One of the big announcements for Minecraft this E3 was that nearly all versions of the game — Playstation consoles aside unfortunately due to a decision on Sony's end — will be able to play with each other following the game's upcoming “Better Together” update.
Following on from that announcement, Jens and Saxs from Mojang discuss the update a little bit more with Julia Hardy.
The “Better Together” update as well as the 4K update announced at the same time should both be coming to Minecraft later this year.
If you play Minecraft—or are the parent of an offspring who plays Minecraft–then you probably know that the international YouTube Minecraft superstar known as Dan TDM is on tour.
Dan TDM (TDM stands for “the diamond minecart,” kind of an inside joke among Dan and his 17.9 million subscribers) rose to fame by making videos of his Minecraft-playing adventures. His face appears in the corner of the screen as he narrates, providing tips and advice, but mostly entertainment. The man is a delight, even if you are the kind of parent who swears you couldn't be entertained by a twenty-something English guy narrating a video game.
You see, Dan TDM is kind of a genius. Not only has he managed to rack up 10 billion views of him playing Minecraft, but also he has now figured out how to turn his video persona into a world tour, for which he has sold more than 85,000 tickets including 32 sold-out shows in the U.K., four at the Sydney Opera House, and 21 (and counting) in the United States. But you might have questions. The first of which is most assuredly, What does Dan TDM do onstage? Does he just play Minecraft?
“I'd say the top comment I get when I see people after the show, parents, they're like, ‘We don't know what to expect,'” Dan told PopularMechanics.com. “We've sold this idea of the live show on pretty much nothing, really—they know that I'm going to be there, but they don't know what I'm going to do. But then hopefully, we do blow them away with this really cool show that does have gaming within it, but involves everyone in a much more personal experience. Which was my main goal: I wanted to take that one limitation about my videos, which is there's always a screen between me and my audience.”
Having seen—and thoroughly enjoyed—the show, we are here to answer that and a few other questions about the tour, which runs through July 23 in Seattle.
What does Dan TDM do onstage? Does he just play Minecraft?
No. He doesn't play Minecraft at all, actually. What sets his Minecraft YouTubing apart is his ability to create characters and tell stories, and he brings this creativity to life on the stage.
Will adults find him funny?
Yes, he's funny, in a charming, self-deprecating, British way.
Is there merchandise for sale?
Ohh, yes. T-shirts, posters, Dan's book, hats, stuffed pugs (Dan has two, who figure prominently in his videos), and plenty more.
Can the kids meet him?
Yes. At most shows, Dan does a meet-and-greet for a couple hundred fans before the show. The tickets for this are $95 on top of the regular ticket price, and you need to arrive several hours before the show. It takes a while. But that's because Dan TDM is magic with kids. He doesn't rush. He listens to them. He talks to them. He graciously accepts their gifts. He poses for photos, signs whatever they have, high-fives them. Buy the ticket. Stand and wait. Smile.
How long is the show?
About two hours, including an intermission.
Are there other people on stage, or just Dan TDM?
He is not the only human in the show. We'll leave it at that. No spoilers.
Doesn't all of this just encourage kids to play video games?
Not really, no. There's a plot to the stage story, and it has to do with busting out of the virtual world into the real world. Dan TDM genuinely entertaining, he encourages kids to approach Minecraft with originality and a sense of adventure, and he seems intent on making kids feel good about who they are. In the show, he talks about his shyness as a child, and now here he is, standing in front of 5,000 people, hopping around telling stories, making people laugh and clap and have a truly enjoyable evening.
Most of you probably know that the Minecraft: Pocket Edition [$6.99] Better Together update will add cross-platform servers and graphical upgrades to the game, but it will also add plenty of other fun features as it strives for parity between versions. Three of those features that will be added to the game are stained glass, books, and banners, with the first two being the most fun of the three. Banners are crafted from wool, can be placed either on the ground or on walls, and they make for fun decorations when you're making medieval-themed builds. Books and quills let you create books that you can add text to and are great for adventure maps.
