After years of continued updates and support, the Minecraft team has announced that the coming Update Aquatic content drop will be the last significant update to hit the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U versions of the game.
Mojang notes that the decision to leave these versions behind was driven by a need to support the platforms where most of Minecraft’s player base dwell and, all together, the legacy systems listed above only account for less than 5 percent of the game’s active players.
Additionally, the studio notes that players using the older Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions of Minecraft won’t be receiving the update, but downloading a free upgrade to Minecraft’s latest release on those platforms will grant players on those platforms access to Update Aquatic when it drops.
Though the game first officially released in 2011, Minecraft hit the Xbox 360 in 2012, PlayStation 3 in 2013, Vita in 2015, and WiiU in 2015. In the years since, Mojang has continued to deliver updates to both legacy and current generation versions of the game, but now notes that, going forward, only Minecraft’s Java Edition (PC), PlayStation 4 Edition, and “Bedrock Engine” releases of Minecraft for mobile, Windows 10, and consoles will be supported by future updates.
Mojang, the developer behind popular video game Minecraft, has announced that after the upcoming ‘Update Aquatic' release, the game will not update on older consoles.
Players on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS Vita and Wii U will all receive the latest update shortly after the initial launch hits newer systems.
But this will be the last new update that is compatible with these platforms.
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Minecraft players on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS Vita and Wii U will all receive the Update Aquatic shortly after the initial launch hits newer systems, but this will be the last new update that is compatible with these platforms
‘This will mark the last big effort to keep those editions up to date with our newer versions of the game,' Mojang said in a post on their website.
‘Although we’d love to keep bringing new content to all our players forever, the older generation of consoles now make up less than 5 percent of our active players'
‘So we’ve made the difficult decision to focus our efforts to support players where they play Minecraft the most and where we plan to add new features,' they added.
Minecraft will still be available on Java, PlayStation 4 Edition and the versions of the game made with the Bedrock Engine on other consoles, mobile, and Windows 10.
The company also will not be releasing Update Aquatic on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, as users can upgrade to the newer version for free.
Minecraft was first released in 2011, and by early 2018 over 144 million copies had been sold, making it the second best-selling video game of all time.
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Minecraft was first released in 2011, and by early 2018 over 144 million copies had been sold, making it the second best-selling video game of all time
HOW DOES GAMING HELP STUDENTS?
Modern video games often require players to be adaptable and resourceful.
They force players to find multiple ways of accomplishing a task.
The way games are designed often encourages critical thinking and reflective learning, commonly cited as desirable attributes in graduates.
The study's lead researcher suggests that video games could have a role to play in the future of higher education.
In September 2014, Microsoft announced it was buying Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property for $2.5billion.
Microsoft recently released a major overhaul to the quality of Minecraft's graphics.
With the update, launched in 2017, it gave users 4K HDR graphics and be given access to the ‘Super Duper Graphics Pack', which adds stunning effects to scenes such as sparkles on rippling water and dynamic shadows.
Minecraft has also been used in educational environments, especially in the realm of computing systems.
Gaming has been found to teach students to be resourceful, and the previous study's have suggested that video games have a role to play in the future of education.
If you love playing Minecraft on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U or PS Vita, the game's developers have some bad news for you. The next update, called “Update Aquatic,” will be the last that is compatible with these platforms.
Only about 5 percent of active players use Minecraft on these older consoles, and the team has chosen to put its resources where the majority of people who play the game are. The PS4 will continue to receive updates, as will mobile and Windows 10 versions.
The Xbox One and Switch versions of the older game will not receive the Update Aquatic because users can upgrade to the newer version. Therefore only the newer version of the game on these two consoles will continue to be updated. But don't worry, this isn't a cash grab: Xbox One users can download the upgraded version of Minecraft from the Microsoft Store for free, and Switch users will receive the update as a free patch to the existing game.
It was only a matter of time before Microsoft began edging Mojang away from supporting the old seventh gen systems when it comes to new content and updates for Minecraft. Well, that day has finally arrived, or it will soon, as the next big update for the game will be the last for the legacy consoles.
Over on the official Minecraft website, Mojang announced that the Aquatic update will be arriving for all major game consoles and platforms, including the legacy consoles from the seventh generation of gaming. This means that after the Aquatic update goes live, there will be no new updates for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, or the Wii U versions of the game.
The reason for the abandonment of the older consoles is because Mojang wants to focus on the newer consoles and the newer iteration of the Bedrock Engine, which is no longer supported on the legacy consoles.
Mojang also notes that new features and updates will only arrive for Windows 10 systems, PlayStation 4, Java, mobile, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of Minecraft.
Now there is something to keep in mind if you're playing on the Xbox One or the Nintendo Switch, you will eventually need to upgrade to the newer version of the game running on the Bedrock Engine. The older, legacy versions of the game available for Microsoft and Nintendo's eighth gen consoles will eventually stop receiving updates. So you'll want to update the game as soon as possible.
The Bedrock Engine originally made its debut back in 2011, but it didn't actually manage to release for home consoles until 2017, where the Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch received the Bedrock updates during the third quarter of the year.
The newer version of Minecraft offers gamers the ability to export worlds, import worlds, and create their own play space just like the older version of the game, but it has the added ability to utilize advanced shaders, improved touch controls, and the ability to make use of virtual reality functionality, which was introduced as part of Microsoft's initiative to dive into the AR/VR field after teasing HoloLens support for Minecraft during E3.
