Stone Marshall's Blog, page 165
April 21, 2017
Remote St Kilda islands recreated in Minecraft
Scotland’s remote St Kilda archipelago has been digitally recreated in video game Minecraft.
Games company ImmersiveMinds spent more than 125 hours and used more than three million virtual bricks on the 1:1 scale map of the islands.
St Kilda lies about 40 miles (64km) west of North Uist, the nearest inhabited place to the archipelago.
The last islanders left the main island of Hirta in 1930 after life there became unsustainable.
People only now live on Hirta on a temporary basis to work at the military site, or on wildlife conservation projects.
The Minecraft version of St Kilda has been made to help mark Tuesday’s World Heritage Day.
The map is available for public download to allow gamers all over the world to explore the archipelago’s history, heritage, stories, people and landscapes.
Nick Smith, heritage manager at Western Isles’ local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said: “This is a really exciting way to use technology so that people can discover a remote and difficult to access place.”
The team from ImmersiveMinds worked closely with Jonathan Wordsworth, the St Kilda archaeologist with The National Trust for Scotland, to ensure that this digital world is as accurate as possible.
The virtual build features abandoned blackhouses, boats and underground structures called souterrains.
April 20, 2017
Is the Latest MINECRAFT POKÉMON the Coolest One Yet?
As has been well-documented, Minecraft is a sort of breeding ground for Pokémon fan recreations. Somebody made a working Game Boy Advance capable of playing Pokémon Fire Red last summer, while another fan created an entirely new 3D Pokémon adventure, all in Minecraft. If you’ve been reading the site for a while, you might also remember the fan who was working on a fully functional recreation of Pokémon Red. He was off to a strong start in 2015, and now, the project is finally finished (via Polygon).
When we last checked in on Mr. Squishy, who went by Magib1 at the time, he had the Pokédex, basic game mechanics, and the world map done. Now, he’s finally finished, and the game is a true port, meaning that he didn’t just make a Game Boy emulator in Minecraft and load the Pokémon Red ROM into it: He recreated the entire game from scratch.
In the above video interview with Polygon, Mr. Squishy explains how that process worked and why it was necessary:
Minecraft has command blocks, which allow you to write code in-game. There’s no easy way to just take the ROM for one of these old games and dump it into Minecraft. To get all of the functionality in the game, you basically need to re-code everything from the ground up inside the game, so that’s what I’ve done here.
Mr. Squishy also documented the process on Reddit and answered some questions there, revealing that so much effort went into this endeavor: He walked over 1,760 in-game miles and used 357,000 command blocks over the 21 months it took to finish the project. Even all of the game’s original glitches have been recreated. Now that’s dedication.
Of course, this Minecraft-based Pokémon game is a totally different beast from the other aforementioned efforts…
The Pokémon Fire Red remake is more graphically intensive since it’s a GBA game, but movement is a bit choppy and it’s still very much a work in progress (although the latest version of the game has made great strides and it looks fairly accurate at this point).
Then there’s Pokémon Cobalt and Amethyst, which is in a completely different league. Instead of recreating an existing game, this one is a completely new adventure in 3D. It copies the original game mechanics, and it’s sort of like a merge of Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Sun and Moon, so it’s very robust. It has an original plot and even a bunch of brand new Pokémon, so the game definitely goes beyond the call of duty.
Each of these fan projects are special in their own way, and a testament to how versatile of a creation environment Minecraft can be to people with good ideas and ambition.
Feel free to download the Pokémon Red remake for yourself and give it a go, right here. Are you going to try this out, or are you going to stick to your emulators, or perhaps an original cartridge? Hit up the comments below and let us know what you think!
April 18, 2017
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Version Release Date Announced
Nintendo announced today that Minecraft will come to Nintendo Switch on May 11 digitally, with a physical version to hit stores at a later date.
Minecraft will include multiplayer for eight players online or four players locally on Switch, offering split-screen as well as support for the Switch Pro Controller.
The Switch version will also include the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack that previously came to Wii U, which offers Mario-themed skins, textures, music, and much more from previous Mario games.
On Nintendo Switch
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Minecraft was first confirmed for Nintendo Switch back in January. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced a new marketplace coming to the Windows 10 and mobile versions of Minecraft later this year, but it’s unknown for now how many PC features will be headed to the Switch version.
