Playful Corporation’s Creativerse is something like a free-to-play Minecraft. There is a premium version of the game, but we’ll talk mostly about the base game. Because that’s going to be the big draw: it’s a free game that allows you to build out of 64-bit blocks, however the characters and many of the structures have more realistic versions.

So if you want to enjoy Minecraft, but you don’t want to pay for it, well. Here’s your chance. And it’s a pretty damn good one. The game’s controls are pretty intuitive, and most of the objects you need you can find by digging or from the plant and animal life around you. Much like the game it’s based on, you don’t have too much interaction with NPCs or anything in the way of quests, but that’s kind of the beauty of both games.

They are each as simple as they appear, and there’s something kind of refreshingly honest about that.

One of the only major flaws I can find in Creativerse are that it becomes a little bit, well, redundant after a while. And that, perhaps, the base materials are too easy to come by. The crafting mechanism is more complex than Minecraft‘s and takes quite a deal longer, which gives you more appreciation for crafting, but also gets to be a bit of a time sink.

There isn’t a whole lot of variety in many of the blocs that are available in the free version, which can be a source of irritation. And because you have to do things by yourself, it can get to be a bit of a grind. But if you don’t mind grinding for materials, that’s perfect, because you’ll be doing it a lot.

Honestly, if you just want to build things, I have to say I prefer Creativerse over Minecraft. Because first, Creativerse does not make my eyes want to shriek with fury over the graphics, and second, because it’s free.

Like in Minecraft, there are multiple worlds you can explore, but you don’t exactly play with other players. And the lack of the social aspect can be a drawback for a lot of people.

I absolutely recommend you play the free version of the game, before considering if you want to keep playing with limited blocks before deciding if you want to go with the pro version, which nets you different block varieties, more backpack space, a flashlight, and the glider, which makes travel infinitely easier.

While I don’t have too many serious complaints about the game, I also don’t have anything to really rave about. It’s a solid game, and definitely an enjoyable way to spend a weekend, but there’s nothing here that makes this game a “must play” unless you don’t own Minecraft already. As someone who has never been too dedicated to Minecraft, I find that I prefer Creativerse, but I also can’t make this game into something it isn’t.

It’s a F2P Minecraft clone and so has all the limitations of being a Minecraft clone.

Creativerse Review: It May Be Free To Play, But It’s Still A Better Minecraft

Dota 2 is notorious for having a steep learning curve and a community that’s not always welcoming to newcomers. Recently, however, developer Valve released an update that is designed to help beginners have a better and more encouraging experience learning the game.

The update’s biggest change is to the matchmaking system. The previous system didn’t attempt to avoid certain discouraging situations, such as those where beginners would be matched with players who don’t react well to playing with newcomers. In the update, Valve tweaked the system to make sure that it matches newcomers with players that have consistently high behavior scores.

“It is especially important for a new player to have a good social experience while they are first trying to learn the game,” Valve explained in a blog post. “The matchmaking system will now ensure that new players will play with and against appropriately skilled players that also have a track record of good behavior.”

The second change Valve made was to character selection. Now, beginners will be restricted to just 20 heroes until they’ve completed 25 games. Valve has curated the group of heroes to include only those characters who “are very successful in helping new players learn and enjoy the game,” the studio stated.

In other Dota 2 news, The International is coming up next week and features a massive prize pool. If you’re not familiar with Dota 2, or even just starting out playing, Valve holds a Newcomer Stream of the tournament that is hosted by commentators who explain the way the game works.

You’re Now Less Likely To Play With Jerks When Starting Out In Dota 2

Star Citizen‘s much-anticipated Alpha 3.0 update isn’t coming out on time. Developer Cloud Imperium Games announced recently that it discovered some “stability issues” in the latest build, and thus the team needs more time to get it ready “for prime time.”

“This week, we entered the optimisation, polish, and bug fixing phase for the 3.0 feature set. As there have been so many features and content implemented, we’ve encountered some stability issues that we want to address before going to a wider test audience,” the developer said in a post on its website (via Eurogamer).”

“The ongoing work on the new Patcher system (that will save you from having to completely re-download each build) and some new bugs with CopyBuild3 (our internal version of the patcher) have also slowed us down. Because of this we have pushed back the Evocati and subsequent date ranges to reflect the additional time needed to get Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 ready for prime time.”

