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Tag: Mojang

  • Microsoft Announces Minecraft Coding Tutorial

    Microsoft Announces Minecraft Coding Tutorial

    Microsoft has teamed up with Mojang AB and Code.org to unveil a new Minecraft coding tutorial for students and educators. It was created for the Hour of Code campaign that encourages global participation in computer science – part of Computer Science Week, which runs December 7 – 13.

    You don’t have to wait for that week to check out the tutorial, however. It’s available today at code.org/mc.

    The tutorial provides an introduction to basic coding within the Minecraft environment. It was created by Minecraft game designers with Code.org. It features Steve and Alex from Minecraft and includes Minecraft-inspired challenges, which Microsoft says will be familiar to its over 100 million players. It’s designed for ages 6 and up.

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says, “A core part of our mission to empower every person on the planet is equipping youth with computational thinking and problem-solving skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world. With ‘Minecraft’ and Code.org, we aim to spark creativity in the next generation of innovators in a way that is natural, collaborative and fun.”

    Code.org CEO and co-founder Hadi Partovi added, “‘Minecraft’ is a special game that girls and boys alike often can’t be pried away from. Microsoft continues to be Code.org’s most generous donor and one of the largest supporters of the worldwide movement to give every student the opportunity to learn computer science. This year’s ‘Minecraft’ tutorial will empower millions of learners around the world to explore how a game they love actually works and will inspire them to impact the world by creating their own technology or apps.”

    According to to the announcement, over 100 million students across 180 countries and 40 languages have participated in the Hour of Code, and the upcoming event will only be the third one.

    Image via Code.org

  • Microsoft Initiates Another Round Of Layoffs

    Microsoft Initiates Another Round Of Layoffs

    Microsoft announced a couple months ago that it would reduce its overall workforce by up to 18,000 jobs over the course of the next year, and that of those, 12,500 would be related to its acquisition of Nokia assets. The company was also said to be eliminating Xbox Entertainment Studios.

    Microsoft said it would begin with 13,000 eliminations, and that those affected would be notified within six months. Now, two months later, they’re cutting another 2,100.

    Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet reports:

    A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the 2,100 figure, noting that 747 of those laid off will be in Washington state. The remaining cuts will be at other Microsoft locations worldwide, the spokesperson said.

    Today’s cuts will be across a variety of teams, as previously rumored. The Microsoft spokesperson declined to specify which teams would bear the brunt of the latest round of cuts.

    Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it is buying Mojang, the makers of Minecraft. Though the founders are leaving, most of the team is expected to reamain with the company under Microsoft.

    Mojang has close to fifty employees listed on its site, but notes that it may not be up to date, and could be missing new employees or support staff.

    Image: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop (Microsoft)

  • Conan Checks In With Minecraft Inventor About Microsoft Acquisition

    The big news on Monday was that Microsoft is buying Mojang, the company behind the hugely popular Minecraft, for $2.5 billion.

    Naturally, the subject came up on Conan, who checked in with the inventor of the game to see how he’s celebrating:

    The actual founders are leaving the company, but Mojang says most of the team will probably stay on board, at least for the time being. It’s worth noting that Microsoft recently announced a massive round of layoffs including many people it brought over from the acquisition of Nokia assets.

    Image via YouTube

  • Minecraft Downloads to Continue on PC, PlayStation

    Yesterday Microsoft officially announced that it is acquiring Mojang, the development studio behind the game Minecraft. Microsoft will reportedly pay $2.5 billion for the Swedish game studio. Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson also announced that he will be leaving Mojang and will not go on to work for Microsoft.

    Minecraft is sandbox style game that features simplistic graphics and gameplay. Players are free to play together as they please, often building using individual cubes; crafting weaponry and survival gear; and battling fantasy creatures. The game has become incredibly popular with young people and has consistently been a top-selling game across platforms including PC, consoles, and mobile devices.

    Though Microsoft regularly purchases smaller companies, this particular acquisition has significance for the current console war between Microsoft and Sony. Sales of Microsoft’s Xbox One console are now lagging behind those of Sony’s PlayStation 4, leading Microsoft to un-bundle its Kinect peripheral to lower the price its new console. Microsoft is also scrambling to provide the Xbox One with exclusive software, and recently announced a deal with publisher Square Enix to make the next Tomb Raider game exclusive for a time on the One. Seen in this context, it is easy to see how the Minecraft acquisition could be worrisome for PlayStation, PC, or even iOS gamers.

    Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, tried to soothe gamers’ fears this week, stating that Microsoft will “continue to make Minecraft available across platforms – including iOS, Android, and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC.” From the official announcement:

    At Microsoft, we believe in the power of content to unite people. Minecraft adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms. Gaming is the top activity across devices and we see great potential to continue to grow the Minecraft community and nurture the franchise. That is why we plan to continue to make Minecraft available across platforms – including iOS, Android and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC.

    Mojang made a similar statement, saying that “there’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop.”

    While this may be true, carefully selected language such as “continue to make Minecraft available” and “there’s no reason” do leave the door open for Microsoft to stop supporting or marketing the game on platforms other than its own. Whether Microsoft will choose to do that is still unclear, but the company is now in charge of the greater Minecraft community and one of the biggest video games of all time.

  • Microsoft Announces It’s Buying Minecraft For $2.5 Billion

    Rumors circulated throughout the media last week that Microsoft was preparing to acquire Mojang, the makers of the massively popular game Minecraft. On Monday, Microsoft officially announced that it is doing so.

    The company says it has reached an agreement to acquire the Stockholm-based game developer for $2.5 billion, and that the Mojang team will join Microsoft Studios, which is also behind Halo, Forza, Fable, and others.

    Microsoft says its investment in the cloud and mobile technologies will enable Minecraft players to benefit from “richer and faster worlds, more powerful development tools, and more opportunities to connect” across the community.

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, “Gaming is a top activity spanning devices, from PCs and consoles to tablets and mobile, with billions of hours spent each year. Minecraft is more than a great game franchise – it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft.”

    “The ‘Minecraft’ players have taken the game and turned it into something that surpassed all of our expectations. The acquisition by Microsoft brings a new chapter to the incredible story of ‘Minecraft,’” added Mojang CEO Carl Manneh. “As the founders move on to start new projects, we believe the high level of creativity from the community will continue the game’s success far into the future.”

    Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, said, “‘Minecraft’ is one of the most popular franchises of all time. We are going to maintain ‘Minecraft’ and its community in all the ways people love today, with a commitment to nurture and grow it long into the future.”

    Spencer talks more about the deal here.

    Microsoft expects the acquisition to be “break-even” in its Fiscal Year 2015 on a GAAP basis, and notes that it is subject to customer closing conditions and regulatory approval. The company expects the deal to close later this year, and says more details will be available upon closing.

    Image via YouTube

  • Minecraft Gets Uncharted, Killzone Skins On PS3

    Minecraft on consoles is a great experience, but it does lose a bit in the transition. Case in point – the numerous mods available on the PC version of the game just aren’t possible on consoles. To make up for that, Microsoft began releasing character skins based on their most popular franchises for the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft. Now Sony is doing the same for the PS3 version.

    Mojang announced this morning that the PS3 version of Minecraft will soon get two new character skin packs. The first skin pack features characters from PlayStation’s recent past, including characters from Heavy Rain, Uncharted, Killzone and Sly Cooper. The other pack – Battle and Beasts – is a little more generic and features “koalas, a Cleopatra look-a-like, various cavemen, and an octopus.”

    Alongside the character skin packs, Minecraft for PS3 will also be getting two new texture packs – City and Plastic:

    For those of you who aren’t content with the classic Minecraft styling, two new texture packs are also launching. The City Texture pack is perfect for the modernist Minecrafter; it’ll give your creations a more clean, clinical look. The Plastic Texture pack makes things look a lot more, erm, plasticy.

    Mojang notes that Minecraft for PS3 also received a pretty hefty update last week. The update added a number of new features to the game, including emeralds, pumpkin pie, nether quartz, new zombie mobs, new terrains and a lot more. If you want to see all the new features, check out this post on the Minecraft forums.

