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Nickelodeon is betting on amateur, kid-focused eSports
Nickelodeon and a handful of other investors -- including professional sports-team owners -- have just thrown $15 million at Super League Gaming, an organization that holds amateur eSports tournaments in movie theaters across the US for kids, teens and adults. Super League is best known for its national Minecraft championship, which last year paid out $15,000 to a winning team of kids age 10 to 14, though it also regularly holds nationwide League of Legends tournaments for players of any age.
What we're playing in June
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. Gaming IRL is part of a broader series in which you'll find stories from all of the areas we cover: gadgets we use every day, the apps and services we adore, what we're watching and the music and podcasts we can't live without. Today is all about gaming. E3 is done and dusted for another year, but every year there are dozens of great games released, all of which are available right now. Fittingly, our picks this month range from a 1997 sim all the way up to a game that was released just today.
'Minecraft' looks like a completely different game in 4K
The best demonstration of the Xbox One X's 4K capabilities comes from an unlikely, blocky source: Minecraft. Behind closed doors at E3 2017, Microsoft showed off a handful of games it upgraded to 4K just for the Xbox One X, including Gears of War 4, but Mojang's cube-based crafting game clearly got the most drastic upgrade. When the free 4K update and the Super Duper Graphics Pack lands in the fall, those blobs of grass will transform into blades. See for yourself:
Microsoft's existing games will play in 4K on your Xbox One X
You won't have to spring for new games to take advantage of the Xbox One X's 4K prowess. Microsoft is updating several of its own games to play in 4K on the newer console. In addition to the already-announced Minecraft upgrade, you can expect to see the higher resolution in Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Killer Instinct and Halo Wars 2 (what, no Halo 5?), among others. Unsurprisingly, all of the updates will be free -- Microsoft wants there to be as many One X-ready titles as possible.
'Minecraft' makes the leap to 4K this fall
Minecraft isn't just getting unified online play this year -- it's also receiving a huge image quality boost. Microsoft and Mojang have unveiled a Super Duper Graphics Pack (no really, that's the name) that will give the building game a major visual upgrade, including 4K resolution, high dynamic range, sharper textures and loads of special effects (including light rays and fancier water). Logically, you'll need an Xbox One X or a beefy Windows 10 PC to get the 4K HDR experience. The add-on is free when it arrives this fall, and the developers are quick to stress that it's strictly optional -- you can stick to the regular graphics if the Super Duper pack feels blasphemous to you.
Microsoft will unify most 'Minecraft' platforms this summer
Minecraft is about to enter its final form. In August, the Better Together update will land and unify the game across nearly every platform, from iOS and Android to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. This unification comes courtesy of the Bedrock Engine, which currently powers all mobile, Windows 10, Amazon Fire and VR versions of the game. Now, it won't matter which platform your friends use to play Minecraft -- every version will be the same, they'll share DLC and updates, and all players will be able to create new worlds together. Well, nearly all. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft are not included in the initial "Better Together" update. "Beginning with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, we'll be expanding that code base so that all -- the vast majority of our community is united," marketing lead Emily Orrson says.
Minecraft: Story Mode’ season two arrives for summer vacation
If you loved Minecraft's first Story Mode, there's more on the way: A second season of Story Mode is coming this summer. The first episode, called "Hero in Residence," will be on sale July 11th.
'Minecraft' hits the Nintendo Switch on May 11th
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition lands on May 11th, bringing the world's most popular sandbox to yet another gaming platform. Minecraft on Switch supports the Pro controller and up to eight players online, or four locally in split-screen mode. Plus, it comes with the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, which throws classic Mario characters and locations directly into the game.
'Minecraft' adds a shop for mobile add-ons
For many, the biggest limitation of Minecraft's Pocket and Windows 10 Editions has been the lack of community material. What good is playing on your phone if you can't try out that sweet new texture pack you saw on your PC? You're about to get that option. Microsoft and Mojang are launching a Marketplace that lets both Pocket and Windows 10 gamers download content from community creators, including skins, textures and whole worlds. You don't buy any paid content directly -- instead, you buy "Minecraft Coins" that let you snap up the add-ons you want. It's ostensibly to help producers set "flexible prices," although it also helps mask the value of what you're buying. You might not want to let kids have unfettered access, in other words.
'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.
YouTube creates four original shows just for its Kids app
Now that YouTube has dipped its toes into the wild world of original programming, the company has plans to launch four new shows this spring aimed at children and pre-teens. The YouTube Kids app will get two live-action and two animated series starring some popular YouTube creators including DanTDM and the hosts of TheAtlanticCraft, with more series scheduled to debut throughout the year.
