowski.
The event is geared towards pre-teens, he said.
Tickets for the event cost $60 per player. Tickets include admission to the three events, an official club jersey, 90 minutes of gameplay per event, access to seven unique games modes and exclusive heroes, and a chance to qualifty for the grand final. Parents accompanying their child are free.
The first event is this Saturday, April 29 from 10:15a.m.-12p.m. The second and third events are scheduled for Saturday, May 6 (10:15a.m.-12p.m.) and Saturday May 13 (10:15a.m-12p.m.). The grand final is slated for Saturday, May 20 from 1:15-3p.m. Players are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time.
Showcase Cinema de Lux is located at 24 Patriot Place, Foxborough.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit, https://superleague.com/events/2686.
Sweden’s booming video game industry is more than just Microsoft’s ‘Minecraft’
Microsoft’s acquisition of “Minecraft” maker Mojang in 2014 thrust it into the center of Sweden’s vibrant video-gaming cluster, where a boom in the last half decade — that includes much more than “Minecraft” — is one of the biggest success stories in the industry.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — Microsoft raised eyebrows in 2014 with the announcement it was spending a hefty $2.5 billion to buy Mojang, the Swedish developer of world-building game “Minecraft.”
The reaction among the fast-growing video-game industry in Stockholm was a little different.
“For us, it was like, ‘Microsoft got a pretty sweet deal,’ ” said Susana Meza Graham, an executive with Swedish video game maker Paradox.
“Minecraft,” by the time Microsoft came calling, was a global phenomenon. It instantly gave Microsoft a hugely popular brand with kids and gamers of all ages, as well as the $100 million or so in profit that Mojang was then pulling in annually.
Bringing Mojang and its 35 employees under Microsoft’s umbrella also thrust the Redmond company into the center of a vibrant, and unique, video-gaming cluster.
Sweden’s video-game boom in the last half decade is one of the biggest success stories in the industry, fueled by a talented and creative workforce and the fruits of years of government support for education and technology.
The country today boasts the second-highest concentration of video-game studios per capita in the world (neighboring Finland is No. 1), according to data from industry tracker Gamedevmap. The U.S. clocks in at 13th, with less than half the rate of game companies per capita as Sweden.
And an industry trade group estimates that one out of every 10 people in the world has played a game developed in Sweden, from casual titles (“Candy Crush”) to the high-end (“Battlefield”) and whimsical (“Goat Simulator”).
Recently, many have plugged into “Minecraft,” an open-ended game that lets players pilot blocky characters and build elaborate universes. The game has sold more than 122 million copies, the second-biggest all-time seller behind No. 1 “Tetris.”
Converted factories
Stockholm, Sweden’s largest city and home to 930,000 people, is spread across an archipelago of 14 islands and coastline where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea.
At the core is the kidney-shaped island of Gamla Stan, “old town” in English, a maze of narrow cobbled streets connected by bridges and ferries to the adjacent islands.
Just to the south sits Södermalm, an island primarily used for farmland until its bogs and lakes were drained and working class housing was built in the 19th century. Today, it is Stockholm’s cultural capital, and the heart of its gaming scene.
One recent Friday, Meza Graham and most of Paradox’s 220 employees gathered on the sixth floor of their Södermalm headquarters to toast — Prosecco in hand — the simultaneous release of two updates to their games.
Avalanche, another development studio, occupies two floors of the same building. Dice, the biggest employer in Sweden’s gaming industry, is headquartered across the street.
“This would have to be the most populated game-development area in the world,” says Jacob Kroon, a spokesman with the Swedish Games Industry trade group.
A few blocks away down a street of utilitarian-looking apartment buildings and brick-walled former factories converted into offices is a subsidiary of Rovio, the Finnish-headquartered “Angry Birds” builder.
And around the corner from there, on the first floor of an old tobacco factory, is Mojang.
Mojang’s trajectory
The company was founded in 2009 by Markus “Notch” Persson, who built “Minecraft” in his spare time.
