For many, gaming is a pastime to be enjoyed day-in day-out. The simple act of picking up a controller can open up so many worlds infused with imagination. For some, though, that simply can’t happen. However, thanks to the team at SPECIAL EFFECT, small strides are being made when it comes to MINECRAFT, with a new way to play opening up the game for a whole new audience.
Eyemine, which is available to download now for use with various eye trackers, enables those without use of their limbs or other disabilities to start creating for themselves on Minecraft. Months of trials has finally led to the full release, and Special Effect CEO Mike Donegan couldn’t be happier. It has now led to “an interface that can be used by many more people… all over the world.”
The software, which tracks eye movements until the user focuses on one particular spot for a certain length of time, is available for free. It is certain to be a godsend for many parents and carers who want to give their loved ones who previously couldn’t even dream of playing games such as Minecraft the ability to play.
If you feel like having a bit of a cry today, you can check out the BBC report below, which features 15-year-old Becky on her journey to becoming a fully-fledged Minecraft player. This is despite having lost use of her limbs due to quadriplegic cerebral palsy. It’s proof enough that, with all of the controversy surrounding gaming, it can still be used to help, rather than hinder, people’s lives.
Eyemine, which is used solely with Minecraft, is available to download here for anyone with a Minecraft account.
Whoa. You've just come out of Avengers: Infinity War. You've cheered at all the fights. Laughed at all the jokes. You've been shaken, sobbing and speechless. You've made an appointment for therapy for tomorrow. Don't worry…we're all right there with you. There's only one cure for the post-Infinity War blues, and that's diving straight into the ending and trying to figure out what the hell just happened — and what the hell is going to happen next.
There's a lot to unpack, of course. With so many heroes, villains, twists, turns, and incredible team-ups, there's just so much to dig through to piece together the real meaning of behind everything that happened in Infinity War. And, of course, everything that might come next. Strap in, put on your helmet, and prepare your haunches, people. Here's the ending of Avengers: Infinity War explained.
And of course, gigantic, earth-shattering spoilers ahead. Last chance to turn back…
So…what just happened?
Thanos won! Thanos totally won! Can you believe it? The bad guy beat the good guys, and it's totally mind-blowing because that kinda never happens! But it did this time — and it was just about perfect. Thanos managed to assemble all six of the Infinity Stones — sacrificing his own adopted daughter in the process — snapped his fingers, and poof. Game over, man.
Of course, fans of the comics and MCU-followers probably knew going into this movie that there was a good chance Thanos would be victorious before the final credits rolled. After all, there were not one, but two references to Thanos snapping his fingers and causing half the universe to die. Longtime comic book readers have the image of Thanos snapping his fingers with a fully powered Infinity Gauntlet on his hand burned into their brains, so it only makes sense that one of the most iconic moments in all of Marvel Comics history would show up in this film.
On top of that, we all knew that Marvel would be splitting this story into two movies — even if they later publicly reversed course on that particular point. In the end, if you didn't know that Thanos might pull out the W by the end of this movie, you haven't been paying close attention.
Body count
When it comes to writing about comic book movies, it's pretty fun to try and predict who will live and who will die when the next big flick hits the theaters. It's basically the way that some pop-culture websites and YouTube channels go about building their whole businesses. But it's a safe bet that no one could've quite predicted just how many hugely important superheroic characters would go off to that big comic book store in the sky by the end of Infinity War. For those keeping score at home, we lost Bucky, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Drax, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Mantis, Groot, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill — and those are just the characters we saw dissolve after Thanos pulled his big trick…and possibly a few more we didn't remember to list. It was a lot.
And that's not even a complete list of all the dead people. Right off the bat, Heimdall and Loki died at Thanos's hands, while Gamora and Vision went down for the count as well. After ten years and 18 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe built up a huge roster of memorable and important characters. While it goes without saying that the vast majority of these dead people will not stay dead by the time the fourth Avengers movie debuts, it's hard not to feel the loss of so many characters we've gotten to know over the years.
Where did Thanos talk to Gamora?
