Stone Marshall's Blog, page 89

‘Minecraft’ and The Nature Conservancy Use Player Creations to Help Real World Coral Reefs

The new Coral Crafters campaign will install six user-crafted BioRock structures to promote coral growth off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.

With Minecraft’s recent Update Aquatic populating the game’s oceans with kelp, sealife and colorful coral reefs, developer Mojang has now turned its attention to the real-life seas threatened by climate change, pollution and endangered natural reefs.

With the Minecraft Coral Crafters campaign, Mojang, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is turning in-game designs from content creators into real-world underwater sculptures made from BioRock, an innovative technology that promotes coral growth up to five times faster than normal. The effort is led by Professor Wolf Hilbertz and Dr. Tom Goreau of the Global Coral Reef Alliance.

“Coral Crafters is a celebration of the Update Aquatic,” Emily Orrson, product marketing manager at Minecraft tells Heat Vision. “As we put coral into our oceans in-game it seemed natural to put them into the oceans in real life. Already, our players are innovating and creating in Minecraft to build a better world — and we are following their lead with Coral Crafters”

The initiative will see six BioRock structures installed off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, where coral reefs have suffered from coral bleaching and been battered by hurricanes. Three designs feature familiar characters from the franchise, while the remaining three were designed by the Minecraft community.

Starting on World Oceans Day on June 8, Minecraft challenged players to build coral reefs in-game and within two days, 10 million coral blocks were placed underwater in-game, triggering a donation from Minecraft to support The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to restore and protect coral in the Caribbean. In addition, net proceeds from the game’s Coral Crafters skin pack go to support The Nature Conservancy’s reef restoration efforts.

“This contribution will allow us to outplant 15,000 coral individuals on reefs that we are working to restore in the Caribbean,” says Stephanie Wear, senior scientist and strategy advisor for The Nature Conservancy. “We expect these outplantings to happen in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Dominican Republic and possibly Mexico.”

Snorkelers in Cozumel will be able to view the newly installed features as they traverse the picturesque waters off the coast of the island.

“This is the best part about this project — attracting attention to this important ocean habitat — an opportunity to have fun and learn all at once,” says Wear.

“We believe the creativity and innovation in the Minecraft community is building a better world for everyone,” Orrson says. “Coral Crafters is a way for us to support that creativity and innovation and bring it to real life.”

Not only does the initiative work to help real-world aquatic ecosystems, but it also inspires children to advocate for natural conservation in our world’s oceans. “It is a great opportunity to connect people — especially young people — to marine life in the ocean that they may never have the opportunity to experience,” says Wear. “It can inspire curiosity about these critically important ocean habits and the hope is they will want to learn more and get involved to help in even bigger ways.”

Minecraft partners with The Nature Conservatory to restore coral reefs

Minecraft’s World Ocean Day efforts to help restore coral reefs have seen enthusiastic success. Along with a $100,000 donation to The Nature Conservatory, Mojang partnered with creators and community to help rebuild coral reefs in Mexico in its iconic, blocky style.

The efforts began with the Minecraft Update Aquatic, which brings a variety of sea life to Minecraft’s previously rather barren oceans. As a part of that update, Mojang challenged players to place ten million coral blocks underwater — a goal that was accomplished in only a few days. To celebrate, the studio made its donation to The Nature Conservatory, a non-profit working to save and rebuild coral reefs around the world. In addition, net proceeds from the new Coral Crafters Skin Pack also go to the organization.

“With the Update Aquatic, we’re filling Minecraft’s oceans to the brim with kelp forest, shipwrecks, deep sea trenches, fish, turtles, dolphins and colourful coral reefs,” reads an official blog post of the announcement. “In the real world, however, it’s the opposite: climate change, destructive fishing methods and pollution of the water are killing off our planet’s amazing marine life. Coral reefs, one of the Earth’s most precious natural wonders, are under threat.

“Coral reefs are home to some two million species – roughly a quarter of all marine life. We’re only just unlocking the secrets of these amazing organisms, and yet the World Wildlife Fund estimates that nearly a third of coral reefs worldwide are already damaged beyond repair. If trends continue, we will soon lose 60% of the world’s coral in the next few decades.”

