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Mojang bans brands from building Minecraft promo maps and mods
Mojang's putting its blocky foot down when it comes to brands and Minecraft. In an open letter to the community on its site, Owen Hill, the company's director of creative communications, laid out new guidelines specifically directed at companies, ad agencies and any other non-gamer entities looking to capitalize on Minecraft's massive user community. For an idea of just how vast that base is, consider that, in 2014, creator Markus "Notch" Persson revealed that the PC version had over 100 million registered users. It's understandable that a pool of users that large would prove a tempting lure for brands that want to market their wholly unrelated wares to the community. But no more -- according to the new building promotion guidelines, it's no longer permissible to build servers or maps to "promote unrelated products in playable form." So what does that translate to? Well, you can say goodbye to awkward promotions like the giant, working cellphone CaptainSparklez made on behalf of Verizon, or Disney commissioning a map of Tomorrowland to promote its film of the same name. All that said, if you're a mega fan and you do these sorts of things on your own time and dime, well, that's just fine by Mojang.
'Minecraft' players can battle each other next month
Minecraft is about to get a whole lot more competitive. Mojang, 4J Studios and Microsoft have teamed up to introduce a special new PvP mini game for Minecraft: Console Edition, and it's called simply Battle.
'Minecraft' is making its way to China
Players around the world log hundreds of hours in Minecraft each day, but not gamers in China. Today, Minecraft developer Mojang announced it's creating a whole new version of the game created specifically for Chinese consumers.
'Super Mario' is coming to 'Minecraft: Wii U Edition'
Minecraft is available on almost every platform known to man, so when the Wii U version launched last December, most people responded with a shrug. Heck, you couldn't even use the GamePad for inventory management. To makes the console edition a little more attractive, Nintendo has teamed up with Mojang for some special Mario-themed content. It'll be available as a free update in May and offer a bundle of character skins, item textures and music ripped from the portly plumber's world. There will also be a pre-made Super Mario-themed map, just in case your thumbs aren't up to the challenge of crafting one from scratch.
Try a free strategy game from the makers of 'Minecraft'
Developer Mojang might be best known for wildly popular and influential Minecraft, but it's no one-trick pony. Which brings us to Crown & Council, the studio's latest that, from the sounds of it, is a fast-paced strategy game in the vein of Risk or Civilization. In the tradition of Minecraft, the studio says that the game was developed entirely by one person, Henrik Pettersson. It uses a charming 16-bit style of pixel art and maybe best of all, it's absolutely free on Steam. Need something new to play over the weekend? Now you're all set.
'Minecraft: Education Edition' launches this June
Microsoft's official Minecraft: Education Edition will begin its life in an early access program (kind of like how the original game did) in June. The idea here is to allow educators a chance to give the blocky building game a test run over summer break so they can see how it'd fit into their curriculums, providing feedback along the way. This will also help in the development of additional lesson plans.
Microsoft is opening up the world of 'Minecraft' to Gear VR
The Oculus Rift isn't the only virtual reality platform getting a piece of Minecraft's pie. Today, at a GDC 2016 event, Microsoft and Oculus are set to announce that the open-world phenomenon is also coming to the Gear VR, a spokesperson for the companies confirmed to Engadget. For many people, Samsung's headset is a far more accessible option than the consumer Rift, so this is good news for anyone who wants to play Minecraft in VR without breaking the bank.
'Minecraft' update puts items in both hands
It's often the little things that make a big difference. Mojang has released a combat-focused Minecraft update that lets you carry items in both hands, dramatically streamlining how you play. You can carry both a sword and a shield (also new) when you're expecting a rough fight, or place torches while you're digging tunnels with your pickaxe -- no more switching back and forth for some mundane tasks. This may take some time to get used to if you're a veteran, but it promises to make your virtual life considerably easier.