Early on, he spurned a job offer from game publisher Valve, which wanted him to bring his game idea to the Bellevue company.
After the sale to Microsoft closed, Persson and Mojang’s two other founders left the company.
Microsoft’s purchase of one of Sweden’s crown jewels of video gaming sparked the concerns that typically come when a big company acquires a smaller one.
New oversight and an infusion of foreign corporate culture can end what made the acquired company successful in the first place, particularly in the creative and personality-driven video-gaming industry.
There were “a lot of worries” among employees at Mojang, said Jonas Mårtensson, who joined the company the year before the deal and would stay on afterward as CEO. “What would Microsoft do? Who would we work with?”
But executives and developers in Stockholm say they haven’t seen much change in direction from Mojang in the 2½ years Microsoft has owned the studio, which now employs more than 50 people here.
From outward appearances at Mojang today, there’s little to suggest the company even belongs to Microsoft.
Much of the change has been in Redmond, where Microsoft has set up a studio to pilot some editions of “Minecraft,” and used the game prominently in marketing materials, including for the HoloLens, Xbox and the company’s education initiatives.
Bigger picture, “Microsoft hasn’t really shown yet what they want to do,” said Patric Palm, chief executive of Hansoft, a Sweden-based game and software development tool maker. “And since they paid such a hefty price, they obviously have a bigger game in mind here.”
Positive acquisitions
Some Swedish game studios have flourished under new management.
Dice, creator of the “Battlefield” series, was scooped up in 2006 by Electronic Arts (EA), the California-based company with a reputation for pulling the plug on studios it acquired.
Instead of withering, Dice has thrived. It employs more than 550 people in Sweden, including the team behind the hit “Battlefield 1.” Dice’s CEO at the time of the sale, Patrick Söderlund, now runs EA’s worldwide network of studios.
Another Swedish gaming company, Massive, has kept producing hits in nearly a decade as a subsidiary of French gaming giant Ubisoft.
“If anything, (international acquisitions) have only been positive” for the local industry, said Oskar Burman, an industry veteran who has led Stockholm studios owned by EA and Rovio, among others.
Like many of Sweden’s video-game pioneers, Burman got his start in the “demo” scene, tinkering with game making on early personal computers built by the likes of Atari and Commodore.
“Back in the 90s, it was really hard,” he says. “It was not seen as a proper path by anyone. We struggled (for legitimacy) with the government, our parents, everyone.”
They did, however, have advantages that would come into play as video gaming grew from hobby to a multibillion-dollar entertainment industry.
Swedish stimulus
Sweden made English-language education compulsory for all children in the 1960s, seeding a population fluent in what would become the default language of the internet and computer science.
Government investments in the information age paid dividends, too, from subsidies to buy home computers in the 1990s, to a state-funded broadband internet build out in the 2000s.
Peter Zetterberg, a Swedish video-gaming pioneer who helped pilot Microsoft’s Mojang acquisition, said the country’s cultural scene has also benefitted from a patient parenting attitude. Kids, he says, are often given the freedom to learn through play, rather than pressured into traditional career paths.
“To the frustration of my parents, we had a computer, and I sat in front of it a lot,” he said. “We fiddle with things, we tinker, and eventually, we might find the thing we want to do.”
Meanwhile, the country’s small domestic market forces companies to look to the global market — and particularly the U.S.
Meza Graham, a former consumer-goods marketer and Paradox’s 12th employee, was hired in 2004 to help build the company’s international presence and publishing studio. Paradox’s games — mostly deep, historical, world-spanning strategy simulations — were written in English. So were its website and user forums.
“At first, everyone assumed we were American,” she said. The company didn’t go out of its way to correct that impression.
Meza Graham also tried to inject a bit of American-style confidence into the company’s correspondence, a contrast to a Swedish tendency for humility and deference. Simple things, she said, like “if we think we’ve made a good game, say that in the news release.”
Paradox would go on to make its share of hits, and went public last year, listing shares on the Nasdaq First North exchange in Stockholm.