In addition, Mojang partnered with three popular Minecraft YouTubers — Rabahrex, Logdotzip, and Stacyplays — to design real-life structures that would help rebuild faltering reefs. The three worked with the community to design “biorock” structures in Minecraft that were then recreated in the real world and transported to the reef in Cozumel, Mexico, where they will be used by The Nature Conservatory to regrow coral and restore the reef.

Both Logdotzip and Stacyplays took design ideas from online communities. Rabahrex worked with students at the American Institute in Monterrey, Mexico and held a class competition to design the biorock installation. The winning design was an axolotl, which was placed with the other two designs and installations of Minecraft icons Alex and Steve off the coast of Cozumel.

Minecraft’s Aquatic Update Is Assisting Actual Oceans

A lot of players have been, ahem, diving into the latest add-on for Minecraft with the new Update Aquatic, exploring the deeper waters and taking advantage of cool items. But did you know this update is also helping out oceans in the real world? Now that’s deep.

Mojang posted a new update explaining how Update Aquatic is lending a hand with oceans, in an effort to fight back against “climate change, destructive fishing methods and pollution of the water” which are “killing off our planet’s amazing marine life.”

Earlier in the month, the developer threw down a challenge for players to place ten million coral blocks underwater and promised to donate $100,000 to the Nature Conservancy if it was met. The team noted that “just a few days later,” players smashed “that coral-placing target.” As a result, Mojang kept its word and made the donation.

The video above breaks down how the developer is lending a hand and even though you missed the challenge, you can still lend a hand. The team has explained that you can purchase the Aquatic Skin pack for Minecraft here with proceeds going to the Nature Conservancy.

Mojang intends to support the project over the next few years with more awareness and potential donations to assist further with what’s happening with the world’s oceans so be sure to keep an eye on this page for more information.

The U[date Aquatic arrived earlier this season, bringing a number of new additions to the game sucha s trap doors, pressure plates and buttons, along with coral block and a variety of underwater life as well as cool items like turtle shells, tridents and phantom membranes. It’s been a big hit across the board, keeping Minecraft’s millions of players coming back for more. You could say there’s an…ocean’s worth of fans? (Okay, that’s one pun too far.)

You can check out the Update Aquatic now across all versions of Minecraft. The game is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC, as well as mobile and older platforms.

Don’t forget that you can engage in online play across Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch platforms!

Witcher 3 x Minecraft Build Recreates Novigrad (And Then Some)

This sweeping timelapse video shows the construction—out of thin air—of Novigrad, the great city of The Witcher 3 (and Witcher lore in general, I guess).

Built by Elysium Fire, this video not only looks amazing as the city emerges out of the countryside, but also gives you a very good look at just how many bricks (and how much planning) went into it.

Note that it’s not a recreation of the city as it appears in the game; it’s a “tribute” that hits the main landmarks, like the city’s walls, Great Temple and elevated walkways, while going into greater detail than the game could afford to in areas like housing and the surrounding countryside.

If you play Minecraft and want to take a look yourself, you can download the map https://www.planetminecraft.com/proje...

Game safely: The best console games for kids from 3-16

You want to get your kids the best games, but how do you know they’re appropriate for their age?

Like movies, every video game released in the UK is given a PEGI age rating. These are 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18 and represent the appropriate age level for the game.

Use these as a guide to determine if a title is suitable for your child, and read reviews from websites such as Common Sense Media. Each boy and girl is different, so if you don’t think a game is suitable for your child, don’t buy it.

Most games consoles like the Nintendo Wii, Xbox One and PS4 have parental controls, which let you keep your children safe by restricting what games can be played and setting time limits. Internet Matters, a not-for profit e-safety organisation has an interactive Parental Controls tool that shows you how to turn these settings on.

We’ve rounded up the best games for all ages and all consoles. Let the games begin!

3+

Paper Mario Colour Splash

Paper Mario Colour Splash game

Step into a world made of paper, where, armed with his trusty paintbrush, Mario has to add some colour to areas that Bowser’s minions have made look drab. Sure to brighten up any day.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii U

Just Dance 2017

Just Dance 2017

With songs from Justin Bieber, Queen, Sean Paul, Major Lazer and more, this rhythm game is sure to get the whole family up and moving. Even Granny.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii

FIFA 17

FIFA 17

The best football game in the world is back. New additions include story mode, which lets you live like a Premiership footballer, and the new Frostbite engine, which makes for a more realistic playing experience.