For more on Minecraft’s Mario mashup, check out our interview with Nintendo’s Damon Baker about the collaboration.
April 17, 2017
We Shall Get Another Look at Minecraft: Switch Edition on April 18
We finally found out that Minecraft is coming to the Nintendo Switch during the Nintendo Direct which took place earlier this week. We received a glimpse of the game and we will be getting more footage come on Tuesday, April 18th. Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition launches on Nintendo eShop on May 11th and in stores at a later date.
Next @MinecraftUKLive livestream will be Tuesday 18th…either 4pm or 5pm UK time @mcdamoski and I will show off new Glide tracks & Switch!
— Roger Carpenter (@PopsRamjet) April 15, 2017
We Shall Get Another Look at Minecraft: Switch Edition on April 18
‘Minecraft’ Nintendo Switch Release Date News: Game to Get May 2017 Launch
Nintendo has announced that Microsoft’s popular video game “Minecraft” will launch digitally for the Nintendo Switch on May 11, with a physical release of the game arriving “at a later date.”
The Japanese game publisher confirmed the news during its Direct stream on Wednesday, April 11, in which “Splatoon 2” and “ARMS” also got release dates of July 21 and June 16, respectively.
image: http://d.christianpost.com/full/10747...
image: http://d.christianpost.com/full/10747...
Facebook/MinecraftA promotional photo for the video game “Minecraft.”
Nintendo also confirmed that the Switch version of “Minecraft” will support local as well as online multiplayer modes. Four players can craft their “worlds” at once on the television in either split-screen or tabletop mode, while eight players can play together online. Its provisional U.S. pricing is apparently set at $29.99, according to Trusted Reviews.
Aside from this, a “Super Mario” mash-up pack for the 3D building game will also come to the Switch, allowing players to explore blocky versions of the Mushroom Kingdom-themed worlds with “Super Mario” characters such as Luigi and Waluigi.
The Switch edition of “Minecraft” is reportedly being handled by 4J Studios, the game developer who previously brought the PC version of Mojang’s Minecraft to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PS Vita and Wii U.
Telltale’s narrative-driven adaptation, titled “Minecraft: Story Mode,” has also been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch game console. However, it remains unclear when this particular game will be released.
Microsoft also recently revealed that some versions of the 3D building game will be getting a new marketplace where gamers will be able to buy user-generated skins and maps, as well as other items. However, it remains unclear whether the Minecraft Marketplace will be coming to the Switch version of the game as it is currently limited — for the time being at very least — to the game’s PC and mobile editions.
“Minecraft” arrives for the Nintendo Switch on the Nintendo eShop on May 11, while a physical release date will be announced in the near future.
‘Minecraft’ Nintendo Switch Release Date News: Game to Get May 2017 Launch
April 16, 2017
‘Minecraft’ and other eSports compete for legitimacy as kids’ activities
Ashley Griffin squeals as a sword-wielding opponent takes a jab at her avatar on her laptop screen.
“I need to run away,” yells Ashley, reaching quickly for her keypad.
The best part of the 9-year-old’s week is the 90 minutes she spends sitting in a darkened theater in Woodridge, heavy industrial music blaring in the background, next to her new “Minecraft” bestie, Virginia Warot, 10.
The girls are partaking in a push by some in the video game industry to rebrand electronic sports, or eSports, as a legitimate after-school childhood activity, not unlike baseball, soccer, clubs or music lessons.
On Saturday mornings, Cinemark at Seven Bridges theater in Woodridge hosts Super League Gaming’s “Minecraft” competition for kids like Ashley and Virginia, who collaborate together on a team instead of playing at home alone.
Virginia Warot, 10, left, and Ashley Griffen, 9, right, play “Minecraft” in a Super League Gaming qualifying round recently held in the Cinemark at Seven Bridges theater in Woodridge. The girls like the ability to work with teammates on the various “Minecraft” game challenges. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)
For the past month, area kids have been trying to qualify for the Chicago Force team, which will compete against city teams in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix and San Francisco. Besides bragging rights, winning team members receive college scholarships.
The City Champs season, which begins April 29, costs $60 and includes an official club jersey, admission to three events and the chance to qualify for the Grand Final. Registration is available at superleague.com.