ICYMI: DARPA's drone snatcher and Pokémon: Minecraft edition
Today on In Case You Missed It: DARPA unveiled a UAV recovery systems that can catch a 1,000-pound drone but still fit comfortably in a standard 20-foot shipping container. The SideArm, as it's called, uses the same arresting-wire system that full-sized military jets use aboard aircraft carriers -- just, you know, upside down. We also take a look what happens when modders manage to stuff a full Pokémon game (in this case, "Cobalt and Amethyst") into the Minecraft universe. Modder Phoenix SC reportedly spent 31 months creating the add-on. It contains a brand-new storyline, 136 new Pokémon and about 70 hours of gameplay. Just make sure you catch this unofficial addition to the Pokémpire before Team Nintendo arrives. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @engadget or @mskerryd.
An entire 'Pokémon' game is playable inside 'Minecraft'
When you think of Minecraft add-ons, you probably think of mini games or the occasional clever machine -- fun, but you'll likely be back to the main game before long. Well, you might want to clear your schedule with this one. Phoenix SC has released Pokémon Cobalt and Amethyst, a Minecraft add-on that recreates the adventuring and creature battles of its namesake game with uncanny attention to detail. There's a brand new storyline, 136 (!) new Pokémon and many of the experiences you know, including a blocky Pokédex. Reportedly, it could take you longer to beat than the official Pokémon games -- Phoenix SC is estimating that it'll take 60 to 80 hours to finish.
Elon Musk plays 'Minecraft' differently than you do
Since December, Elon Musk has been discussing plans to build a tunnel to help avoid LA traffic problems. It's been hard to tell if he was serious about "The Boring Company," but a few days ago Wired reported a test trench was already under construction somewhere in the vicinity of SpaceX's headquarters. Musk tweeted that he would start digging on January 27th, and said during last weekend's Hyperloop that the plan is to increase tunneling by "500 - 1000 percent." Now, (apparently away from the president's economic advisory council meeting) he's posted this picture of a massive digging machine at work, simply titled "Minecraft." So what are you doing with your weekend?
Microsoft drops support for 'Minecraft' on Windows Phone
Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, will stop supporting the Windows Phone 8.1 version of its own immensely popular world building game, Ars Technica reports. While the game's development continues apace, Redmond is essentially admitting that even with a massive player base, the venn diagram between Windows Phone users and Minecraft fans has too little overlap to be worth the effort.
'Minecraft' for Apple TV arrives today
A big part of Mincraft's success is how the game is available on basically every platform you can think of. Today, that list got one longer: Minecraft is now available on the Apple TV. As usual, it's the Minecraft experience you know and perhaps love, but with a few things missing. Namely, the multiplayer Minecraft Realms and Xbox Live support, though the developers say those features will be added in the "near future." The $19.99 entry price gets you the game as well as seven DLC packs: the Holiday 2015, Town Folk and City Folk skin packs as well as the Plastic, Natural, Cartoon, and Festive 2016 "mash-ups."
Lego's 'Minecraft' clone arrives February 21st (updated)
The overlap between Minecraft's brick-building fun and Lego's actual plastic blocks was bound to happen sooner or later. Last summer, Warner Brothers rolled out an early version of Lego Worlds on Steam Early Access in order to gather feedback from players before launching the final version. Today, the company announced that official launch will happen early next year. Lego's take on Minecraft's construction techniques is set to arrive on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam on February 21st.
The biggest 'Minecraft' console update of 2016 lands in December
The final Minecraft: Console Edition update of the year is also its largest. The Holiday Update will land in late December, bringing the Elytra (wings that allow players to glide), Amplified Terrain, End Cities, the Dragon's Breath potion ingredient and more features to PlayStation 4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Vita and Wii U. This means that the console versions will be nearly on par with the PC edition, Microsoft promises.
UK education expert dismisses 'Minecraft' as a 'gimmick'
After offering teachers early access to Minecraft: Education Edition this summer, Microsoft's classroom-friendly version of the immensely popular sandbox game was formally launched at the beginning of November. Not everyone is keen on Minecraft being used as a teaching tool, though, and ahead of Microsoft's UK launch event tomorrow, behavior expert for the government's Department for Education Tom Bennett has voiced his skepticism to The Times. "I am not a fan of Minecraft in lessons. This smacks to me of another gimmick which will get in the way of children actually learning," Bennett said.
'Minecraft' game-making tutorial teaches kids how to code
Microsoft knows that Minecraft can get kids into programming, and it's banking on that strategy again this year. It just teamed up with Code.org to introduce the Minecraft Hour of Code Designer, a tutorial that teaches young newcomers (6 years old and up) how to create a simple game. The Designer uses a drag-and-drop interface to illustrate familiar code concepts, such as object-oriented programming and loops, while letting imaginations run wild in Minecraft's blocky universe. You can make chickens that drop gold, and otherwise set rules that are as logical or ludicrous as you'd like.