Game

Xbox One (also available on Xbox 360)

Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure

Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure

Snoopy is on a mission to be reunited with the rest of the Peanuts gang, and it’s up to you to help him. Find the hidden Beagle Scouts and you’ll unlock a special surprise.

Amazon

PlayStation 4

7+

Star Fox Zero

Star Fox Zero

The Lylat system is in danger from an evil empire. It’s up to you to step into the boots of legendary space pilot Fox McCloud and blast through foes in an effort to save the universe. No pressure.

Game

Nintendo Wii U

Planes: Fire and Rescue

Planes: Fire and Rescue

This game is based on Disney’s Planes film, and is just as much fun. It sees you teaming up with Dusty and his friends to extinguish fires across Piston Peak Park.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii

Lego Marvel Avengers

Lego Marvel Avengers

What’s more fun than Marvel’s Avengers family? The Avengers family in Lego form! Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Thor are all here in brick-based glory. Hours of fun.

Tesco

Xbox One (also available on Xbox 360)

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky

This game gives you an entire universe to explore. It’s up to you whether you fight, trade, or just go off exploring. A serene sci-fi smash.

Amazon

PlayStation 4

12+

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Originally released in 2006, this critically acclaimed instalment gets an HD makeover 10 years on. It’s also playable using certain Amiibo figurines.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii U

Brave

Brave game

A flame-haired princess is on a mission to rid the land of an evil taint created by a supernatural bear named Mordu. The slick game mechanics put it a step above the usual film tie-in fare.

£13.84, Amazon

Nintendo Wii

ReCore

Recore

Made by the people behind the legendary game Metroid Prime, ReCore sees you play one of the few remaining humans alive who must team up with robotic pals to save your lives. Hectic stuff.

Game

Xbox One

Knack

Knack

Knack can go from three feet to 30 feet tall using mysterious relics – you’ll need plenty of them if you want to slay the Goblin army and save humanity.

Game

PlayStation 4

[Read more: What is cyberbullying?]

16+

Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins

Ever wanted to play as the younger Batman? Now’s your chance in this rip-roaring fighting game. There’s also an arsenal of Batty’s patented gadgets to help you on your way.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii U

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

Six months after the events of the third film, Marty must travel back to 1931 to save his pal Doc. Even if your child is too young to remember the films, this game has plenty to entertain them.

Amazon

Nintendo Wii

[Read more: 12 apps for big and small children]

Destiny – The Collection

Destiny The Collection

With five adventures in one, this collection is unbelievable value, especially if you’re yet to experience the thrills of the Destiny universe. First-person shooters don’t come much better.

Game

Xbox One

Aragami

Aragami

A stealth game with a difference, this sees you having the ability to control shadows. You can also make weapons appear and even summon a shadow dragon. Should help you on your quest.

Online gaming: Keep your children safe online

If your child uses a tablet or console to play games, there’s a good chance they’ll be playing online.

An online game is one where the entire game or some part of it is played over the internet. Online games are played using internet-connected devices such as a smartphone, tablet, console (Xbox or PlayStation) or PC, connecting using wi-fi, or (in the case of a phone or tablet) mobile data.

Online games allow you to play in real-time with people all over the world. So instead of playing against the game, you can play with real people.

According to Ofcom, 76% of children aged 12-15 and 62% of children aged 8-11 play games online. Perhaps more worrying for parents is that a quarter of 12-15-year-olds have played games online with one or more people they have not met in person.

Research from Ditch The Label, found that 57% of the 2500 12-25 year olds questioned have been bullied online. Read more about Cyberbullying.

How does online gaming work?

Games consoles such as the Xbox and the PlayStation have huge online communities – called Xbox Live and PlayStation Network respectively – where gamers can play against each other and communicate through headsets.

The majority of modern games have an online mode of some description and some games are famous for their online modes, such as the Call of Duty first-person shooter series. In November 2015, fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops III racked up 75 million hours online within just three days of its launch.