According to Eurogamer, the Alpha 3.0 update was originally scheduled to come out at the end of August and now it’s due at the start of September, so it’s a small delay.

Will “Soulcrusher” Leverett, Star Citizen’s director of player relations, said in a follow-up post. “Working on 3.0 has certainly introduced variables and challenges that we could never have anticipated, and these just do not always cater to a tidy date on a calendar,” Leverett said.

Leverett added: “There’s certainly no malice behind it, and anyone who makes that claim is providing an uninformed opinion. Ask any project manager or developer who worked on sophisticated software or has been involved on a complex project with lots of dependencies and moving parts. They’ll gladly share how challenging a task of estimates can be.”

The developer added that all of Cloud Imperium Games is “working feverishly” to finish the Alpha 3.0 update, adding that this version of 3.0 will be “something bigger, something pretty groundbreaking, something magnificent.”

Star Citizen’s Alpha 3.0 update adds an “entirely explorable solar system” and adds the first tools and systems that players can use to create outpost and communities. Those are just a few of the new features–you can read this blog post to learn more.

Star Citizen is the most successful crowdfunded project of any kind in history. By the latest count, the game has raised more than $155.6 million in funding.

Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 Delayed

Nintendo has unveiled a new map debuting soon in Splatoon 2. However, this particular level won’t be joining the game’s usual stage rotation; rather, it will only appear during Splatfest events.

The new map, dubbed Shifty Station, will only be available in the stage rotation during Splatfests, the in-game competitions that have players choose one of two opposing teams and compete to earn points for their side. Nintendo says the map’s layout changes between Splatfests, so players will be battling on a different version of the map each time it appears in the game.

Shifty Station will presumably debut with the game’s first Splatfest, which is coming up during the first weekend of August. Nintendo hasn’t announced timing details for the event just yet, but like the Splatfest World Premiere demo that took place the week before Splatoon 2 released, this particular competition will also revolve around food. This time, players must choose which condiment they prefer: mayo or ketchup?

Splatoon 2 launched for Nintendo Switch on July 21. The game was very well-received when it debuted; critic Kallie Plagge awarded it an 8/10 in GameSpot’s review and called the game “a vibrant and exuberant sequel with enough fresh additions and changes to set it apart from the original.”

Switch-Exclusive Shooter Splatoon 2’s Newest Map Revealed

Minecraft Cross-Play Beta Now Available, Coming To Xbox One Soon

One of the major problems with Minecraft is the number of different editions, with varying level of multiplayer cross-play. This stems from different code bases – the console versions are based on the original Java game, while Pocket/Windows 10 Edition use the same C++ code base. But the upcoming Minecraft PE 1.2 update, nicknamed the ‘Better Together Update,’ aims to address this.

The main new feature in this update is cross-play with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch players. It’s not entirely clear if the current console edition is being replaced, but Mojang says existing owners of Xbox One Edition or Switch Edition will “receive the brand new version of Minecraft for free, and your existing worlds and DLC will come along to the new version with you.” The new version will simply be called ‘Minecraft,’ separate from the various Editions and the PC version (which is now called Java Edition).

A beta version of the Better Together Update is available today for Windows 10 Edition and Pocket Edition, but you won’t be able to try out the cross-play yet. The Xbox One beta required for cross-play will arrive in a few days, but there’s no word on a Switch beta (I’m not entirely sure if the Switch’s eShop supports beta programs).

However, there is still plenty of new content you can try out in the beta right now. Most of the changes were previously only available on the Java and/or Console Editions, so it’s definitely nice to see them arrive on mobile. Here is the full list of new features:

• Stained Glass
• Fireworks (with Elytra boost!)
• Parrots
• Banners
• Armor stands
• Jukebox and music discs
• Recipe Book
• Book and Quill
• Ravines
• COARSE DIRT
• New world start options: Starting Map, Bonus Chest, Trust Players
• New game rules: TNT Explodes, Natural Regeneration
• Added ‘/tickingarea’ command to create areas that still update when no players are there
• Player permissions
• Zombie Villager spawn egg
• In-game host options
• New loading screens with funny and helpful tips
• How to Play screen
• Remix 3D and structure blocks
• Split-screen (Console only)
• World conversion
• Player limit increased on higher end devices
• Maps can be held off-hand
• Ice blocks are transparent

If you want to sign up for the beta on Android, you can join it (or leave it) here. It probably goes without saying that you have to own the game on Google Play first. To join the Xbox One beta, check out the instructions at the source link below.