'Minecraft' fan finds a way to program BASIC code in-game
You may have seen Minecraft used to teach programming or even mods that allow some in-game programming, but writing BASIC code inside Minecraft? That's virtually unheard of... until now. SethBling has developed a BASIC interpreter that lets you compile and run simple programs and scripts within Mojang's world-building game. It boils down to using many, many command blocks, but it really works. You can not only print text, but have in-game robots ("turtles") perform tasks. Need to dig a long tunnel? Just start a digging script and let the bot do all the hard work.
'Minecraft' is coming to the Wii U on December 17th
While it might feel like Minecraft is available everywhere, gamers have had to look on as the popular franchise launched on every other company's platforms bar Nintendo's. Today, however, we have some good news: after months, nay years, of waiting, the Japanese game maker confirmed the sandbox game is finally coming to the Wii U on December 17th. As expected, Minecraft will come with a multitude of add-on packs, giving budding builders the chance to get festive ahead of Christmas or play with characters from popular movies and TV shows like Star Wars, The Simpsons and Dr Who.
Microsoft uses 'Minecraft' to teach your kid how to code
You can get kids to do a lot if you promise them Minecraft... just ask parents who've watched their children race through chores to get some building time. And Microsoft knows this, too. It just released a tutorial for Code.org that uses Minecraft to teach the basics of computer programming. Instead of pointing and clicking to smash your way through the landscape, you construct a string of commands using code-like snippets such as "turn left" and "destroy block." This hopefully shows your young ones how programming can be both fun and relevant -- it's not just some boring thing you do to make money. Many students will try this when the next Hour of Code kicks off on December 7th, but you can visit the website today if your kids can't wait to give it a shot.
'Minecraft' with a story isn't as weird as you'd think
A story-driven game about Minecraft, the block-building phenomenon adored by children and adults alike, might sound a tad contradictory. By design, Minecraft has little in the way of plot or characters -- the world is randomly generated and the best "stories" occur naturally based on what you decide to build and explore. The game's open nature is what makes it special, and it's also the reason why Minecraft: Story Mode, a spin-off title with a carefully crafted plot, has been met with so much skepticism. Minecraft works because it doesn't have a story -- is it possible, or right, for another developer to give it one?
Minecraft's story mode means more action, less dirt farming
Back in December, Telltale Games hinted that there was a narrative-driven installment of the Minecraft franchise on the way. Now in the newly released trailer, we get to see the story behind the first episode dubbed "The Order of the Stone." Players will assume control of Jesse (who can be either a man or woman, kudos for the gender-neutral name Mojang) who takes a group of friends to a fan convention that celebrates a group of lauded warriors called -- obviously enough -- 'The Order of the Stone.' Obvious trouble brews and it is up to Jesse and his square-pals to track down the Order, consisting of Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect, to restore peace and justice to the Minecraft universe.
Telltale's 'Minecraft' adventure game arrives on October 13
Minecraft, but as a point-and-click adventure game? When Telltale's Story Mode title was first announced, it left many of us scratching our heads. Minecraft is hardly known for its rich narrative, and its open-ended gameplay couldn't be further from the tightly woven, decision-driven moments found in most Telltale games. However, since then we've had a steady clip of trailers and screenshots that give us an idea of how it'll all shake out -- and now we've got a release date too. Minecraft: Story Mode launches on October 13th with the first episode, "The Order of the Stone." It'll be available on PC, Mac, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 -- iOS and Android will join them on October 15th, followed by Wii U and PS Vita sometime in the future. Retail versions will be dropping on October 27th -- Telltale is calling it a "Season Pass Disc," which means you'll get instant access to the first episode and download codes/patches for the latter four episodes that wrap up the series.
'Minecraft' players on Windows 10 and mobile can now build together
Minecraft offers wondrous worlds for solo adventurers, but it also gives groups the perfect canvas to build on and break together. With this in mind, developer Mojang is making it easier to host your friends with cross-platform play between Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition and Minecraft: Pocket Edition. Up to five players can now join the same session on a local network with their PC, iOS, Android or Windows Phone devices. And, if you need another reason to try Microsoft's new OS, the Windows 10 version has also been updated with five-person online multiplayer over Xbox Live. Microsoft has put a ton of work into its new Xbox app for Windows 10 -- it's desperate to prove the OS is a worthy upgrade for PC gamers -- and this could make it easier for beginners to set up collaborative builds.