Remember just after Thanos snapped those famous fingers and did his whole “kill half the universe” thing? He found himself in an orangey, reddish place, and began talking with a version of Gamora who looked like a child. She asked if it was worth it, and he said that it was. After that, we saw Thanos resting, watching the sunrise, his life's mission finally at an end. So where was he?
It's not entirely clear, but there's a more than decent chance that he was inside the Soul Stone itself. The Soul Stone was orange, and so was the environment of this otherworldly place where he spoke with Gamora. He sacrificed Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone, and so it makes sense that she and the Stone would be connected somehow after her death. And in the various comics concerning Thanos and his quest for the Infinity Stones, the Soul Gem wound up playing host to a few characters who died fighting Thanos — including Gamora. And with that in mind, it's entirely possible that all our dead heroes may have had their souls transported to the Stone as well.
Remember Doctor Strange's prescription for victory
We got a solid dose of Doctor Strange's medicine in Avengers: Infinity War. Early on, the doctor told Iron Man that if it came down to possibly saving him or protecting the Time Stone, he'd choose the Stone every time. Then, around the midpoint of the film, Strange used the Eye of Agamotto to explore over 14 million possible battles against Thanos, looking for the path to victory. Among all of those possible futures, he only saw one where the good guys came out on top. It sure sounded dire.
So when Thanos threatened to kill Iron Man on Titan, Doctor Strange went ahead and offered up the Time Stone to save Tony Stark's life. When Iron Man called him out on it later, he said it was “the only way.” Say what?
Well, it all makes sense if you think about it. Doctor Strange has some experience using his time powers to cheat his way out of some bad situations. This time around, he took a peek at the script for the next Avengers movie and realized that, somehow, it was important that Iron Man live — important enough that he gave up the Time Stone to make sure it happened. And considering that Iron Man is the one who kicked off this whole crazy Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first place, it only makes sense that he'd be pretty necessary to finishing things off over a decade later. Trust the Doctor's orders.
Working out the Hulk's issues
When you've got a story this huge, you've got to save some good stuff for the end. There's no better example of that than the push and pull between Bruce Banner and the Hulk — a conflict that didn't get resolved this time around, and will surely be a major plot point for next time. Throughout the film, we saw Banner trying and failing to coax the big green guy out to start fighting the bad guys, to no avail. It was an interesting twist in the Hulk's relationship with his alter ego. Usually, it's all Banner can do to keep the Hulk at bay. But this time around, Banner really wanted to let loose with the Hulk, only the Hulk refused to rise to the occasion. But why?
Because it's all about the emotions. The Hulk's main emotion is rage. He's anger personified. And what's the only emotion stronger than anger? Fear.
The Hulk has never met a foe he couldn't fight — until, of course, he met Thanos and got his butt beaten in the process. Now the Hulk is running scared, leaving Banner to try and figure out how to bridge the gap with his big, green self. Don't be surprised if we get a fan favorite version of the Hulk in the next Avengers movie. That's right: Professor Hulk is probably on the way. Once Banner figures out how to merge his two selves into one, that is.
Nebula's revenge
While the body count at the end of Avengers: Infinity War was pretty high, it's important to remember that plenty of characters wound up surviving the whole ordeal. Okay, maybe not plenty of them, but a few! Some! Okay, a couple. But among the survivors was Thanos' least favorite daughter, Nebula. She managed to make it to the end of the movie despite being literally dissected earlier in the film. So why would a scrub like Nebula be alive while so many fan favorite characters were turned to dust? As with so many things, the answer lies in the comics.
In the early '90s Marvel Comics featuring Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula spent a lot of time shambling around as a creepy zombie lady — a victim of Thanos' powers. But at one point in the story, Thanos was distracted by an encounter with Eternity, a cosmic being that represented the universe itself. And during that time, Nebula grabbed his fancy glove for herself and contributed to his eventual undoing. There's a good chance that the MCU version of Nebula will wind up fulfilling a similar role in the next Avengers movie, too.
