The event started in 2014, but this is our second year at The RDS, and our first event as an Official Minecraft Community Event, partnered with Mojang and Microsoft.
What was the inspiration to start it?
The inspiration came from watching the kids playing the game at home. There were similar events in other countries that were hugely popular, but there was nothing in Ireland. We spotted the gap and we set up the first event in Galway in 2014.
What exciting things can people look forward to?
We have a fantastic mix of fun and games, education and inspiration! From Build Battle Tournaments to On-Stage Challenges and Meet and Greets, our events have something for every Minecraft fan.
What opportunities are on offer for those attending?
Attendees get the opportunity to meet the YouTubers that they watch on their phones, tablets and TVs every day – this has always been a huge incentive for people to attend but we try to offer a complete Minecraft experience for all attendees!
Who will be speaking?
We are lucky enough to be bringing Dinnerbone and LadyAgnes over from Sweden, who are two of the Mojang team that actually develop Minecraft itself. We also have a great selection of the top Microsoft Educators who use Minecraft every day to teach and inspire children around the world. There will be nine world-famous Minecraft YouTubers who will be answering questions from the guests, as well as Anne McCormack, author of the book Keeping Your Child Safe on Social Media: Five Easy Steps.
What tips would you give to people attending to get the most out of it?
Grab a free show guide as you enter, which shows the full day’s schedule, and then plan what talks, meet and greets and stage shows you want to see. There is a lot to see and do, so you will need to plan carefully!
How can people book tickets / when does it usually sell out?
Tickets are available Ticketmaster and we advise everyone to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!
Anything else you’d like to add / we should have asked?
We have a great selection of Official Minecraft Merchandise available, some of which you can only purchase at our events, so this will be a great souvenir of what we hope will be a fantastic weekend for everyone that attends.
Hackers are uploading corrupt Minecraft skins to the game's website that can wipe your computer
These add-ons are available on the Minecraft website, potentially putting the game's entire user base of 74million players in harm's way.
Cyber-security software-maker Avast told The Sun that it's been in touch with Minecraft developer Mojang, and is working to fix the exploit.
The company says it blocked 14,500 infection attempts in the last ten days alone.
Avast notes that Minecraft's largest demographic of 15 to 21-year-old players (who account for 43 per cent of its user base) are particularly susceptible to the hack.
Warning – don't download these Minecraft skins as they contain a virus
“The bad actors may have looked to capitalize on a more vulnerable group of unsuspecting users that play a game trusted by parents and guardians,” said the company.
We've reached out to Mojang with questions concerning the nature of the attack, and how long the company was aware of it. We will update this article with its response.
Users can spot and evade the virus in a number of ways.
Firstly, don't download any Minecraft skins from the game's website until the threat is dealt with. Three of the dodgy outfits can be seen above.
Users may also get unusual, sweary messages in their Minecraft account inbox. Some of the identified examples include:
“You Are Nailed, Buy A New Computer This Is A Piece Of S***.”
“You have maxed your internet usage for a lifetime.”
“Your a** got glued.”
And you may have also been affected if you notice your computer suddenly started playing up or you get an error message related to disk formatting.
To keep yourself protected, Avast recommends scanning your machine with an antivirus software that will detect the malicious files and remove them.
In some cases, you may even have to re-install Minecraft.
And in more extreme circumstances, where your machine has already been infected with the malware, data restoration is recommended.
Servers are your gateway to expanding your horizons in Minecraft, and here we've rounded up the best Minecraft servers around. Like fantasy? Want to walk through a blocky recreation of your favourite TV show or film? Want to grief without the fear of a ban? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, servers have got you covered.
Joining a server is nice and simple. All you need to do is load up Minecraft as you normally would, hit multiplayer, then add a server. Name it whatever you want, then type or Ctrl+V the IP address into the box below. Save it, click play, and you’re good to go. Just keep in mind some servers need you to download data for them to run correctly. If this at any point fails, just quit out and keep trying. It should work eventually.