Growth spurt
The industry’s biggest growth has occurred in the last few years, a boom partly fueled by digital downloads of games that meant startups like Mojang didn’t need to work with a publishing-house gatekeeper.
Between 2010 and 2015, the most recent figures available, employment at Swedish game companies more than tripled, to 3,700 people, according to the Swedish Games Industry group. Sales surged from the equivalent of $132 million to $1.4 billion.
Mojang has contributed much of that revenue growth, and its sales have continued to climb under Microsoft. Revenue attributed to the Mojang subsidiary during Microsoft’s fiscal year ended in June was up 84 percent from the company’s last full year of independent ownership, to $443 million.
Tommy Palm, chief executive of Stockholm-based Resolution Games, said Microsoft could prove to be a good home for Mojang. “I think Microsoft certainly has the long-term vision,” he said. “Minecraft is a super interesting product, there are so many things you can do with it.”
For Sweden, Microsoft’s cash also minted another set of wealthy game-industry veterans who might wind up looking for second acts.
Palm and Burman are both repeat entrepreneurs, using some of the cash from previous deals to test new ideas. Many here are also waiting to see what Mojang’s departed founders do next.
“You need heroes,” said Mårtensson, the current Mojang CEO. “And we’ve had a few success stories. That inspires people.”
Sweden’s booming video game industry is more than just Microsoft’s ‘Minecraft’
Microsoft to Launch Minecraft Marketplace
Virtual Revenue
For Microsoft, Minecraft has been a huge success. Since acquiring the game, it has sold more than 121 million copies around the globe, according to Bloomberg, and counts 55 million unique monthly players. Bloomberg cited data provided by Microsoft for the Minecraft figures. The marketplace is aimed at the mobile and tablet markets and as a result won’t be found on Microsoft’s Xbox One or Sony PlayStation’s game consoles. It will only be available on Windows, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR virtual reality platforms and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Microsoft will share in the revenue from the Minecraft marketplace, giving creators 50% of the sales. Thorton told Bloomberg the creators are happy the revenue will be split 50/50. In order to purchase the feature packs, users will have to use the virtual currency, which can be purchased with an device that has an app store whether its Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android or Microsoft’s Windows.
The move to launch a marketplace in which users have to make in-app purchases was made popular last summer by the popular Pokémon Go augmented reality game. Pokémon Go is free to download but requires users to make in-app purchases, which generated close to $1 billion in revenue last year, says Bloomberg.
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‘Minecraft’ Realms multiplayer finally heads to Apple TV
If you’ve been looking to play Minecraft with your other Apple TV-owning gamer buddies, it’s time to get excited. The latest update to the Apple TV version of this hit game enables “Realms,” Minecraft‘s subscription-based multiplayer system. This upgraded version also includes Xbox Live authentication support, which will let players access their linked avatars and character skins.
When you purchase a Realms account, it’s like getting a Minecraft server, only it’s maintained by Microsoft so you don’t have to mess with things like hosting or IP addresses. You get to control who can visit your private Minecraft Realm, too. That way, you don’t have to worry about anyone trashing your world as you race around fighting exploding Creepers or building insane recreations of King’s Landing from Game of Thrones. You can get a two- or 10-player Realm of your own for $3.99 and $7.99, respectively.
Unfortunately, owners of existing Realms subscriptions on Mac, Linux or PC won’t be able play alongside their iOS or Apple TV brethren; there are two separate Realms systems, one for PCs and one that includes iOS, Android and Windows 10 users. We’ve reached out to find out if there are plans to connect the two systems.
The procedurally-generated worlds of Minecraft deserve to be explored with others; now Apple TV and iOS fans have a chance to do just that… as long as they stick to their own platform.
Minecraft Museum of London project adds third and final Great Fire map
At last, rebuild fallen London.