Paging Captain Marvel…
Branden Stall for Looper
In the movie's lone post-credits scene, we saw the long-awaited return of Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. second in command, Maria Hill. The two were driving along, minding their own business, when suddenly they experienced the effects of Thanos' magic mojo taking out half the population of New York — both of them included. Throughout that sequence, Fury was trying to get in touch with somebody. And given that we'd spent a full movie not seeing Hawkeye shooting arrows at anybody, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he was the guy Fury was trying to reach. But as it turned out, that wasn't quite the case.
No one said it, but the logo that appeared on Fury's spy-tastic pager was that of Captain Marvel. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know that Brie Larson is all set to debut as the star of the MCU's first female-fronted superhero movie in March, 2019. More interestingly, Captain Marvel is supposedly going to take place in the 1990s, meaning that the superhero who shows up to help save the day in the fourth Avengers will have already been established for years. Meanwhile, if she's been around since the '90s and a friend of Nick Fury's, there's a whole lot of mystery surrounding just where the heck Captain Marvel has been all these years. Wouldn't she have come in handy during that whole alien invasion of New York? And the Sokovia Incident? Where you been, Cap?
Wasp, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, and the aftermath
Between the third and the fourth Avengers flicks, there are two MCU movies set to debut in theaters: the aforementioned Captain Marvel in March, 2019, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, set for July of 2018 — just a few months after Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters. So will Ant-Man, Wasp, and all the rest of the grow-gang be dealing with the aftermath of Thanos' dirty deeds?
As of this writing, it's just too soon to say for sure. But a few different outlets — like Digital Spy and Comic Book Resources, just to name a couple — seem to take it as a given that Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place after Captain America: Civil War and before the events of Infinity War.
Meanwhile, we never did get that glimpse of Hawkeye, meaning he's surely going to show up in the next Avengers movie to help set things right now that half the world has been turned into piles of dirty leaves. Is his family okay in the aftermath of Thanos' dirty deeds? Will he be looking to…avenge them, perhaps? Count on it.
We’re used to how certain characters look in video games, right? And if they’re altered ever slightly, sometimes it can throw us for a loop.
For instance, remember when people freaked out over the cel-shaded visual style adopted by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker? Yeah, something like that.
Over on Reddit, someone has managed to do just that as they’ve posted a picture of what Nintendo’s Mario would look like if he shaved off his mustache and hair. And, um…well…
You can see the rendered image for yourself below. Obviously the plumber outfit is familiar, along with the traditional “M” logo hat. But take a good look at Mario’s face as well as his missing sideburns.
(Photo: Reddit)
He almost looks like Elmer Fudd or even Sluggo from the old Nancycartoons, doesn’t he?
The rendering has gotten a lot of attention from fans when it was posted on Twitter. And we even posted some of the best reactions to it below.
It’s hard to tell who the original artist is at this point, but it looks like it’s the work of Justice for bald Mario, an artist who specializes in a lot of bald characters. Oh yeah. We mean a lot. Here’s a couple of examples.
So if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be jumping back into Super Mario Odysseyand remembering what he actually looks like. Remember, beardos, don’t shave what works for you.
The topic of crossplay is everywhere and so while some companies aren't on board, others – like the Minecraft crew – believe in the value of a shared experience with friends. That's where the Better Together update comes in and soon, Nintendo Switch players will be able to join in on the fun.
Minecraft is a game about exploration and adventure in randomly generated worlds that inspire the creative mind. What better way to build and create incredible feats than with those closest to you for a “the more, the merrier” shared adventure! Nintendo of America believes this wholeheartedly and took to their Twitter account to share the good news of not only when the update will be hitting the hybrid console, but also when the physical version of the game will be released as well!
Nintendo of America
✔@NintendoAmerica
Minecraft is bigger, better and more beautiful–with new ways to play and share! Share the adventure with friends across different platforms when @Minecraft and the Better Together update comes to #NintendoSwitch 6/21! http://bit.ly/2jPjRT7
It's dangerous to go alone to take on Creepers, take a friend! Making the cross-play play jump makes it even easier to do just that so that platform of choice doesn't have to mean missing out. Currently the “Better Together” update applies to the mobile, VR, PC, and Xbox One versions of the game, with the Switch coming later.