Custom 'Minecraft' PC is more than a skin-deep tribute
You may see yourself as a big Minecraft fan, but Spencer Kern just took that devotion to another level. The Microsoft game artist marked the launches of both Windows 10 and its special version of Minecraft by building Redstone, a custom PC that's a tribute to Mojang's construction game in more ways than one. Kern didn't just slap some pixel art on a case and call it a day -- he custom-built the cube to pay homage to its namesake game resource through and through, including eerie red lighting, custom storage labels and a miniature version of Steve lurking inside. He even personalized his gamepad, headphones, keyboard and mouse to match the theme. You sadly can't buy Redstone, but Kern has documented enough of its assembly that you could theoretically create a reasonable facsimile with enough time and elbow grease.
Mojang's next game is 'Cobalt,' a 2D platformer due in October
Mojang isn't just focused on shipping endless variations of Minecraft -- it can publish other games, too. As proof, the Microsoft-owned team has announced that Cobalt, an Oxeye-developed 2D platform game for Mac, PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, will finally arrive (it was unveiled in 2012) in October. The title has you employing hacks and stealth to learn why a human colony vanished on an alien world. It's big on multiplayer, too, with cooperative play, six competitive multiplayer modes and 30 dedicated maps. If you're eager to give Cobalt a shot before the fall, you can try pre-release Mac and Windows versions today.
This is Minecon: the biggest 'Minecraft' fan convention
Inside the main convention hall, children scurry left and right with foam diamond swords raised high above their heads. Eyes wide and mouths agape, some of them rush toward a blocky reimagining of Big Ben, where Minecraft's formidable Ender Dragon can be found wrapped around the clock face. Below, parents wander between life-size character statues and trees with cube-cut canopies, a mixture of fascination and bemusement etched onto their faces. For one weekend in July, 10,000 of the most dedicated Minecraft players have descended upon London's Excel Exhibition Centre for Minecon, a fan convention celebrating the blockbuster sandbox building game. With panels, signings, tournaments and merchandise, it's the Minecraft equivalent of Disney World and Comic-Con.
I played 'Minecraft' with Microsoft's HoloLens
"Try to look straight," a Microsoft employee tells me in a bright, cheery tone. I'm staring through an unusual pair of binoculars -- the kind that's normally used to test your eyesight in an optometrist's office. My gaze is locked on the piercing white light inside, but I can feel my sleep-deprived eyes beginning to tire. "Oh, you've moved again," my guide mutters with a hint of disappointment. I'm sitting in a small meeting room deep inside London's Excel Exhibition Centre, waiting for the distance between my eyes to be measured. It's not even 9AM, but already the first Minecraft fans are spilling through for the second day of Minecon -- a fan convention that celebrates the blocky building game invented by Markus "Notch" Persson. Once an indie darling, the imaginative sandbox title is now a global phenomenon played by millions of children and adults around the world. But today, instead of queuing for pictures with creepers and famous YouTubers, I'm waiting to play Minecraft on HoloLens.
'Minecraft' beta for Windows 10 will pit you against mobile friends
Microsoft and Mojang don't just have a story-based Minecraft game to show at Minecon 2015 -- they're also revealing a beta version of Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition. This release will ditch the less than ideal Java code of desktop versions in favor of native Windows code, and shares some roots with the Pocket Edition you typically find on phones. You'll even get to build worlds with those mobile players through an update that should hit "soon" after the beta arrives. And to no one's surprise, the construction title will do a lot to take advantage of Windows 10's many Xbox tie-ins, such as 8-way multiplayer (both locally and on Xbox Live) and game video recording. The beta will be ready on July 29th, and it'll be free if you already have the existing PC version. If you're new to all this, it'll cost $10 to get in during the test phase.