    As for the PS4 and PS Vita versions of Minecraft, Mojang says that they still don’t have a date for either version. They also don’t know if the game will support Cross Buy when it launches. If not, those who purchased the PS3 version of Minecraft will have to buy it again when it launches on the PS4. Finally, they confirmed that the PS4 version won’t feature keyboard and mouse support, but claim that it plays just fine on the DualShock 4.

    Image via PlayStation Blog

  • ‘Minecraft’ Movie Might Actually Happen

    ‘Minecraft’ Movie Might Actually Happen

    Software sales have shown that Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of the past few years. The game has almost continuously appeared on best-seller charts for every platform it has appeared on, including mobile platforms. The game’s creative sandbox gameplay has been embraced by children around the world – something that even parents can approve of over other popular, often war-themed, video games.

    With its popularity still not waning it was only a matter of time before Minecraft began to seep into other forms of media. Deadline this week reported that Warner Bros. has acquired the rights for a Minecraft movie.

    Apparently, production is already beginning on the movie project. According to the report the movie will be produced primarily by Vertigo Entertainment. No writer or director have yet been attached to the project.

    In addition to the Deadline report, the project has also been confirmed by Markus “Notch” Persson, founder of Minecraft developer Mojang:

    As yet another video game movie, fans of Minecraft would be right to be skeptical of the movie project. However, Warner Bros. just this month released The Lego Movie, a movie based off a product line that has managed to win over critics and fans alike. With the right writing and production team, Minecraft could easily end up being the best video game movie adaptation ever made.

  • Minecraft Finally Comes To PS3 On Tuesday

    Minecraft Finally Comes To PS3 On Tuesday

    At Gamescom this year, Sony announced that Minecraft would finally be making its way to the PS4. It was later announced that the game would be coming to the PS3 and PS Vita as well. It was said that Minecraft would launch with the PS4, but that obviously didn’t happen. It won’t even hit the console this year, but it will be out on at least one Sony console before the year ends.

    Mojang announced today that Minecraft will finally make its way to the PS3 on Tuesday, December 17. The PS3 version of the game will be identical to the version that Xbox 360 owners currently have, and both versions will be updated at the same pace from here on out.

    So, what about the previously promised PS4 and PS Vita versions of Minecraft? Mojang says that they’re currently still in development, and that they won’t be out until sometime next year. There’s no word yet either on if the PS4 version will support remote play or if there will be cross save support across the three consoles.

    Aside from the base game, Mojang says that the PS3 version of Minecraft will receive plenty of DLC texture packs and skins. While no packs are explicitly mentioned, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Skyrim DLC made its way to the PS3 version at some point. As for Playstation-specific content, Mojang only says that it “would be cool.” While not a confirmation, you can bet that we’ll see Ratchet & Clank or Jak & Daxter skins show up in Minecraft.

    UPDATE: An official trailer showing the PS3 version of Minecraft in action has just been released:

    [Image: PlayStation Blog]

  • That Minecraft Documentary Is Now Free To Watch On YouTube

    That Minecraft Documentary Is Now Free To Watch On YouTube

    Late last year, 2 Player Productions released a documentary called Minecraft: The Story of Mojang. The film explored the origins of Minecraft and the immense impact it has had on the gaming community and players all around the world. Since its release, you could purchase the film for as little as $8, but now it’s free.

    2 Player Productions released the entirety of Minecraft: The Story of Mojang on YouTube today. The one-hour-and-44-minute film is all here for your viewing pleasure on everybody’s not-so-favorite-anymore video streaming portal.

    Of course, the fun part of it being on YouTube means that you can watch the entire film below. So grab a snack, get comfortable and get ready to watch one of the best gaming documentaries ever made:

    If you liked the film and want to support the super talented guys over at 2 Player Productions, you can purchase the 2-disc DVD Limited Edition of the documentary over at their Web site. You can also pick up the C418 composed soundtrack while you’re at it.

    [Image: 2PlayerProductions/YouTube]

  • Skyrim Mash-Up Pack Coming To Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition

    It’s been almost two years since Skyrim came out and devoured what little free time you had. Now you find the game a little boring though, and you don’t go back to it as much anymore. Unfortunately, there won’t be any more DLC released for it, but you can soon experience Skyrim in an entirely new way in Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition.