Minecraft PE ‘Better Together Update’ enters beta, will have cross-play with Xbox and Nintendo Switch

A Londonderry theatre is to host the world’s first play performed by both human actors and avatars – digitised versions of the cast – in the computer game, Minecraft.

Playcraft Live will be performed at the city’s Playhouse Theatre on 14 October.

It will simultaneously be streamed to the world online via the theatre’s website, Minecraft and Youtube.

Slipping between both stage and game world, the story will unfold across different locations and times.

Minecraft is the second-best-selling videogame of all time.

It allows players to build things using cubic blocks and take part in exploration, engineering, crafting and combat.

The game is hugely popular with children and young teenagers.

The production will see the dramatisation of a script, written specifically for Playcraft by Alex Scarrow, author of the teen science fiction series of novels, Time Riders.

The story is based between books one and two of his Time Riders series.

Online audiences will experience the production as a live-stream simulcast.

For those lucky enough to be part of the Playhouse audience, they will be able to see the physical actor on stage communicating the play to them.

‘Completely new’

They will also see a stream of the digital version of that actor, within the Minecraft world, projected onto a screen.

These avatars will be developed and built by Minecraft experts operating from an adjacent room.

Kieran Griffiths, creative director at the Playhouse Theatre, said he was excited to be introducing something “completely new to the world of theatre”.

“The production is hugely ambitious and a definite step into the unknown, but a tremendous opportunity to allow two artistic worlds to come together and learn from each other,” Mr Griffiths said.

The project will also involve renowned creative producer Adam Clarke and digital educators MakeMatic.

It has been commissioned by The Space, which is funded by the BBC and Arts Council England

“I suppose the thorny rose in between is the technology,” Mr Griffiths said.

“Over the coming months we have to remove the thorns and make sure that rose is passed gracefully.

“At the end of it, we hope to produce an educational asset whereby we will see online amateur societies creating their own world within Minecraft.”

Throughout the summer, Minecraft fans will be invited to join in on the production, find out more about the play and contribute to the process along the way.

World first for Derry theatre’s Minecraft play

Minecraft’s “Better Together Update” is rolling out now in beta, for players on Windows 10 PCs and Android devices. That means players on either platform with the beta installed will be able to participate in games from either type of device, together in cross-platform play.

This update was originally revealed at E3 back in June, and includes other feature additions like community servers and a community Marketplace with paid add-ons. There are also a range of new in-game item types, multiplayer host and permission options, and more.

The beta is also set to roll out for Xbox One “soon,” Microsoft says, which will add the gaming console to the cross-platform action. Microsoft also said when the update was announced that it’ll eventually add support for the Play Together Update to iOS, Nintendo Switch and VR devices (Sony was apparently offered the chance to participate in the update for PlayStation, but declined).

To get in on the beta, players will need the Xbox Insider app for Windows 10 and Xbox One, and on Android they’ll need to have Google Play and of course everyone will need a copy of the game.

This could be huge for unifying Minecraft’s massive player community, which is already quite the club.

Minecraft’s cross-platform ‘Better Together’ update arrives in beta

Once every decade or so, a game comes along that becomes more than just a game, more than just a franchise, and evolves into a genuine cultural phenomenon. In the 70s it was Space Invaders, in the 80s it was Super Mario Bros and Tetris. The 90s and noughties brought us Pokemon and Halo.

If you had to choose one title that broke out of the relatively niche world of gaming over the past decade, it would have to be Minecraft.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or should that be block?) somewhere, you’ll probably know about it.

Even if you’ve never played it, you’ll have seen the cuboid characters and trademark pixelated art style on everything from toys to t-shirts. Minecraft is designed with creativity at its core, allowing players to build their own objects, structures – even entire worlds out of 3D textured blocks in a procedurally-generated environment.