Facebook has a thriving online gaming community which allows you to invite others to play games such as Farmville and Candy Crush by sending an invitation.

With over 100 million players worldwide, World of Warcraft is a hugely popular PC role-playing game (RPG) where gamers pick characters and meet others in a virtual world.

Another popular online game is Minecraft, which has over 100 million users on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Android and iOS versions.

Internet Matters, a not for profit organisation dedication to providing information to keep children safe online has lots of useful facts about different types of online gaming, check it out here.

Risks of online gaming

Playing games online can be great fun for your child, but as a parent it’s worth being aware of the potential risks:

1. Bullying: When your child plays a game online, they may play with people they don’t know. These people could call your child names, bullying them or ‘griefing’, which is when bullying tactics are used to win games.

2. Inappropriate content: If your child plays with older children they may encounter swearing or talk about subjects they don’t understand and find upsetting.

Many online games include adult themes such as war and death, swearing and sexual content that won’t be suitable for every child.

3. Grooming: The anonymity of the internet allows people to hide behind fake identities. Your child may think they are playing with someone who is not who they say they are. Adults may try to develop a relationship with a child through online gaming that could have dangerous consequences. Incidences like this are fortunately rare.

4. Hidden costs: Some online games are free to play, but developers encouraging players to pay to upgrade weapons or skip levels.

Upgrades can range from a few pence to hundreds of pounds. Within the mobile app Smurfs Village, for instance, ‘A Barrell of Smurfberries’ costs nearly £24; if you child buys it accidentally, you’ll get the bill.

Tips to ensure your child is online gaming safety

Online gaming can help your child to learn, explore and develop creative skills and if you follow these simple tips you can help them do this safely.

1. Check game ratings: Games are given a Pan European Gaming Information (PEGI) rating that will give you some indication of the suitability of a game for your child.

Eight areas – drugs, fear, discrimination, bad language, gambling, sex, violence, and online gameplay with other people – are considered to produce age ratings of 3, 7, 12, 16 or 18. Find out more about what the games ratings mean.

Use these ratings to make an informed choice about whether a game is suitable for your child. Remember the ages are a guide, you know your son or daughter better than anyone, if they are old enough, but sensitive, the game might not be suitable.

2. Talk to your child: Communicate with your son or daughter about potential dangers online so that they understand the risks. Find out what they play online and who they talk to.

If you ban a game, talk to your child about why you don’t think it’s suitable so they understand your reasoning.

3. Set restrictions: Decide how long your child is allowed to play online in a day or a week. If you have a younger child, consider letting them play in the front room rather in their bedroom so you can keep an eye on what they are playing.

4. Keep information private: Encourage your child not to give out personal details, such as their email, date of birth and address that could be used to locate them.

Make sure they use a gamer name that doesn’t give too much information away, for instance OrangeGremlin is a safer name than Matthew95Bristol.

Encourage them to remain friends with other players only within the game, and not on other social networks like Facebook or Instagram.

5. Parental controls: Most gadgets have parental controls designed to help you restrict the type of content your child can access.

BT Broadband customers can activate BT Parental Controls, which lets you set filters to block certain topics. Once activated they cover all devices connected to your Home Hub and if you use the BT Wi-fi app. Find out more.

6. Report abuse: If your child encounters bully or abuse online, don’t be afraid to report the perpetrators.

Read more about reporting abuse on Xbox Live.

Read more about reporting abuse on the PlayStation Network.

7. Turn off the internet connection: Stop younger children going online and accidentally spending money by turning on flight mode on smartphones and tablets.

Apple allows you to turn off in-app purchases for iPads and iPhones, find out more.

Google lets you add a PIN code that needs to be applied when buying digital content, find out more.

8. Join in: You might feel that your gaming years are long gone, but the best way to find out what your child is up to is to play along with them. They are probably keen to show you what they are doing (and possibly beat you!) and you’ll have a greater understanding of what they are up to and how the device or game they are using works.

OPINION PLAYSTATION NINTENDO This is why Sony isn’t likely to ever allow Minecraft cross-platform play

Nintendo and Microsoft have teamed up for a Minecraft commercial that seemed strangely historic for those of us who grew up thinking about console generations as a series of figurative wars. Both consoles were highlighted, both company’s logos were on the screen and the hook was the ability to play the same game across two consoles or using a gaming PC.