Ann Hand, CEO of Super League Gaming in Santa Monica, Calif., said the “Minecraft” competition is meant to complement, not replace, other children’s activities.
“In the end, we award a scholarship to the best team in North America. We have a 5-year-old in L.A. who last year got a $2,500 scholarship to college,” Hand said. “That’s the beautiful thing. ‘Minecraft,’ too, is the ultimate equalizer. The best players don’t have to be the oldest and strongest.”
Getting parents on board with the concept has been fairly easy since launching a year and a half ago, Hand said. With Super League’s Minecraft competitions geared for ages 17 and younger, the majority of the participants can’t drive, so parental involvement is critical.
Hand said much of the parental buy-in is because “Minecraft” increasingly is used by school districts to promote STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Parents are starting to realize this is a positive game that they want to make time for their son or daughter to play because they appreciate how much their computer literacy increases,” she said.
In addition, parents appreciate the collaborative team aspects kids typically learn playing traditional sports, Hand said.
“They say if we’re going to put time into this game because it has all of these positive attributes, I would rather they do it in an environment with other kids than having him or her be alone in their room,” she said.
The competitive league is spreading into schools, too.
Virginia Warot, 10, left, and Ashley Griffen, 9, play “Minecraft” in a Super League Gaming qualifying round held recently at the Cinemark at Seven Bridges theater in Woodridge. The girls like the ability to work with teammates on the various “Minecraft” game challenges. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)
Teachers who coach after-school “Minecraft” clubs are starting to work with students to strategize and plan building tasks in order to compete better as a team on the weekends, Hand said.
“The educators, as well, see the positive aspects of it, and that helps parents get on board,” she said.
As enticing as it sounds, medical experts warn too much of one thing can lead to long-term physical and mental consequences.
Dr. Julie Jones, a family medicine physician in the Edward Medical Group, said children who experience too much screen time have a higher rate of obesity, which can lead to more serious heart and diabetes issues.
In fact, research published last month in the British Medical Journal shows children who spend more than three hours a day in front a television, computer, tablet or other hand-held devices are at greater risk of developing diabetes.
In addition, Jones said the American Academy of Pediatricians warns too much video use can alter a child’s sleep behavior pattern.
“Children who do not get quality sleep will have difficulty concentrating,” she said.
Repetitive motion can cause long-term damage to tendons and nerves, even in children, according to an occupational therapist.
Just as a child shouldn’t practice basketball for more than a few hours per day, kids shouldn’t play video games for hours on end, said Amy Kiesler, who works for Athletico in Naperville.
Not only can sitting for extended periods of time in a slumped position strain the back and neck, Kiesler said, constant wrist motion by gamers causes problems with carpel tunnel.
Kiesler said problems arise when gamers fail to give their wrists a break, thinking that a good night’s sleep will ease any symptoms. People generally sleep in fetal position, which curls the hands and exacerbates the tension on the wrists, she said.
Dominic Bruno, 11, of Lemont, plays “Minecraft” in a Super League Gaming qualifying round held recently at the Cinemark at Seven Bridges theater in Woodridge. The young gamer was trying to earn a spot on the Chicago Force team that will compete against teams in other U.S. cities for the City Championship title as well as a $2,500 college scholarship. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)
Ways to counteract carpel tunnel involve stretching exercises and the use of wrist braces or other custom-made orthotics, Kiesler said.
“Protocol is to catch it early, before it gets worse. If someone is experiencing numbness or tingling, seek help immediately,” she said.
Injuries were the last thing on Ashley’s mind when she was playing “Minecraft” during a recent qualifying round.
“Who doesn’t like ‘Minecraft’? It’s fun for everyone because you get to play with your friends,” she said.
Her father, Ken Griffin, of Woodridge, said because they both like to play video games, “Minecraft” allows them to have a common interest. “It’s a good bonding thing. This ‘Minecraft’ thing — she can talk about it for hours,” Griffin said.
Virginia’s dad, Michael Warot, of Muenster, Ind., couldn’t agree more.
While he often spends some of the 90-minute sessions reading, he also enjoys observing what’s going on in some of the challenges. As a result, Warot has a deeper understanding of why his daughter likes “Minecraft” and can hold conversations with her on the way home.
