Back in August, it was announced that Minecon — the annual celebration of all things Minecraft — would take an altogether different form for 2017. The newly branded Minecon World aimed to expand the festivities well beyond the confines of the single city chosen to host days full of activities each year, instead taking the form of a 90-minute jam-packed event broadcast live from Atlanta to viewing parties and movie theaters around the world.
And if that wasn't enough to catch your eye — which, let's be real, is very appealing to those of us who love Minecraft but maybe don't have the ability to travel to the highly hyped event each year — on Oct. 19, it was announced that there would be another familiar face hosting the event beside the legendary Lydia Winters: Will Arnett. That's right; the man formerly known as GOB Bluth, Devon Banks, and Bojack Horseman is a Minecraft fan, too.
“My boys and I have so much fun playing Minecraft,” Arnett said in a statement about the event, adding, “but even more than that, I love how Minecraft inspires so much creativity in them. I couldn't be more excited to be a part of MINECON!”
Check out a full rundown of everything Minecon Earth over at the official site, the official launch trailer (featuring Arnett) above, and, for good measure, the best Bojack Horseman-inspired Minecraft video ever below.
Of all the current generation consoles on the market right now, Microsoft’s Xbox One is by far the most impressive when it comes to its commitment to backwards compatibility.
At the moment there’s an extensive list of Xbox 360 games that can be played on the Xbox One and while that’s continuing to grow, Microsoft announced plans to add original Xbox games into the mix at E3 earlier this year.
Microsoft hasn’t been forthcoming with details on exactly which original Xbox titles will be coming to Xbox One – at the moment we only know about Crimson Skies and Fuzion Frenzy. However, in a recent interview with GameSpot, Xbox head Phil Spencer did say we’d see the first of the batch released before the end of the year.
Throwback
When asked about the status of the backwards compatibility project by GameSpot, Spencer stated “We're close, we're really close.”
“I have a little dashboard I go to and I can see all the games [and] where they are in getting approvals in the pipeline,” he continued.
“I know the games that are coming for the original Xbox but I don't think we've announced them all. We have to do this in partnership with partners, but we're still on track. I feel really good. The games look great.”
Backwards compatibility on the Xbox One X will, apparently, work slightly differently to the Xbox One S. According to Spencer, Xbox has still to reveal some “interesting” details on how the feature will work on the upcoming 4K console but seems fairly certain that people will find it “interesting.”
There’s plenty of interest in original Xbox games coming to the latest consoles and although Spencer says that some of the games hold up better than others, we imagine the memories and nostalgia will more than make up for anything lacking in the visuals.
Though we still don’t have an exact date for when this backwards compatibility extension will go live, we imagine Microsoft will wait until after the launch of the Xbox One X on November 7. Some time between this new console launch and Christmas would, arguably, make the most sense for the company.
We imagine original Xbox games coming to the Xbox One would tie in very neatly with the release of the revamped Duke controller which was also announced at E3 this year. Though this controller doesn’t have an exact release date, either, it’s also scheduled for before the end of 2017.
Xbox One S is the pinnacle of what Microsoft set out to create three years ago. But being sleeker, cheaper and more powerful than its predecessor, the One S could also rub early adopters (who shelled out for Kinect) the wrong way.
This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) had a lot of surprises for the fans. From Nintendo's spectacular comeback to Microsoft's Xbox One X, the gaming community was left reeling from the events.
One of the treats were given to Microsoft's fans was Xbox One's backward compatibility, which will equip the latest console with support for the original games that were previously released. With the anticipation at an all-time high, rumors have begun circulating that it might never come. However, recent reports have revealed that it is actually on the way.
“We're close, we're really close,” Xbox's chief Phil Spencer told GameSpot when he was asked about the status of the development. “I have a little dashboard I go to and I can see all the games [and] where they are in getting approvals in the pipeline. I know the games that are coming for the original Xbox but I don't think we've announced them all. We have to do this in partnership with partners, but we're still on track. I feel really good. The games look great.”
Considering the nearing release of the Xbox One X, many were also curious as to whether or not the feature will be available to the world's most powerful console. Spencer was determined to remain tight-lipped, but he did tease that there were features that will need to be discussed before the console arrives in stores.