    At Minecon 2013, Mojang and Besthesda jointly announced that Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition would be getting what they The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mash-up pack. As its name implies, it’s a conversion pack for Minecraft that changes the textures and character models to look more like the world of Skyrim.

    That’s not all either as the pack will contain much more. Here’s what the official release has to say:

    Developed by 4J Studios, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” Mash-Up features an exclusive Skyrim-themed texture set, 40 character skins, themed menus and user interface, craftable items, and more than 20 iconic selections from “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” original game soundtrack. The comprehensive pack also includes a stunning pre-made world, recreating the memorable areas of Whiterun, Riverwood, and Bleak Falls Barrow.

    The most appealing part of this pack is that it contains a pre-made world that looks to recreate Skyrim in Minecraft. There have surely been projects that have already aimed to do so, but what could be more fun than deconstructing the world of Skyrim in everybody’s favorite brick laying simulator?

    Unfortunately, there’s no release date for the pack just yet. It will be playable this weekend at Minecon in Orlando, Florida though.

    [Image: playxbla]

  • Minecraft 1.6 Adds Horses, Gets A New Launcher

    Minecraft 1.6 is now available for all you PC players that have been patiently awaiting the latest update. This time, Mojang has added a number of new features for all you equine fans out there. It also has a new launcher that’s required for all upcoming updates.

    Here’s the full update list:

  • Added Horses
  • Added Donkeys, Mules
  • Added Horse Armor
  • Added Leads (For wolves/dogs/animals)
  • Added Carpets
  • Added Hardened Clay, Stained Clay
  • Added Block of Coal
  • Added Name Tags (item)
  • Added Hay Bales
  • Texture packs are now “resource packs” that also can hold sound etc
  • Food meter is now drained when healed by full food meter
  • Gamerule: You can turn off the daylight cycle

    • The addition of horses will likely inspire all kinds of new Minecraft parodies involving magical ponies, or just jokes about horse armor. Either way, you can expect a deluge of new content from Minecraft players and creators over the coming months as they pick apart the latest update.

    Oh, and if you were planning on downloading the 1.6 update, you’ll need to download the new launcher first. There’s no way around it either as the old launcher will only update to version 1.5.2. The new launcher is necessary in delivering the following perks – “streamlined downloading of Minecraft updates, increased password security, the ability to switch between game versions, the use of updated game code libraries for increased performance and stability, and it paves the way for the future plugin APIs.”

    You can grab the new launcher here.

  • Scrolls Open Beta Starts June 3, Will Cost $20

    How could Notch and his team at Mojang possibly follow up the incredibly successful Minecraft? I’m not so sure myself, but Notch has a few ideas. One of those ideas is a trading card game called Scrolls and its open beta will soon be available.

    Mojang announced on Monday that Scrolls will be available to purchase starting June 3. Like Minecraft before it, those who buy early get locked in at a lower price while getting all future updates for free. For gamers based in the U.S., buying into the open beta will cost $20.

    If you want to know more about Scrolls, check out this mini-guide in preparation for the game’s open beta next week. You’re gonna need all the help you can get as you take on players all around the world in card fights.

    Scrolls will be available on PC and Mac come June 3. There’s no mention of when it will exit open beta, or if it will be coming to other platforms at this time.

  • Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition Makes Its Way To Retail In April

    Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition Makes Its Way To Retail In April

    Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition has already proven to be the best selling Xbox Live Arcade title ever released on the platform. Now the indie hit has a chance to become the best selling retail Xbox 360 game of the year.

    Microsoft announced today that it will be launching a retail version of Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition in stores on April 30. The new retail version of the game will include all the latest features of its digital counterpart including the ninth title update that’s on the way.

    The retail version will be identical to the digital version in every way. That means retail players will be able to play online with those who only own a digital copy. As expected, the retail copy will also receive all future updates.

    There’s no word on if the retail copy will come with any special features or extras, but it would be a great opportunity on Microsoft’s part to encourage those who already own the digital version to buy the retail version. Minecraft diehards will probably pick up the retail release anyway, but a little something extra – like a download code for the Minecraft documentary – definitely wouldn’t hurt.

    Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition will launch in the U.S. on April 30 for $20. Gamers in Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan will be getting it in early June.