In addition to the update going live next month on the 21st, the physical version of the popular building title is also set to release the day before on June 20th. You can learn more about popular questions asked concerning this update and what that means for current platforms right here though the game's official website.
Excited to squad up with friends and family? Here's what you can experience together with this expansive update:
“Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs.”
Minecraft Marketplace
For the first time, skins, textures, and worlds designed by the community are available in the store. Buy once and enjoy across Xbox, Windows 10 and mobile devices!* (and soon, the Switch)
Endless exploration
Create and explore your very own world where the only limit is what you can imagine.
Build almost anything
Crafting has never been faster, easier or more fun!
Co-op play
Play with up to four players in split screen for free, or invite hundreds of friends to a massive gameplay server or your own private Realm!
Nine years after its debut, Minecraft is the second most sold video game of all time. Microsoft continues to rake in the numbers across consoles, including PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, with influencers paving the way for continued dominance.
Since its arrival, Minecraft has handily proven itself better and more persevering than anything that tried to copy its success. On this episode of Game Talk Live, Mandie Roman breaks down the success and dominance of the game alongside a panel of experts including Mari Takahashi of Smosh Games, game developer, 3D modeler and mod creator Mariana Graham, and MinecraftCommunity Manager, Helen Zbihly. This particular episode takes place in two parts due to an interruption during the livestream due to technical difficulties.
Released in 2009, Minecraft has now been ported over to multiple systems, selling millions of copies, and becoming the second best selling video game of all time, as well as being featured in books, movies, cartoons, and other lucrative merchandising. As prominent members of the Minecraft community, each of the panelists discusses what brought them to the game in the first place.
Some of the reasons include the fairly low-res and resources required to run the game while still having fun, as well as the ability to be so heavily creative and do what you want with the game. Discussion also considers these and other factors in the explosive growth of Minecraft, such as the Let's Play community that built up around it on YouTube, the continual expansion of the game's content, and the social community that has built up around it.
The panel then approaches the accessibility of the game. The cross-platform compatibility between different consoles and formats makes it so people can play not just on their own system, but across multiple systems to make the community far more interconnected. The panel also considers the access of mobile play on Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS as a modifier to the way people approach video games and play together in general. The experts then discuss if there is any end in sight for Minecraft as a whole. The panel also looks at Fortnite for its similarly creative building aspects and question whether Minecraft and Fortnite can learn from one another.
In part two of this episode of Game Talk Live, the panel begins by looking at the sheer amount of modding and user-created content for Minecraft. Guests look at how the mod scene of creators and artists helped to expand and grow Minecraft‘s overall success. The question comes up as to how Microsoft and Mojang work to appease both the casual and the hardcore sides of various communities. Discussion covers how the developers provide for both modders and technical players and users, as well as casual interests and “normal” players.
The panel also discusses the creators that are allowed to create content for the Minecraft Marketplace, including use of Microsoft's already existing system for promoting content developers that are accepted into the community. The standard of quality and care is considered for the content that appears in the Minecraft Marketplace. The panel then discusses the future of content creation and open-endedness for Minecraft.
Late last year, Microsoft announced that Minecraft would be getting an update that would enable cross-platform support. It has been quite a while since the update was announced, but the good news is that gamers won’t have to wait much longer for the update to arrive, at least for the Nintendo Switch.
According to a post on the Xbox website, Microsoft has announced that the Bedrock version for Minecraft will be launching on the 21st of June. For those who already own the Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition, the update will be yours for free, but for those who have yet to get their hands on the game, the Bedrock version will be available digitally and in physical retail version as well.
Microsoft writes, “Minecraft will be the first game on Nintendo Switch to feature cross-play support across Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Windows 10 PCs, Android devices, iOS phones and tablets, and VR platforms will all be able to play together for the first time ever. Whether they’re working together to build the home of their dreams or standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they enter the End to take down the Enderdragon, there will always be something for friends to do together, regardless of platform.”
As Microsoft has pointed out, cross-platform will only be available between the Switch, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android, and VR platforms.