Sadly, for those of you still wanting to utilize HoloLens for Minecraft, the tech is still heavy in development and the devkits are still the only physical release available for the mixed reality headset. On the upside, the Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets are available to offer you a cheap VR alternative to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, along with the Gear VR from Samsung, enabling you to dive into Minecraft with VR support.
All of that is to say that Mojang, Microsoft and the other port houses working on Minecraft are moving away from the older legacy consoles due to the newer engine not being able to support those old devices. In order to keep advancing and moving the brand forward, it will require leaving some of the older and less compatible platforms behind.
Even still, if you own a PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii U, take solace knowing that you can still enjoy the Aquatic update.
Avengers: Infinity War premiered in Los Angeles on Monday night and the lucky ones who got to be there have reacted on social media and website. The screening has increased the excitement among Marvel Fandom. Come to think of it the Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced 18 movies over 10 years now. The Infinity War, however, is the epic finale of the superhero amalgamation. The movies can be watched in three phases:
Still from the Captain America: The First Avenger (Youtube)
Phase one:
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The First Avenger is set during World War two and could be the perfect beginning for the superhero franchise. At the end of the movie Nick Furry tells Captain about a “new assignment”.
Iron Man (2008)
In spite of The First Avenger being on top of the order Iron Man is officially the first feature in the MCU. The mention of the Avengers could be seen in the post-credit scenes.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
The movie further dwells into the life of Tony Stark and introduces Natasha Romanoff as Black Widow. The post-credit scenes reveal the first Thor movie when Agent Coulson finds Thor’s hammer in a remote crater outside Mexico.
Thor (2011)
The first Marvel movie which extends beyond the planet as Thor was sent to Earth as a punishment by Odin, his father and ruler of Asgard. The post-credits reveal the Loki meeting the Tesseract and hence The Avengers.
The Avengers (2012)
This marks the biggest crossover of the superheroes where the Avengers fight Thor’s half-brother Loki and his army of Chitauri warriors.The last movie of phase one, The Avengers post-credits reveals Thanos.
Still from Iron Man 3 (Youtube)
Phase two: Iron Man (2013)
The last stand-alone feature for Tony Stark, this point marks the beginning of phase two and other Avengers make off time appearances. The post-credit reveals Dr Bruce Banner.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
This movie now focuses on building a bigger picture around Thanos and the infinity stones. Thor's girlfriend Dr Jane Foster discovers the Aether or the Reality stone. This also sets up Guardians of the Galaxy.
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
The second in the instalment Winter Soldier brings Bucky into the picture, he is an old friend of Rogers now a trained agent for HYDRA. Bucky fights Rogers. The end revels first glimpse of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This MCU now shows whole another universe introducing Galaxy’s most lovable outlaws. It also features Gamora and Nebula, the two adopted daughters of Thanos who turn out to be assassins.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
The second installment comes after 3 long years and fits perfectly before Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The second part introduces Scarlet Witch and Vision. The Mind Stone is added to the MCU roaster in this one as The Avengers create Vision out of it to battle Ultron. The post-credit reveals Thanos as he is seen wearing the infinity gauntlet.
Ant Man (2015)
This is an origin story. Nevertheless, it introduces Ant-man and the Wasp. It is also a prelude to Captain America: Civil War as Rogers looks to protect Bucky from the rest of the Avengers.
Dr Strange. (Pintrest)
Phase three: Dr Strange (2016)
The MCU introduces new world to the fans as a whole new story with Dr Strange. Dr Stephen Strange possesses the Time Stone which gives him power to alter reality. The post-credit reveals Thor: Ragnarok where Thor asks to take Loki back to Asgard.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The third instalment in the series marks the break in the Avengers as Tony Stark seeks revenge from Bucky for the murder of his parents. This movie introduces Spiderman and Black Panther.
Spiderman Homecoming (2017)
This is an origin story for Spiderman has nothing to do with the Infinity War whatsoever. This is a break from the intense build up for the Infinity War.
Black Panther (2018)
The most successful in the MCU, Black Panther made five times more money than any movie in 2018. We see the world of Wakanda, King T’Challa is crowned after the death of his father in Civil War. The post credit scenes shows Bucky seeking refuge in Wakanda which was now open for the world.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The last edition of the Thor franchise and a perfect set-up for the Infinity War. As Asgard is destroyed, the people are now in a ship as Loki asks Thor if taking them to Earth would be a good idea. A big ship arrives towards them which could well be Thanos’ ship and forms the opening scene of Infinity War.
With less than three days to go for Avengers: Infinity War, all you need is precisely one day, nine hours and 52 minutes of Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A nearly hour-long Twitch stream from the official Minecraft Twitch account yesterday answered some questions players may have had and revealed information about an upcoming update to the New Nintendo 3DS Edition of Minecraft.
The stream unveiled a new Mario-styled world in the game, the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack that’s already on the Wii U and Switch versions of the game. This blocky version of Mario features giant statues of in-game characters, pipes players can run through, mushrooms extending toward the sky, and boss castles for you to find.
With the update, the base Minecraft game on the New Nintendo 3DS will run at 60 FPS, though in order to increase the draw-distance the framerate was turned down to 30 for the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack.
An in-game store will be coming to the New 3DS Edition in the future, which the developers promise to reveal more information about “in due time.” They’re also still working on bringing the game to the European market.
The stream also revealed Minecraft’s upcoming aquatic update for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Vita, and Wii U will be the last major content update for those systems, though a date for that update has yet to be announced.
