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Microsoft wants to make 'Minecraft' easier for kids to read
Microsoft is bringing its Immersive Reader to Minecraft: Education Edition. The tool will let users expand the text in character dialogue, settings and boards. Immersive Reader will dictate each word as it is highlighted, so users can follow along, and it will add Minecraft-specific images for words like "Creeper" and "Mooshroom."
Stop saying 'Minecraft Earth' is essentially 'Pokémon Go'
Minecraft Earth is a mobile AR game, but that doesn't mean it's Pokémon Go. Yes, it uses a mobile device. Yes, it superimposes digital objects on the physical landscape -- but that's just the definition of AR. Many stories and conversations about Minecraft Earth immediately compare it to Pokémon Go, describing it in terms of what's different or what's similar to Niantic's creature-collecting game. It'd be like contrasting The Life Aquatic with Billy Madison just because they're both shot with a camera and play out on a screen, but one happened to come out first. Pokémon Go and Minecraft Earth are vastly different experiences from the ground-up.
WWDC 2019 by the numbers
Apple held its 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose on Monday and took the opportunity to show off its latest MacOS build, a bunch of new features for the iPad, a bonkers 6K display for its equally overpowered Mac Pro, and even a new way to get into Minecraft. Let's take a look.
After Math: Goodbye, Grumpy Cat, whoa oh oh
Terrible news, everyone! The internet's favorite maladjusted kitteh has gone to the Great Cat Tree in the sky after succumbing to a urinary tract infection earlier this week. She -- yes, Grumpy Cat was a girl -- will be missed. Likewise, Cray Supercomputers' independence, Japan's phone number system and China's access to Wikipedia have come to similar ends over the past seven days.
'Minecraft Earth' makes the world your augmented reality playground
Microsoft wants you to see Minecraft everywhere you look: a virtual tree on your lawn, a life-sized castle sticking through your house and an elaborate cave system hidden beneath your local park. This is Minecraft Earth, a free-to-play version of one of the most popular games ever made, rebuilt around augmented reality for the iPhone and Android. Similar to Pokémon Go, which popularized AR gaming in a massive way, it relies on your smartphone as a window into a virtual world. But unlike that game, Minecraft Earth is completely committed to the notion of augmented reality. You're not just running into a random Pikachu on the sidewalk, you're building elaborate Minecraft creations that everyone else can see. The title says it all: It's a planet-wide Minecraft takeover.
'Minecraft' has sold 176 million copies worldwide
Microsoft announced that it has sold 176 million copies of Minecraft, quite a big hop over the 156 million figure they revealed just seven months ago. Despite more buzz around games like Fortnite, Microsoft has kept the game fresh with things like the Dungeons online co-op, a free browser version, a forthcoming movie and now, an augmented reality version called Minecraft Earth. Microsoft added that it has passed 200 million registered users of the Microsoft China edition and completed 130 million Minecraft "Hour of Code" sessions.
Play the original 'Minecraft' in your browser, for free
Minecraft is celebrating its 10th birthday by making its Classic version easily playable on web browsers. You don't need to download any files to make it work, and you don't have to pay a cent for access. Since Classic was only the second phase in the game's development cycle, its features are pretty limited. You'll only have 32 blocks to work with, most of which are dyed wool, and it's strictly creative mode only. But who needs zombies, skeletons and other mobs when you have the version's decade-old bugs to contend with, anyway?
Microsoft teases 'Minecraft' AR for your phone
Microsoft has something big in store for Minecraft fans. The company used the start of Build 2019 to offer a teaser for an augmented reality Minecraft experience for phones. The clip doesn't say much about what the experience entails, although it's safe to say you won't be building entire virtual worlds in your neighborhood -- the limitations of the real world will likely dictate what you can do.
The delayed 'Minecraft' movie is now set for March 2022
The long-delayed live-action Minecraft movie has a new release date, so fans might want to make a note in their calendars for March 4th, 2022. With so many delays, it was clear it'd still be a while yet before the film hits theatres, but the 2022 news might come as a disappointment to those who were at one point expecting to see Minecraft next month.
The ‘Minecraft’ movie will now be directed by Peter Sollett
The Warner Bros. Minecraft movie has a new director... again. Variety reports that Peter Sollett is now on board to write and direct the long-awaited movie, which was at one point supposed to be released in May of this year. However, production has hit delays, due in part to director switchups. Previously, Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) was set to direct the film, but he left the project last August. And he had taken over from Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) who dropped out in 2014.