Last year, the Museum of London launched its Great Fire 1666 campaign—an educational project that uses Minecraft to reimagine the Great Fire of London, in-line with the disaster’s 350th anniversary. Split into three distinct time periods during the event, different Minecraft maps portray events pre-fire, during the fire, and the aftermath and rebuilding of London in the wake of the fire. Part one and two can be found via those respective links and part three is now also live.
Supported by the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, part three is named The Rebuild and looks something like this:
“Inspired by the Museum of London’s rich collections, Great Fire 1666 uses the power of Minecraft to tell the story of the fire,” reads the project’s site. “Three maps offer immersive experiences, allowing players to enter the City of London in 1666 and explore the story of the Great Fire like never before. Uncover the causes of this terrible event, help fight the fire and eventually try your hand at rebuilding London.
“Each map includes challenges to help players delve deeper into the story and experience what it was like to be part of the Fire of London.”
Head in this direction for download links for each stage of the Great Fire 1666 project, as well as more information on the project’s aims and purpose.
Minecraft Museum of London project adds third and final Great Fire map
‘Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition’: Special Features To Be Included
“Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition” was officially revealed just a few days ago, and now, fans thinking about getting this game can learn more about what new features it will offer.
Though the Switch works differently from other consoles, players can expect that the version of “Minecraft” that will be released for it will be capable of supporting whichever style of play they want to try out.
In a recent post on the game’s official website, it was also revealed that up to eight players can join up online, while as many as four different players can take part in the experience when it is played in local multiplayer mode.
Additional details about the Switch edition were then revealed by developers during a recent livestream, WWG reported.
Starting off with world sizes, players can reportedly create 3072 x 3072-sized worlds, and that upper limit is a significant step up from what was provided to players in last gen consoles.
Another promising revelation is that players who enjoyed “Minecraft” on the Wii U may also not have to simply abandon the previous game even as they move to Nintendo’s newest console. Developers are reportedly primed to introduce a special system that will allow for the proper transfer of worlds from the Wii U edition to the Switch version of the game.
This special system is not expected to be made accessible right away to players, however, so they may have to wait for a bit before they can see their Wii U worlds moved over to the Switch edition of “Minecraft.”
The “Super Mario Mash-Up pack” is also being bundled together with the Switch edition, giving players more items to play around with right away.
Players can start creating worlds using Nintendo’s newest gaming platform as soon as “Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition” is officially released on May 11.
‘Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition’: Special Features To Be Included
Free Fire director used Minecraft to map out set design
Minecraft is used for a lot of different things. It’s used to emulate entire programming languages, it’s used to train AI, and people even sometimes use it to enjoy themselves (via actually playing the game, is what I mean by that). Now there’s a new thing you can add to the list of Cools Things Minecraft Is Used For: designing sets for movies.
Or at least, that’s what Ben Wheatley did for his new film. The English director of Kill List and High Rise tweeted two images today showing the Minecraft build he used to plot out the film’s grimy warehouse setting. Here they are:
According to Wheatley replying to other Twitter users, he finds Minecraft a quicker tool for plotting out sets than Google Sketch, to name one example.
As for the film itself, Rotten Tomatoes reports that it’s “an electrifying action comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong.” I haven’t seen the film, but I’ll be keeping a close eye out for creepers and suspiciously blocky looking structures when I do.
Here’s the trailer for the film, by the way. You’ll note some vague similarities between the above images and the final product.
Minecraft in real life: retoucher works magic on cubist creatures
Based in Jakarta, retoucher Aditya Aryanto recently had a simple idea: what if real life animals looked more like the cubic creations in the game Minecraft?
Using public domain images, he pulled them into Photoshop, and used the liquify curves tool to transform the animals into unnaturally straight lines.
“I am interested in the cubical shape and trying to change some animal form into cubes. First, I was afraid if it would be nicer than the original shape,” he said. “I was really curious about the results, so I tried to find some funny animal pictures to be changed into Anicube. I found animal pictures from Unsplash and Pixabay. Once I collected, I started making these images in Photoshop.”
Fany giving it a try? In Photoshop, just use the Liquify tool and shape to your heart’s content (Shift+Command+X). You can see the full album here.