The most exciting feature though is by far stained glass, decorative variants of regular glass blocks that let you create fantastic buildings. They come with a ton of different colors and also let you change Beacon colors. I'm pretty sure builders will be very excited for this one. What other features are you hoping to see in the Better Together update?
Minecraft, although very popular, has been said to fall short when it comes to graphics – until now.
The video game is set to release the ‘Better Together Update’ that enables users to play with others in the game and lets the game's designers give it ‘a new lick of paint’.
Users will soon experience 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.
Java Edition players have long had the ability to add a modern look to Minecraft by fiddling around with codes, but now the average gamer will soon have the same experience with the new 4K HDR graphics, improved lighting, shadows, water effects and more.
‘We’re also a little something extra, which we’re humbly naming the Super Duper Graphics Pack,' Marsh Davies is the creative communications manager at Monjan AB, the creator of Minecraft, shared in a blog post.
‘This optional DLC pack is crammed full of excessive visual razzmatazz: light will filter in shimmering rays through cotton clouds, dappling the ground beneath fluttering foliage, and sparkling on the rippling waters. We have dynamic shadows!’
‘Directional lighting! Edge highlighting! Probably loads of other kinds of lighting I don’t understand!’
Davies did however note that the new graphics and effects are still a work in progress, ‘so don't be surprised if textures or effects change – and get even super duperer – before release.’
The pack will be released on Xbox One and Windows 10, performing best on high-end PCs and Project Scorpio.
However, the Better Together update will not apply to the PlayStation 4, or PS4 Pro, version of Minecraft right away.
Minecraft did release a a marketplace this month, which showcases curated content for Pocket and Windows 10 players.
The digital storefront will let users purchase items like maps, textures and skins that range from $1 to $10 per – but users will first have to by a new form of currency.
The optional DLC pack is crammed full of excessive visual razzmatazz: light will filter in shimmering rays through cotton clouds, dappling the ground beneath fluttering foliage, and sparkling on the rippling waters (left old graphics, right updated graphics)
The new graphics (right) and effects are still a work in progress, ‘so don't be surprised if textures or effects change – and get even super duperer – before release (left is older graphics)
Microsoft added Minecraft Coins to the platform that will live in a user's Microsoft Xbox Live virtual wallet and is accessible for marketplace purchases on any platform.
The new additions are set to make their way into the video game come spring.
Although the upgrade benefits players, it is also an opportunity for businesses to sell their own original content, which will be available to ‘tens of millions' of players, Bloomberg reported.
Nine businesses have teamed up with Minecraft to sell feature packs – and they will receive also about 70 percent of the total in-app purchase, where Minecraft will only keep 30 percent.
The pack will be released on Xbox One and Windows 10, performing best on high-end PCs and Project Scorpio (left is old graphics, right is updated graphics)
However, the Better Together update will not apply to the PlayStation 4, or PS4 Pro, version of Minecraft right away (pictured is a scene with the updated graphics)
‘We've partnered with heroic ‘crafters well-known to the community to build up a launch catalog of amazing adventure maps, texture packs, minigames and more,' Minecraft wrote in an announcement.
‘Noxcrew, BlockWorks, Qwertyuiop The Pie, Blockception, Sphax, Eneija Silverleaf, Imagiverse, Polymaps and Razzleberry Fox are the folk on board at launch, but we're opening up submissions to anyone with a registered business.'
Minecraft already offers its players a store to make purchases, but the new marketplace will ‘open up an entirely new business model for independent creative'.
Minecraft did release a a marketplace this month, which showcases curated content for Pocket and Windows 10 players. The digital storefront will let users purchase items like maps, textures and skins that range from $1 to $10 per – but users will first have to by a new form of currency
Altogether, Mincraft has sold a whopping 121 million copies to players all over the globe and boasts 55 million unique monthly users, according to figures from Microsoft – giving third party developers a chance at expanding their reach.