  • Minecraft Pocket Edition Version 0.6.0 Should Be Out Soon

    It was reported last week that Mojang was working on a smaller update for Minecraft Pocket Edition that would add a few new features, but its main purpose would be to address a few bugs. Plans change, however, and Mojang has decided to merge update 0.5.1 and 0.6.0 into a single update that will be out soon.

    Mojang’s Jens Bergentsen announced this morning that the next update for Minecraft Pocket Edition – version 0.6.0 – has been submitted for review. That means players should see the update hit the iOS and Android version of the title in the next one to two weeks.

    Here’s all the new additions you can expect from version 0.6.0:

    New features:

  • Signs
  • Armor
  • Baby animals
  • Fancy clouds
  • Improved D-pad
  • Stonecutter for crafting stone blocks
  • Sheep can be colored with dyes
  • New block types: Netherrack, Nether Brick, Block of Quartz with 2 variants (pillar and chiseled), mossy/cracked Smooth Stone Brick variants (creative only), chiseled/smooth Sandstone variants
  • New stairs: Nether Brick, Sandstone, Smooth Stone Brick, Quartz
  • New slabs: Sandstone
  • New item: Nether Brick (smelted from netherrack and crafted into nether brick tile)
  • Upside-down stairs, corner stairs
  • Slabs can be placed in up position (needs testing on small screens)
  • Sand and Gravel are affected by gravity

    • Tweaks:

  • Recipes for crafting slabs give 6 slabs instead of 3 (as in PC version)
  • Nether Reactor spawns Netherrack blocks instead of Obsidian
  • The fog and sky color have changed
  • The Nether Reactor now spawns more items
  • Cows drop Leather

    • Bug fixes:

  • Melons had several bugs where they would spawn too fast and where they shouldn’t

    • As you can see, quite a bit of work went into the latest version of Minecraft’s mobile counterpart. There should be plenty of new content here to keep Minecraft Pocket Edition’s 5 million players satisfied until the next update.

    Unfortunately, not everybody will be able to enjoy this latest update. Mojang announced that this latest version of Minecraft Pocket Edition is dropping support for Android 2.1 and 2.2. You’re going to need Android 2.3 or higher now to play the latest version. Older versions of the game will still work on older versions of Android though.

  • Minecraft Now At 20 Million Sales Total, 9 Million Came From PC

    Minecraft is the money machine that just won’t stop. Late last year, all three versions of the game hit some pretty big sales milestones. It hasn’t slowed down since with the PC version of the hit indie title reaching another massive sales milestone.

    Earlier this morning, Mojang’s Jeb posted on Twitter that the PC version of Minecraft has now hit 9 million copies sold. He said that this brings the total across all platforms up to 20 million.

    That’s impressive, but Minecraft Pocket Edition is really starting to pick up steam. The mobile title was sitting at a fairly impressive 5 million copies sold in November of last year, but it’s now already at 7.3 million copies sold. It will probably break 8 million by the end of the month.

    Minecraft wouldn’t be enjoying half of its success if it wasn’t for the tireless teams at Mojang and 4J Studios who bring constant updates to the various versions of the game. It seems like more and more people are buying Minecraft as new features are announced.

    Speaking of new features, Minecraft: Pocket Edition should be getting some new features soon via a version update to 0.5.1. The update will include oft-requested features like gravity, clouds and maybe some Redstone related updates.

    The PC and Xbox 360 versions of the title are continually receiving updates as well. 4J Studios is still hard at work and taking suggestions from the community on Twitter as to what should be added next. It’s this kind of community interaction and transparency that will push Minecraft in all its versions to at least 30 million sales.

  • Minecraft: Pocket Edition 0.5.1 Update Coming Soon

    Despite being the little brother of the bunch, Minecraft: Pocket Edition has become quite the sales juggernaut. The game stays atop the charts on both iOS and Android, and sales have surpassed 5 million. Not bad for a premium app in an age where most mobile gamers refused to pay for anything. Now, Mojang could sit back and relax, but the developer is already working on the next update for Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

    The next update to hit Minecraft: Pocket Edition will bring the game up to version 0.5.1. It’s not the mythical 0.6.0 update that will bring a lot of new features to the game, but the latest update will feature a number of additions that will make any Minecraft fan happy.