Warot said he’s learned Virginia wants to become a video game artist when she gets older.
“Minecraft,” however, doesn’t dominate her life. Warot said Virginia plays “Minecraft” in her spare time, when she’s not attending after-school activities, such as Brownies and a running program.
“It’s nice and safe, and it’s fun to find people with the same interest,” Michael Warot said. “It’s her free time. Why not let her do that?”
While the girls are taking a more casual approach to the Super League competition, Dominic Bruno, 11, of Lemont, is out to be No. 1 on the Chicago Force team.
“He would play all day if he could,” said his mother, Jackie Bruno. “He told me, ‘I have to go to all four (qualifying rounds) so I can have a chance to get the best score.”
Despite his “Minecraft” devotion, it isn’t the only activity in Dominic’s life, she said. He plays soccer, collects superhero comic books and writes his own comic books.
‘Minecraft’ and other eSports compete for legitimacy as kids’ activities
April 12, 2017
Startups: How Roblox Plans to Copy Microsoft’s Minecraft
This week, Roblox Corporation, the San Mateo, California-based developer of the popular online social gaming platform for kids known as Roblox, announced the closure of its first private equity offering in more than five years.
The funding round, which raised $92 million for the company, was primarily backed by Meritech Capital Partners, a venture capital firm that was an early investor in many tech giants such as Snapchat, Facebook and Index Ventures. In addition to expanding the company’s mobile strategy, the funds raised will also be used to repurchase shares from those employees who wish to cash out of some of their equity. (For related reading, see: Is Microsoft Stock a Bargain at Tech-Bubble Highs?)
Minecraft Rival
The game Roblox allows its players to create their own virtual worlds, and is often described as being very similar to Microsoft’s Minecraft video game. Microsoft acquired Minecraft for $2.4 billion in 2014. The funds raised from the recent funding round could help to better position Roblox to compete with Minecraft. The main ages for the users of both gaming platforms ranges from 6 years to 16 years.
According to the company’s corporate website, Roblox’s platform currently sees 48 million monthly users while a March 2017 article in Bloomberg reports that Minecraft has a total of 55 million active users. (For more, see also: Can LinkedIn Become Microsoft’s Instagram?)
The Business Model
Although Roblox declined to disclose the valuation at which their recent financing round was offered, an article that was published in Forbes last summer revealed that the company had realized more than $50 million in gross revenues in the year 2015. The company primarily makes its money by selling a virtual currency to its players and also by charging a subscription fee to developers who use the platform to develop games. Roblox also takes a commission from purchases on games that were made by developers. Some of Roblox’s top game creators are reportedly making as much as $50,000 a month.
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April 8, 2017
Minecraft morphed into game to help kids and parents deal with onset of diabetes
Prahlad Wulf’s eyes are locked on his laptop screen and his fingers tap the keyboard in complete absorption, his focus broken only by the time taken to grab a few corn chips to eat.
Six boys sit next to him, each similarly focused.
They are all playing Minecraft, the massively popular game where blocky-pixelated characters explore, build, and live in a limitless blocky-pixelated world.
But unlike the other boys, Prahlad has type 1 diabetes.
Photo: Prahlad Wulf was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was eight. (ABC News: Nick Wiggins) He was diagnosed at the age of eight, and spent two weeks in hospital learning how to manage the condition via the rituals of daily injections, blood glucose checks and watching what he eats.
“I was really young then so I didn’t really understand most of it, it was a little bit scary,” Prahlad said.
For his father Josh Wulf, the experience was tough to handle.
“If anything happens to your children it really hits you, you know?” Mr Wulf said.
Photo: The modified game contains the added challenge of monitoring their blood glucose and insulin (ABC News: Nick Wiggins) The experience stuck with Mr Wulf, who now runs programs helping children learn coding through Minecraft.
“I realised we could make a difference for children and families living with type 1 diabetes in terms of learning how to manage their condition in a safe way, and a fun way,” he said.
With a group of volunteers, he has been building a modified version of Minecraft and they have been spending weekends together fine-tuning and testing the game.
GIF: A modified version of Minecraft helps children manage their diabetes
In the modified version of Minecraft, players walk around the world and play through stories, with the added challenge of monitoring their blood glucose and insulin.