Sony was, of course, not involved with any of this. The company doesn’t support cross-platform play between consoles, and limits the use of Fortnite accounts on other platforms if they’ve ever been used on the PlayStation 4. In the case of Minecraft, Sony’s excuse from 2017 was that cross-platform support would make PlayStation 4 players less safe, a claim that Microsoft’s Phil Spencer rejected out of hand.

But it might be as simple as an economic issue.

“BTW when I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money,” industry veteran John Smedley tweeted. “They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation. Simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is.” Smedley used to be the president of Daybreak Game Company, which was once called Sony Online Entertainment. He’s now the general manager of Amazon Game Studios. The tweet has since been deleted.

This is the explanation that actually makes the most sense, and we can see the account issue come up in the FAQ section of today’s Minecraft blog post talking about the release of the “Better Together” update for Minecraft on the Nintendo Switch:

Q: What’s a Microsoft Account and why do I need it for a Nintendo Switch?

A: A Microsoft Account is a free account you can sign-in on device that allows Minecraft players on Switch to play with others on non-Nintendo devices like iOS, Android, Xbox One and Windows 10 via cross-play, Realms or Servers. Having a Microsoft Account also enables the portability of your MINECOINS and marketplace purchases to other devices and platforms. To create an account click here.

The game industry is turning into a business of accounts, not hardware, and you can guess how enthusiastic Sony must be about the idea of someone logging into a Microsoft account from the PlayStation 4.

But outside of the terminology, it’s the last part of the description that has to stick in Sony’s craw: The use of the Microsoft account is what allows someone to give Microsoft money for in-game items, and then bring those items onto other platforms. Sony only gets a cut of the revenue if these purchases are made on its platform, which is why this is a topic it’s willing to be so stubborn about.

And this is likely what Sony is afraid of in the grand scheme of things. Imagine a world where game accounts move from hardware to hardware willy nilly, and purchases made on one platform were accessible everywhere. Where’s the profit for the platform holders? If you buy all your content for a free-to-play game on another platform and use that content on the PlayStation 4, the hardware just becomes a conduit through which you play games you paid for on other platforms.

The play part of cross-platform play is the least important aspect of this issue for Sony. The important issue is the use of third-party accounts to purchase things away from Sony hardware, and then using them on Sony’s platform.

So why don’t Microsoft and Nintendo care? My guess is that Nintendo is Nintendo, a company that has already played by its own rules and has ridden that sense of adventure directly into huge profits, and Microsoft is currently way behind Sony in the console business, and this is a way to bring attention to something the Xbox can do that Sony refuses to match on the PlayStation 4.

But if Sony lets Minecraft purchases from Microsoft come onto the PlayStation 4, and it lets purchases from Epic Games come onto the PlayStation 4 through the accounts tied to other games and companies, it’s not going to be able to deny anyone else, which means that Sony would lost the ability to guarantee itself a heavy cut of all the virtual currency and in-game items being sold for those games.

That’s the nightmare Sony is worried about, and that’s why it’s been so unwilling to budge. The question is how much pain the company is willing to endure before it decides the lost profit is worth the positive press and player contentment.

Minecraft and Sony Led the Pre-E3 Chatter on Facebook

With the Electronic Entertainment Expo kicking off Tuesday in Los Angeles, Facebook shared new data related to how its users are talking about the video game convention on both Facebook and Instagram.

Over the past seven days, 17 million Facebook users made 55 million posts, likes and comments related to E3, as well as the major games and companies at the show. Of these users, 61 percent were men and 39 percent were women. In addition, 33 percent of users were between 25 and 34 years old.

On Facebook, the top five countries talking about E3 and the major games and brands over the past seven days were:

U.S.

U.K.

Australia

Brazil

Canada

The most-talked-about video-game publishers on Facebook from June 9 through 11 were:

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Bethesda

Ubisoft

The most-talked-about games on Facebook during that period were:

Minecraft

Kingdom Hearts

The Legend of Zelda

Resident Evil

Super Mario

Fallout

Fortnite

Call of Duty

EA FIFA

The Elder Scrolls

Altogether, the most discussed female video-game characters on Facebook over the past seven days were:

Princess Zelda

Lara Croft

Bayonetta

Aya Brea from Parasite Eve

Cortana from Halo

Finally, the top gaming-related Facebook video (in terms of video views) over the past seven days was the official reveal trailer for Electronic Arts’ FIFA 19.