    For starters, the update will finally add signs to the mobile version of the game. You can check out a preview of what they look like on Johan’s Twitter feed. Clouds and bluer skies are also being added with clouds being only available on fast devices.

    The biggest addition to version 0.5.1 is gravity. Now certain block types will fall when losing the support of blocks beneath it. I’m sure some players enjoyed the gravity defying blocks of the Pocket Edition, but the addition of gravity is just one more step towards making Pocket Edition just like its console and PC cousins.

    As for the big update coming with version 0.6.0, the team has revealed some of what they’re working on. First, caves will be added for those with faster devices as the feature seems to cripple older devices. The update will also probably add stone brick slabs and stairs alongside Redstone and Redstone powered objects. There’s a chance that these could show up in 0.5.1, but it’s more likely that these features are being saved for the big 0.6.0 update.

    So, when can you expect to see the 0.5.1 update hitting your favorite mobile device? Mojang is planning on having it out by the end of the month. If not, it will be out at the beginning of February. Until then, keep mining your anti-gravity blocks while you have the chance.

    [h/t: Droid Gamers]

  • Minecraft Sold 1.2 Million Copies During Christmas Week

    Over three years out from the release of the first Minecraft Alpha, the popularity of the make-your-own-adventure sandbox game has not died down, and even appears to be rising. Mojang, the game’s developer, this week announced that it sold over 15 million copies of the game during 2012. What’s more, a huge number of those sales were from the mobile edition of the game.

    The holiday season was particularly big for Minecraft, as over 1.2 million copies of the game were sold during the week of Christmas. The PC version of the game, where it originated, was actually the platform where the fewest copies were sold, with 241,845 copies sold for Mac or PC over the week.

    Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has proven to be incredibly popular with Xbox gamers. It broke Xbox LIVE sales records when it was released last may, and over 5 million copies have been sold since. 325,591 copies of the Xbox 360 version were sold during the week of Christmas.

    For those who are still denying that mobile has become a legitimate form of gaming, consider that Minecraft: Pocket Edition sold almost 5.9 million copies on iOS and Android last year. The mobile edition sold 706,419 copies during Christmas week alone.

    At $7 each, that’s a cool $41 Million just from mobile sales in 2012. Considering that the Xbox 360 edition costs $20 and the PC version is $27, that’s well over $200 million that the small Swedish developer raked in last year. That’s a significant increase to the $80 million Mojang made in the first 15 months after Minecraft was released.

  • Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition Closes Out 2012 With 5 Million Sales

    In November, Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition had sold about 4.4 million units. It was unknown if it would cross the 5 million threshold before the end of the year, but a presumably successful holiday season has helped push Minecraft into a league all its own as far as Xbox Live Arcade titles are concerned.

    4J Studios announced that Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition surpassed 5 million sales on New Year’s Eve. It was already the most successful XBLA game on the Xbox 360, but crossing 5 million sales is a major accomplishment regardless. In fact, there are some retail titles that would kill to have even half those numbers. It just shows that Minecraft is still tremendously popular on whatever system it’s on.

    So, what is 4J Studios up to now? The developer is working on the bugs reported in Title Update 7, and will be addressing them in a patch to be released this month. One such fix is that 4J will ensure that every new world will include a Nether Fortress, Blazes and Nether Wart.

    Beyond that, the future of Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition looks bright. 4J Studios will continue to provide updates that will add more features from the PC version. After they catch up, it’s anybody’s guess as to what happens next. It would be interesting to see 4J Studios flex its creative muscle and add some original features unique to the console version of the game.

    Along the same line, it would be awesome to see 4J Studios add new features that then make their way to the PC version of the game. It would only be natural to see the two teams work together to improve the Minecraft experience for everyone – regardless of platform.

    [h/t: Joystiq]

  • Minecraft: The Story Of Mojang Breaks Out On December 23

    Did you know that 2PlayerProductions was making a Minecraft documentary? You would if you were one of the 3,500 plus people who backed a Kickstarter last year. After a year and a half of hard work, a documentary on the creation of Minecraft is finally ready to be released.