The new features will also help Minecraft stepped into the world of recurring revenue.
Microsof added Minecraft Coins to the platform that will live in a user's Microsoft Xbox Live virtual wallet and is accessible for marketplace purchases on any platform
‘With Minecraft Coins, Microsoft is following both Amazon and Facebook into having its own virtual currency for in-app and content purchasing,' Martin Garner, an analyst at CCS Insight, told Bloomberg.
‘This could be very relevant for Minecraft's substantial base of younger users, who are unable to attach a credit card to their account.'
Altogether, Mincraft has sold a whopping 121 million copies to players all over the globe and boasts 55 million unique monthly users, according to figures from Microsoft – giving third party developers a chance at expanding their reach
‘But, by using the Minecraft brand for the currency, Microsoft appears to see this as a self-contained move, rather than the start of something larger.'
Minecraft noted that it will launch its public beta on Android in mid-April, which will focus on testing the new currency – users will ‘not see any creator content in the beta'.
Minecraft is about to start looking a whole lot better with the introduction of the Super Duper Graphics Pack, originally introduced during E3 2017. Previously it was announced for those who play Minecraft on Xbox One and on PC, but now the graphics pack is actually coming to the Nintendo Switch as well, according to an interview at Kotaku.
Rendering lead Cameron Egbert let the cat out of the bag: “It will be anywhere that you can play Minecraft in the new version. It will improve any screen on which you play, but the best experience will be on Xbox One X.”
Thanks to the “Better Together” initiative from Microsoft, Minecraft is looking to invite all players on various platforms to play together. This includes bringing Switch players onboard as with the upcoming Super Duper Graphics Pack, which makes the blocky look a whole lot more eye-popping.
The update will offer a brand new vision of Minecraft with 4K HDR graphics, improved lighting, water effects, shadows and a whole other smattering of visual improvements. It's also all coming for free.
The introductory video shows off a good chunk of what to expect from the update, and it looks nearly like a different game. Unfortunately there isn't a concrete release date just yet. You can expect to see it gracing a Minecraft player's screen near you this fall.
Power Rangers fans got a welcome surprise after the credits rolled, and the cast has some thoughts on the tease as well.
Yellow Ranger Becky Gomez spoke to The Mary Sue alongside original Pink Ranger actress Amy Jo Johnson, and one of the topics that came up was the Green Ranger. Tommy Oliver is referenced in the after credits scene but doesn't show up just yet. Becky has some ideas for the popular Ranger, saying “[Me and my castmates] talk about this all the time. We agree that it should be a girl. I think it would be so cool because we have yet to see that. Obviously, Power Rangers has been around for a very long time, but I feel like it’d be so dope if she was a chick.”
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the role was played by Jason David Frank, who has gone on to reprise the role a few different times. In the reboot the role is originally played by Elizabeth Banks, becoming Rita Repulsa after she betrays the other Rangers. It would certainly be a fresh take on the character, but right now most just hope the film gets a sequel at all. Hopefully, after the film debuts in the Chinese market, that forecast won't look as cloudy.
The action-packed, coming of age feature film Saban’s Power Rangers will morph onto Digital HD June 13 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital HD), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and On Demand June 27 from Lionsgate. As part of the 24-year-old global phenomenon and based on the five Rangers from the original TV series, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,”, the reimagined movie features a modern generation of Rangers including Dacre Montgomery (TV’s “Stranger Things”) as Jason the Red Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, and Becky G. (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, as they attempt to stop the evil and unpredictable Rita Repulsa (played by Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games Franchise) from destroying their city…and ultimately the world. Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) as Zordon, and Bill Hader (Finding Dory) as Alpha 5 train the Rangers to morph and master their powers as a united team.
The Saban’s Power Rangers DVD will include exclusive audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, and deleted/alternate/extended scenes and outtakes. Saban’s Power Rangers will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.95, respectively.
Story by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney. Screenplay by John Gatins. Directed by Dean Israelite.