“They focus on playing, they focus on the story, they focus on the magic, and they just learn how to manage diabetes in the course of that,” Mr Wulf said.
He hopes the finished game will help children with type 1 diabetes connect online, as well as help their friends without diabetes better understand the condition.
Photo: Josh Wulf hopes the modified game will help children with diabetes better manage their condition. (ABC News: Nick Wiggins) QUT associate professor Michael Dezuanni studies how kids learn playing games and he would like to trial the game with newly diagnosed kids in hospital.
“They would be able to play the game, and it would be able to become one part of their education around type 1 diabetes,” he said.
The project has also attracted international attention.
Mr Wulf said a Danish pharmaceutical company that manufactures insulin approached him after hearing about the project.
“We’re working with their scientists on the modelling of the metabolism in the game, and we’re going to visit them in Denmark in June to talk further about that,” he said.
Photo: Children without diabetes have been helping to test out the game. (ABC News: Nick Wiggins) Prahlad said if the game existed when he was diagnosed, it would have helped.
“It would’ve been easier for me to understand what is, cause it’s in simpler terms instead of all this scientific mumbo jumbo,” he said.
“Someone who newly has type 1 diabetes – it would help them a lot.”
Minecraft morphed into game to help kids and parents deal with onset of diabetes
April 7, 2017
Minecraft players, beware fake ‘mods’ on Google Play
It could be “game over” for Minecraft fans who downloaded unauthorized mods (modifications) for their Android smartphone or tablet.
Instead of finding new content or tools to tweak the wildly popular Minecraft: Pocket Edition mobile game, more than 80 malicious apps — disguised as Minecraft mods — contained Trojans that bombarded users with advertisements or redirected them to scam websites, says ESET, a Slovakia-based cybersecurity company.
Lukas Stefanko, the malware researcher who discovered the fake mods, says there have been nearly 1 million downloads of the malicious apps from the Google Play store. “Users often fall for phony apps because they’re promising to deliver something new for a famous game like Minecraft, plus many have positive — but fabricated — ratings,” Stefanko says in an interview with USA TODAY.
Once launched, the apps displayed a screen with a download button, which didn’t install a mod but took users to a Web browser with “scareware” messages falsely notifying users of a found virus on their device and promoting them to download a new app.
Other apps displayed numerous advertisements.
ESET says it reported these two groups of apps to Google on March 16 and 21, respectively. If anyone suspects any of these apps are installed, the company offers step-by-step instructions on how to properly remove them at welivesecurity.com.
Along with running a mobile security solution, Stefanko says, ESET suggests Android users download apps only from trustworthy developers or official stores and be cautious when giving app permissions.
Microsoft did not comment on the ESET findings but said in a statement, “Customers should use caution when dealing with publishers who aren’t known or reputable. We recommend downloading games and apps from trusted sources, such as Microsoft and Mojang.”
Google had no comment.
This isn’t the first time unauthorized Minecraft-related malware has been found on Google Play. In May 2015, ESET discovered and reported 30 applications that pretended to be cheats for the popular game, installed by more than 600,000 Android users.
Minecraft was developed and published by Mojang in 2011, originally for personal computers, and agreed to a purchase by Microsoft for roughly $2.5 billion in the fall of 2014.
April 5, 2017
Pick up Minecraft: Xbox One Favorites Pack and get the Battle Map Pack pass free
Microsoft has outed a temporary bundle deal that should make the prospect of picking up Minecraft on Xbox One a little more tempting. Now, when you pick up the Minecraft: Xbox One Edition Favorites Pack, you can snag the Battle Map Pack Season Pass for free.
In all, this bundle will save you a modest $10, or the price of the Battle Map Pack Season Pass. You’ll still have to shell out $30 to pick up the Favorites Pack, itself. For its part, the Favorites Pack includes the following:
Battle & Beasts Skin Pack
Battle & Beasts 2 Skin Pack
Natural Texture Pack
City Texture Pack
Fantasy Texture Pack
Festive Mash-up
Halo Mash-up
The free Battle Map Pack Season Pass will give you access to a total of four map packs that you can use with the Battle mini game. Interested? This deal is up for grabs through April 15 at the Microsoft Store, along with retailers like Gamestop and Walmart.
Pick up Minecraft: Xbox One Favorites Pack and get the Battle Map Pack pass free