It actively encourages co-operation and collaboration, allowing thousands of players to work together on group projects, or team up to battle enemies and the elements in Survival mode. Its open-ended, sandbox structure means that there’s no beginning or end to the game, and players are limited only by their own imaginations.

After selling 130 million copies to date, its already the world’s second biggest selling video game  (behind only Tetris), of all time.

it wasn’t much of a surprise when tech behemoth Microsoft decided to acquire the rights to the intellectual property from visionary developer Markus “Notch” Persson in September 2014. What was surprising was the price; a whopping $US2.5 billion ($NZ3.4b) making it not only the biggest gaming buy-out of all time, but one of the technology industry’s largest ever acquisitions.

Building on success

The future of Minecraft was one of the key focuses of Xbox’s E3 showcase in Los Angeles last month.

After spending that kind of cash on a single game, everybody expected Microsoft to have big plans for Minecraft. The most obvious move would have been to make the game an Xbox and Windows exclusive, but interestingly, the company decided to go in the opposite direction, focusing their efforts on releasing a version of it on practically every format known to mankind.

Seriously, if you own a device that’s capable of running a video game, there will almost certainly be an adaptation of Minecraft for it. It’s on everything from Android phones to Apple TV. Microsoft’s strategy seemed to be proliferation rather than progression, choosing not to mess with a winning formula or release a guaranteed smash hit sequel, but instead to spread the Minecraft seed as far and wide as possible.

This business model made a lot more sense when, at last month’s E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles, Xbox chief Phil Spencer unveiled the company’s grand plan for the the future of the world’s most popular video game.

Ooh, shiny

A fully upgraded lighting system is one of the major improvements in the Super Duper Graphics Pack

The first revelation was that the game was to undergo a complete visual overhaul, which, in typical Minecraft fashion, is to be called the “super-duper graphics pack”.

Ostensibly, this was to take advantage of the new Xbox One X’s 4K GPU, but for a game that has always been deliberately lo-fi and retro in terms of its art style, it did seem like a strange decision to render all these pixelated cubes in Ultra HD.

On closer inspection though, it’s clear that the update is more about visual effects than the graphical assets themselves. While the game retains its trademark pixelart style, it’s the world around it that has been given a new lick of paint..

A side-by-side comparison of how Minecraft looks now, and how it will appear once the new graphics pack is installed.

Dynamic shadows created by Minecraft’s new directional lighting system means that what you see is constantly changing as you move through the world, and the appearance of your constructions will vary depending on where your character is standing and the position of the sun or other light sources. The addition of HDR gives deep blacks and bright colours a noticeable “pop” factor.

Edge highlighting creates clearer, more defined boundaries between individual blocks and a completely revamped water system means that rivers, lakes and streams look more lifelike than ever before.

Of course, you’ll need a 4K monitor to get the most out of this graphical overhaul, but there’s more than enough here to ensure that even gamers using standard 1080p TVs will see the benefit.

Unifying worlds

Perhaps the most exciting revelation however, was that Minecraft would be going cross-platform. Up until now, players have been restricted to teaming up with friends on the same system, meaning the millions of Minecraft gamers around the world have been pigeon-holed and walled off into small, if thriving, communities.

The decision to tear down these walls and bring everyone together on one unified server is  a literal game changer. In a world where everything is about teamwork and co-operation, making it possible for an iPhone user to work with a friend on Xbox or join a grand-scale collaborative construction job on PC means that things are going to get bigger and better.

There’s a lot of potential in this strength in numbers strategy. In one fell swoop, Microsoft and Mojang have created one of the world’s biggest gaming communities.

Large-scale collaborative projects have seen the creation of sprawling worlds in Minecraft, including a full reproduction of the land of Westeros from TV’s Game of Thrones.

Minecraft is already being used in schools as an educational tool and the fact that kids will now be able to hop on their phones at home to continue working on a project they started on their school computer network means that “homework” is going to be a much easier sell for teachers.

Unfortunately, the cross-platform plan won’t include every single format. Sony, Microsoft’s main rival in this generation’s console wars, has refused to come to the party, meaning that PlayStation users won’t be joining in just yet. However, if the Minecraft phenomenon continues to grow at its current rate, you have to wonder if they’ll reconsider and get involved if things start to snowball.

Minecraft: The next generation