‘Fortnite’ is getting a big new Creative mode
Fortnite's creators have spent the last few days hyping up a big announcement planned for this week's Game Awards, but now it seems an enthusiastic YouTuber has let the cat out of the bag early. And it's a biggie: Fortnite will be getting a brand new "Creative" mode.
Interactive 'Minecraft' adventure is now available on Netflix
When developer Telltale Games laid off most of its staff in September, it temporarily retained a skeleton crew to finish up work on a Netflix version of Minecraft: Story Mode. The first three episodes of the "interactive adventure" are now available on the streaming platform.
Microsoft pulls 'Minecraft' for Apple TV due to low demand
You probably didn't have a hankering to build Minecraft worlds on your Apple TV, and Microsoft has quietly acknowledged that reality. The company recently started notifying players that it had stopped updating and supporting the Apple TV version of the game on September 24th in order to "reallocate resources to the platforms that our players use the most." To phrase it differently, there weren't enough people playing to justify the investment. The game will continue to work, including Marketplace purchases, but you won't see new features. It's not available in the App Store, either.
Meet 'Minecraft: Dungeons,' an adventure game with online co-op
The new game from Mojang answers the eternal question, what if Minecraft and Gauntlet had a baby? Minecraft: Dungeons is a brand-new game inspired by classic dungeon crawlers like Wizardry and Ultima Underworld, and it turns the series' traditional formula on its head. Instead of providing a vast, open canvas where players can let their imaginations run wild, Dungeons is an adventure game filled with discrete quests, characters, items and enemies. It still looks like classic Minecraft fare, complete with cube-headed characters and 3D swords with jagged, pixelated blades.
Cartoon Network will livestream virtual 'Minecraft' convention
It's almost time for Minecon -- an annual convention exclusively for Minecraft -- and like last year, you can watch the whole event from the comfort of your living room. Cartoon Network will broadcast the 90-minute event on its YouTube channel (which is sadly geoblocked) on September 29th, Saturday, starting at at 11:30 AM ET. The livestream will feature pre- and post-show programming, community panels, costume contests, live gameplay, the latest about the game and more. According to Variety, the livestream will also show merchandise you can purchase from home.
'Minecraft' mod fosters a collaborative effort against climate change
A Minecraft modder has added some fresh gameplay issues for players to deal with in the form of climate change. Nick Porillo's GlobalWarming mod alters the atmosphere based on certain actions like smelting ores. Temperatures will rise as carbon emissions increase, leading to violent storms, forest fires and a drop in snowfall levels as climate change takes hold.
‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ arrives on iPad in September
Minecraft: Education Edition is heading to the iPad and educators will have access to it starting next month. The education version of the game launched in 2016 and Microsoft says there are now 35 million licensed users in 115 countries. "Minecraft: Education Edition on iPad unlocks new and intuitive ways of collaborating and sharing and has revolutionized the way our students and teachers explore curriculum and projects," Kyriakos Koursaris, head of education technology for PaRK International School, said in a statement. "The features allow for deep and meaningful learning, and the values it promotes, from inclusivity to 21st century skills, empower everyone to use technology with extraordinary results," said Koursaris.
'Minecraft' movie delayed amid director changes
Were you eagerly awaiting Minecraft movie's May 2019 release? You'll need to make a change of plans. Director and co-writer Rob McElhenney has informed TheWrap that the originally slated debut is "not happening" as he's leaving the project. It's not clear why he's departing or who will replace him as director. However, Warner Bros. is asking Aaron and Adam Nee (both working on Masters of the Universe) to draft a new script.
'Minecraft' cross-play is here for mobile, PC, Switch and Xbox
Announced at E3 last year, Minecraft's cross-play update is finally here to unite players on mobile, PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox hardware. More than just proving to Sony that cross-platform multiplayer is safe and that it works, the "Bedrock" update also brings the Switch version up to par with other platforms.
‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ will become a Netflix 'interactive story' (updated)
Netflix has reportedly signed a deal with Telltale Games to bring simplified versions of its popular titles to the streaming service. The company confirmed to TechRadar that the first of these will be Minecraft: Story Mode, which will appear on the platform, followed at some point by a new Telltale game based on the Stranger Things series.