    2PlayerProductions announced this week that Minecraft: The Story of Mojang will be available on December 23. For those wanting an advanced sneak peak, there will be a free screening of the film for Xbox Live Gold members on December 22 at 8 p.m. EST in the US and 8 p.m. CET in Europe.

    For those who have no idea what to expect out of a Minecraft documentary, here’s a synopsis from the film’s creators themselves:

    In 2009, independent video game designer Markus “Notch” Persson released a work in progress that would go on to break every industry rule for achieving success. Part exploratory adventure, part creative building tool, “Minecraft” evolved from a cult classic into an unprecedented hit, raking daily sales in by the thousands. By the end of 2010, Notch was able to quit his day job and live the dream of founding his own development studio, Mojang.

    This feature-length documentary follows the young company over the course of its first year as their profile expands across the world stage and into the homes of millions of gamers. Featuring insights from industry icons (Peter Molyneux, Tim Schafer), journalists (Geoff Keighley, Stephen Totilo), tastemakers (Gabe & Tycho of Penny Arcade), and players profoundly impacted by the game (Yogscast, The Shaft, Minecraft Teacher), the film serves as a time capsule for one of this generation’s most unorthodox success stories.

    If walls of text aren’t your thing, 2PlayerProductions has also released a trailer for the film:

    Details on how fans can pick up a physical copy of the documentary are forthcoming. Check out the official site for the film for more information.

  • Minecraft Pocket Edition Sales Surpass 5 Million

    Popular indie title Minecraft is available in three flavors – the original PC version, the Xbox 360 Edition and the Pocket Edition for mobile devices. It’s this last version, Pocket Edition, that gets the least amount of attention. Despite that, it’s already hit an impressive new sales milestone.

    Johan Bernhardsson, one of the developers on Minecraft Pocket Edition, took to Twitter this morning to announce that Minecraft Pocket Edition is doing pretty well for itself:

    Minecraft Pocket Edition is the second version of the game to hit 5 million sales. The PC version passed 8 million sales back in November, and it was recently reported that the Xbox 360 version is almost there with 4.4 million copies sold. The Minecraft franchise as a whole has now surpassed 17.5 million sales, which is not too shabby for an indie developer.

    With this sales milestone behind it, what’s next for the little brother of the Minecraft franchise? Bernhardsson says that version 0.5.1 is slated for release in late January/early February. It will be the first update for Pocket Edition since Minecraft PC development head Jeb joined on as the head of development for Pocked Edition as well.

    [h/t: Joystiq]

  • Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition Gets Plenty Of New Features In Title Update 7

    Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition is making bank for Microsoft, Mojang and everybody else involved. The game just recently surpassed 4.4 million copies sold with the game selling anywhere between 40,000 to 60,000 copies a week. That kind of support puts a lot of pressure on 4J Studios to deliver constant quality updates, and they’re not disappointing.

    PlayXBLA announced today that Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition would be getting Title Update 7 soon. It will bring many features from version 1.0.1 of the PC version including experience, animal breeding and a lot more. Here’s the full list of additions:

  • Animal Breeding
  • Potion Brewing
  • Experience Points
  • Enchantment Table
  • Mushroom Biome
  • Nether Fortress
  • New Tutorial World
  • Villagers
  • Mooshrooms
  • Blaze
  • Snow Golems
  • Magma Cubes
  • Baby Animals

    • A few features that originally appeared in version 1.0.1 of the PC game will not be appearing in title update 7 on the Xbox 360. The most glaring omission is “The End” scenario that has players fighting an Ender Dragon. It’s been delayed until the next title update. Other omissions include ocelots, jungles, spawn eggs and Iron Golems.

    As for changes from the PC version, 4J Studios notes that experience will work a little differently in the Xbox 360 version to speed up gameplay progression. Players will now only need 30 XP per level instead of the PC’s 50. Players will earn XP through mining, smelting, and breeding. The team also notes that Ender Pearls will teleport and can be thrown in Creative Mode.

    There is no release date for title update 7 just yet. That could possibly indicate that it won’t be out before the end of the year. That being said, 4J Studios could deliver a Christmas miracle and get it out while everybody actually has the time to play it during their holiday break.