Minecraft in real life: retoucher works magic on cubist creatures
Hero Gamers Created a Minecraft Version of Portland
Two local gamers have created a Minecraft version of Portland. It’s extraordinary.
If you don’t already know, Minecraft is a sandbox game that allows you to build worlds. From watching a girl I babysit play on her iPad, she’s showed me that you can create indoor swimming pools and domesticate cats, among other things.
The thing has incredible detail, including a Keep Portland Weird sign, Big Pink and a MAX that moves. The Nines Hotel building looks scarily accurate, as does Pioneer Courthouse Square and the entire skyline.
And it goes far beyond the images below. The creators say there are interiors to some buildings, and they plan to start creating the east side soon.
They say they started November 4 and have worked about 300 hours on the project.
Anyway, here’s what it looks like:
Minecraft’s Next Big Update Detailed
Minecraft‘s Discovery Update is coming to Windows 10 and Pocket Editions, bringing with it more exploration options and journeys into woodland mansions. Oh, and llamas.
“Barter with a cartographer for a treasure map,” and seek out your fortune, according to the official Minecraft blog. The maps lead you to woodland mansions where you can duke it out with Illagers, “villagers gone bad,” for treasure.
The Discovery Update is similar to the Exploration Update implemented in vanilla Minecraft back in November, which saw the introduction of llamas as tameable mobs used as pack animals. Llamas are part of the Discovery Update and have similar functionality to the Llamas in Minecraft on PC.
A new Adventure Mode is also coming with the update, “for folks who like to make custom games and scenarios.”
The Discovery Update beta is coming to the Android version of Pocket Edition “very soon,” and more information can be found on the official Minecraft blog “in the coming weeks.”
Minecraft consistently appears in the top of the NPD Group’s monthly US sales listings, and its popularity doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down. Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch, making it the first Nintendo portable to have a version of the game.
Minecraft in Real Life: Retoucher Turns Real Animals Into Cubic Creations
Copyright disputes, huge camera announcements, the decline and fall of Instagram botting, this week has been a pretty serious one in the photo industry. Let’s wrap it up on a slightly… sillier note. Behold: Minecraft in Real Life.
Retoucher Aditya Aryanto from Jakarta, Indonesia recently had a simple idea: what if real life animals looked more like the cubic creations in the game Minecraft?
Curiosity sufficiently piqued, he took to Unsplash and Pixabay to find some great public domain images to play with, pulled them into Photoshop, and began liquifying curves into unnaturally straight lines. Before he knew it, he had everything from Tigers to Bunnies looking like they’d just been taken out of the box and hadn’t had time to really fluff out yet.
The resulting series, “Minecraft in Real Life” or “Anicube”, is quickly flying up the ranks on Behance, and seems like the perfect photo project with which to start the weekend. Enjoy:
Image credits: All images originally public domain, retouched by Aditya Aryanto and used under creative commons license.
Minecraft in Real Life: Retoucher Turns Real Animals Into Cubic Creations
‘Minecraft’ DLC Update: Xbox Chief Teases New Content in the Works
It looks like gaming studio Mojang has something up its sleeves for gamers of its mega successful sandbox game, “Minecraft.”
After spending time with the folks over at Mojang, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed on Twitter that the developer is working on something new for the game.
“Great day with the team Mojang seeing the future work on Minecraft,” he tweeted. “Very cool to see the new ideas the team has come to life,” he went on to say.
He did not provide any other details as to what “Minecraft” fans can expect, but gamers can count on getting new content in the game in the feature.
This does not come as a surprise since Microsoft has already said in the past that they have big plans for “Minecraft” in the form of continual updates.
From the looks of it, Mojang appears already hard at work in whatever they plan to release in the game. When fans will get to see all that in the flesh, they will have to keep their eyes peeled.
In terms of downloadable content (DLC), “Minecraft” gets regular updates. The latest is the “Power Rangers” DLC that came out in March to commemorate the release of the movie of the same name.