Furthermore, Spencer also gave some form of relief to the fans. He said that they will not have long to wait to enjoy the features that the backwards compatibility will offer. For those who have been waiting to play the original games that they got to know in the previous consoles, they will be able to play it again before the year ends. No specific launch date was given but fans are expecting to hear more details in the coming months.
Microsoft is set to launch the Xbox One X on November 7. This $500 system promises to be “the most powerful console ever.” There is certainly a great deal of excitement for the device among the hardcore Xbox community. However, the console isn’t going to replace the Xbox One S. It exists for the enthusiast gamer who wants a beefier system. While Microsoft expects the Xbox One X to sell well, it recognizes the system doesn’t have universal appeal.
“Xbox One S will be the market leader for us. It’s the more affordable console. It plays all the same games,” said Xbox’s Phil Spencer to GameSpot at the Brazil Game Show. “It will be the console that sells.”
“Whether you’re on a 1080p TV or a 4K TV, you’re going to have a great experience. But it’s not for everybody. It’s like when we built the Xbox One Elite controller, we didn’t try to say to everybody, ‘If you need an extra controller, go buy the Elite controller.’ We sold a ton of those controllers. We know in the gaming segment, there are a lot of people who play games casually and there are also people where gaming is their number one hobby.
“Their number one form of entertainment, and we want to give them the very best experience. I’ve played games in true 4K with HDR, and they look fantastic. But it doesn’t mean everybody has to do that. So we’re giving gamers a choice. Whether we’ve pushed the innovation too far? It’s hard to do that with gamers. I guess we’ll see; I feel very confident in the product we have coming to market.”
Phil Spencer spoke about how the Xbox One S would be the this year’s best selling Xbox back in June. Both the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X play the same games. Given a choice, most customers will purchase the $250 system over the $500 variant. Sure, games on Xbox One X will look and run better, but gaming on Xbox One S provides the same experience. System-wise, the Xbox is on solid footing. Now Xbox just needs a few more exclusives to make it even more enticing to consumers.
Microsoft has announced three new Xbox One S bundles priced at just £229. Launching in the coming weeks, the UK will receive an Xbox One S Rocket League Blast-Off Bundle, an Xbox One S Starter Bundle and – for those that didn't manage to get their hands on the limited edition Minecraft version of the console, an Xbox One S Minecraft Complete Adventure Bundle.
The latter comes with a 500GB Xbox One S, a wireless controller and full download codes for Minecraft and Telltale's Minecraft: Story Mode Season One – The Complete Adventure. Users also get a full add-on download code of the Minecraft Explorer's pack, three months of Xbox Live Gold, and a one month trial of the Xbox Game Pass.
The Rocket League Blast Off Bundle, meanwhile, comes with a 500GB Xbox One S, a wireless controller, a full download code for Rocket League, three months of Xbox Live Gold and the same one month Xbox Game Pass trial.
The Starter Bundle, on the other hand, doesn't actually come with a specific game, which might make it a hard sell to the general public. Instead, the main benefit is that users get three months of Xbox Game Pass rather than one – although whether the general public will appreciate the value of two extra months is debatable, especially when it's not quite as tangible as an actual game. Of course, that's in addition to three months of Xbox Live Gold plus the 500GB Xbox One S and wireless controller.
Meanwhile, the US will also receive an Xbox One S Ultimate Halo Bundle for $279, which comes with download codes for Halo 5 Guardians and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, plus one month of Xbox Game Pass, a 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold, and a 500GB console and wireless controller.
With less than a month to go before you can get your hands on the new, more powerful Xbox One X, Microsoft is giving the unconvinced a chance to try it out at the company's retail outlets. You can try the new console connected to a 4K display at flagship Microsoft Store locations like the one in New York and Sidney, along with spaces at Bellevue Square Mall and University Village. You'll also get to try out Forza Motorsport 7 on the new console, win prizes and see special guests.
Even if you're not near a participating Microsoft Store, any other branded retail outlets in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico will celebrate the launch of the Xbox One X with giveaways and celebration events, too. If you pre-oder a console at your local store, you'll be able to pick it up at 9 PM PT/12AM ET on Monday, November 6th/7th from the same store you ordered it from.