Over on Instagram, 17 million users had “around” 46 million interactions surrounding the E3 press conferences, video-game consoles, video-game titles and other related terms over the past seven days.

On Instagram, the top video-game-related hashtags from the past seven days were:

#ps4

#xbox

#fortnite

#gaming

#gamer

The “most-buzzed-about” games on Instagram over the past seven days were:

Fortnite

Minecraft

Call of Duty

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (also called PUBG)

Super Mario

In a statement, Franco De Cesare, director of console and online gaming at Facebook, said, “Every E3, we see people come to Facebook to connect around the games and publishers they love—and this year is no exception. We’ve seen this community of gamers continue to grow and evolve each year, with women and female characters entering a growing portion of the conversation. For the first time, we’re also excited to share the gaming conversation on Instagram, where gamers bring the same passion for the games they love as they always have on Facebook.”

WHAT DO POKÉMON, MINECRAFT, AND DR. WHO HAVE IN COMMON? THIS STARTUP.

Amino, a social networking platform founded by two entrepreneurs who graduated from Northeastern University, has raised $45 million during its third round of financing.

Amino centers on smartphone apps that connect users who share an interest in topics that appeal to relatively small groups of people, including Pokémon, Minecraft, and Dr. Who.

“We are trying to connect the world through people’s passions,” said Ben Anderson, the co-founder and CEO of Amino. “We want to create an engaged community for every interest in the world.”

Amino apps have been down­loaded tens of millions of times by users in more than 100 countries, Anderson said. He said the average user spends 70 minutes per day on the platform—almost as much as Snapchat and Facebook combined.

“Most investors have never seen anything like this,” said Anderson, who graduated from Northeastern in 2012 with a degree in music. “It’s a massive opportunity and the users love it.”

Amino plans to use the new funding to improve the platform’s voice and video chat features, Anderson said. “We want to bring real-time connections to life even more.”

The app is available in seven languages—English, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French, and Portuguese—a testimony to its global appeal. “We are reminded every day that what we are building applies to cultures all over the world,” Anderson said.

Ben Anderson, left, and Yin Wang co-founded Amino in 2011. Photo by Meryl Natow/Amino

One of Amino’s most popular features is the “Amino Creator,” which enables users to custom-design communities of their own. Three such communities have more than 1 million members, including a community dedicated to pop music from South Korea.

Anderson acknowledged Northeastern for helping him shape Amino into a social networking platform that appeals to a global audience. IDEA, Northeastern’s student-run venture accelerator, awarded him $20,000 in gap funding, connected him with an accoun­tant, and perfected his business plan.

“Honing a business plan forced me to think about where I saw Amino going,” said Anderson, who was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Class of 2017, a list com­prising 600 of the nation’s brightest young people. “For a young founder, that guidance was invaluable and helped me to avoid unnecessary pitfalls.”

Amino has raised more than $72 million since 2014. Marc Meyer, the co-director of Northeastern’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education, said that Amino has raised more venture capital than any other IDEA venture.

“Amino,” he said, “is highly innovative.”

Anderson said Amino does not make money. But he and co-founder Yin Wang are planning to build tools that would allow community curators to sell digital goods to users while taking a cut of the revenue for themselves.

“We’re really excited because we want to create a community for every interest in the world,” Anderson said. “We’re getting closer to that as times goes on.”

Nintendo UK Store: Minecraft Switch Comes Out 21st June And Available For Pre-order

The official Nintendo UK Store now has the physical edition of Minecraft for the Nintendo Switch available for pre-order. The incredibly popular sandbox title will be available for purchase on 21st June and will cost you £24.99. Here’s the details:

Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. Explore randomly-generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles.

This Bedrock version of the game contains all the great previously released content, including the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack exclusive to Nintendo systems and all DLC, but now allows players to connect with friends on non-Nintendo systems via cross-platform play.