Microsoft also recently announced a real-money marketplace dedicated to the game, where players can purchase textures and map packs created by approved creators. It will go live this spring.
Next month, “Minecraft” will find its way to another platform and that is the newly released Nintendo Switch. Its release in the new generation console will definitely expand the already massive playerbase of the sandbox game.
With regard to the future content, Mojang is currently working on for “Minecraft,” players will just have to patient in learning more information. New details should be revealed in the coming weeks of months.
‘Minecraft’ DLC Update: Xbox Chief Teases New Content in the Works
Tips to Win the Game Modes of Super League’s City Champs – Minecraft
Minecraft City Champs Game Modes
Before we give our tips for winning, you’ll first need to know what each game mode is all about. Players will play through seven Minecraft game modes during each Minecraft City Champs play session. We have several tips listed under each game mode overview below to help players achieve success during the main event.
Zombies
At its core, Minecraft is essentially a zombie survival game, which is why the Zombies game mode should be a natural fit for any experienced Minecraft player.
The Zombies game mode puts player’s survival skills to the test by making them survive endless waves of Zombies and other Minecraft monsters for as long as possible. The longer you survive, the more points you earn. The team that clears the highest wave of Zombies and earns the most points in the given time limit wins.
The goal in Zombies is to survive for as long as possible. Players can revive fallen allies in the area, so it’s important to stick together and work to slay Zombies as a team. As players survive each wave, new doors will unlock, allowing players to access better items for survival.
Tips:
- Always stay close by your teammates so you can revive one another when necessary.
- Keep your killstreak going by staying alive so that you can gain better items.
- The Zombies get progressively smarter after each wave. Don’t underestimate your enemies!
Workshop TNT
Workshop TNT is all about building, teamwork, and explosions! In this game mode, teams are given access to endless Creative Mode resources and an open plot of land to build a massive TNT launcher. The goal is to create an explosive device that will destroy as much of your target as possible. The team that destroys the most target blocks with their explosive device wins.
Since building is the focus of Workshop TNT, players won’t have to worry about combat. Players who know their way around a redstone circuit get to flex their creative muscle in this explosive game mode.
Tips:
- Pack your launcher with as much TNT as possible. The more TNT you load into your cannon, the farther it will fire and the more target blocks it will destroy.
- Need some inspiration? There’s a pre-made example located near your plot of land to help give you an idea of what to build.
Walls
The Walls game mode features a blend of both offensive and defensive gameplay. In Walls, each team has a Crystal that they must protect at all costs. To defend their Crystal, players must build up their defenses using traps, walls, and other items. At the same time, players must also try to damage the enemy team’s Crystal as much as possible before time runs out. The team whose Crystal receives the least amount of damage wins.
To get the best offensive and defensive items, players will need to kill Pigmen in their team’s underground dungeon in order to gain emeralds that can be traded for better items. Teams are given a limited amount of time at the start of each round to gather resources and build their defensive structures.
Tips:
- Emeralds are the key to better resources. Kill as many Pigmen as possible in your dungeon so that you can exchange them for the best items.
- Work to your strengths. If you are particularly good at building, help your team build the best defensive setup to protect your Crystal. If you’re better at PvP, use your offensive skills to deal damage to the enemy Crystal.
- Watch out for enemy traps!
Soccer
Hope you’ve got some block-shaped cleats! In the Soccer game mode, players must compete in a three-round mini soccer tournament. Just like regular soccer, teams score points by kicking the soccer ball into the opponent’s net. The team that has won the most rounds at the end of the tournament wins.
Tips:
- Double jump by pressing the spacebar twice. The double jump also propels you forward, which can come in handy when you want to get across the map quickly.
- Keep your goal protected. If you see a majority of your team making an offensive push, hang back a bit to ensure your goalie has some extra defensive support.
Domination
Domination works similarly to how it does in other multiplayer games. The goal is to capture designated territories on the map and hold them for as long as possible. At the start of the Domination battle, players must choose between five playable Heroes, each of which have special powers and abilities.
The capture process takes about 12 seconds, and during this time, players must fight off any enemies who may be trying to intervene. Teams can earn points faster by seizing multiple territories throughout the map.
Like a virtual tug-of-war, the enemy team will be attempting to secure your capture points from under you while conquering their own territories as well. The team with the highest score at the end of the time limit wins, so you must secure as many capture points as possible.
Tips:
- Travel with teammates when heading to a capture point location. Strength in numbers!
- Stay close to your captured territory to fend off any incoming enemy players.
- Choose a Hero based on which abilities you think would be best for defending a capture point.
Mayhem
In Mayhem, players must fend for themselves in an all-out Minecraft battle royale. The goal is to fight and defeat as many opponents as possible to earn points. Mayhem also includes super masks that allow players to transform into a notable Minecraft Hero. The team with the highest amount of kill points at the end of the time limit wins.
Tips:
- The longer you stay alive, the more points you earn for each kill. Be aggressive, but stay cautious as well.
- Use the map to your advantage by running up obstacles or platforms to dodge opponents who are after you.
- Don’t be too trusting. You might get a diamond axe in your back!
Crystal Crater
The seventh game mode in Minecraft City Champs is called Crystal Crater. In this mode, players must try to keep their team’s reactor energized while also attempting to damage the enemy team’s reactor. Players wield a Stun Blaster that is meant to damage enemy reactors and stun enemy players.
To keep the reactor running, players need to gather Crystals from the reactor arena in the center of the map and bring them back to the reactor at their base. While collecting Crystals sounds easy, there is one catch: only one player on a team can carry a Crystal at a time. The team that maintains their reactor’s energy the longest or is the last team standing with an energized reactor wins.
Tips:
- Since only one player on a team can carry Crystals at a time, it’s important to communicate with teammates to determine who that player is going to be.
- When a teammate goes to collect a Crystal, make sure some teammates stay back to defend the Crystal.
- Be ready to stun enemy players who are trying to collect Crystals to interrupt their efforts.
Aside from Mayhem, communication plays a key role in each of the Minecraft City Champs game modes. It’s important for players to converse and strategize with teammates around them in the auditorium so that everyone is on the same page.
While strategy is important, the key to winning each game mode is to keep an open mind and have fun. Minecraft has always been a great tool for creativity, and this only gets better when playing with other like-minded players. Follow the tips listed for each game mode to ensure your team comes out on the top of the Super League City Champs leaderboard.
City Champs Minecraft Locations
City Champs Minecraft events will be held in multiple cities over the coming months. Head over to the City Champs Minecraft event page for details on the dates and times for each city’s gaming sessions. The participating theaters and locations are as follows:
Cinemark Playa Vista and XD
12746 W Jefferson Blvd #3190, Los Angeles, CA 90094
Cinemark Paradise 24
15601 Sheridan St, Davie, FL 33331
Cinemark Seven Bridges and IMAX
6500 IL-53, Woodridge, IL 60517
Cinemark 17 and IMAX Theatre
11819 Webb Chapel Rd, Dallas, TX 75234
Cinemark Memorial City Houston
Memorial City Mall, 310 Memorial City Way, Houston, TX 77024
Redwood Downtown 20 and XD
The Old Spaghetti Factory, 825 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City, CA 94063
Century 16 Boulder
Twenty Ninth Street Mall, 1700 29th St., Boulder, CO 80301
Century 16 Santa Fe Station
4949 N Rancho Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89130
iPic Redmond
Redmond Town Center, 16541 NE 74th St, Redmond, WA 98052
iPic Fulton Market
11 Fulton St New York, NY 10038
Showcase Cinema de Lux, Patriot Place
Patriot Place, 24 Patriot Pl. Foxborough, MA 2035
Harkins Theatres SanTan Village 16
SanTan Village, 2298 E Williams Field Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85296
Tips to Win the Game Modes of Super League’s City Champs – Minecraft
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