The Lord of the Craft
While this may sound like a Lord of the Rings server, it’s not quite. It’s fantasy, sure, but with a huge focus on roleplaying. The world, and its lore, is already set up, and a helpful warp command means travelling between the different kingdoms (high elves, dark elves, dwarves, etc) is simple. All you need is a killer skin and an elaborate backstory and you’re good to go.
IP Address: mc.lotc.co
Grand Theft Minecart
You can probably guess from the title which popular video game series this server is based on. You guessed it, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Hello Kitty Online. Or GTA. It’s one of the two.
Join this server and you’ll be treated to two different game modes (Grand Theft Minecart and Vice Minecart), as well as 35 different GTA-inspired weapons. There are also plenty of vehicle offerings including cars, planes, and of course, tanks. Because it’s not GTA if there isn’t an option to go on an explodey murder-spree.
IP Address: mc-gtm.net
The Mining Dead
What’s the one thing missing from Minecraft? Guns! Although that’d just make it Fortnite, wouldn’t it? Either way, if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead TV show or comic, this is a great opportunity to take in all the famous sights as you’re scrambling to find weapons, ammo, and generally anything to help fend off the undead. And because of the voxel stylings of Minecraft, there’s a faint whiff of Goldeneye 64 to the whole thing.
IP Address: hub.havocmc.net
Arkham Network
Fancy donning a cape while shouting “You have failed this city!”? Maybe you’re an anarchist looking to watch the world burn? Whichever side you choose to join, the Arkham Network has a comic-book world that’s just begging to be explored. And griefed, obviously. There are also a host of different day jobs for making coin, and a wealth of gamemodes to participate in. One of the key rules of this server is make friends, fast. You’ll need them.
IP Address: mc.arkhamnetwork.org
Pokefind
Arguably one of the best Pokémon/Minecraft mashups out there, Pokefind starts as you’d expect. You meet a professor before being tasked with choosing a Pokémon. The starter choice options mirrors that of Generation 1, so that’s Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Once you’ve picked Bulbasaur (because you absolutely should!), you can either chill at the Pokémon centre, learn about crafting, or head into the wild and fight some poor animals. It’s just like the actual games, then.
IP Address: Play.pokefind.co
MC Middle Earth
A team was always going to attempt to recreate the Lord of the Rings universe in Minecraft, and the result is something truly breathtaking. Everything in this world has been meticulously crafted to feel as real as possible. Taking a stroll through the Shire is a lovely way to lose a few hours, but if you’re not here for a sightseeing tour, there’s also a PvP server. Because of course there is.
Build IP Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com
PvP and Event IP Address: pvp.mcmiddleearth.com
The Tomb
If you’re new to the world of Minecraft servers, you’ll be forgiven for not knowing what a prison server is. Basically, the player spawns and is locked in an area. In The Tomb’s case, it’s an underground mine teeming with lavish decorations. The goal here is to level up and escape by collecting and selling resources. Think No Man’s Sky if No Man’s Sky was trapped underground without a spaceship. If you’re a fan of relaxing grinding, this one’s for you.
IP Address: the-tomb.com
Extreme Craft
We couldn’t put out a list of Minecraft servers without mentioning one of the most popular out there. Extreme Craft keeps popping up because of the sheer amount of modes there are to play, including the likes of a fully fleshed out survival mode, hunger games, factions, skygrid, skywars, skyblock, acid island, and eggwars. That’s on top of a creative mode and the option of roleplaying. It’s like a Minecraft greatest hits compilation.
IP Address: play.extremecraft.net
Minewind
For people who hate people there’s Minewind, an anarchy server where the only rule is don’t cheat. See someone building a nice tower they’ve spent hours on? Tear the whole thing down and laugh as they furiously scramble to get away. Another player near diamonds? Push them headfirst into lava. Here you can grief as much as you desire with zero repercussions. While this is one server you may want to avoid, it’s also a server you may want to visit, because you’re a horrible, horrible person.
IP Address: play.Minewind.com
Potter World MC
When you first enter Potter World, you’re greeted by the boy himself battling a dementor as Hogwarts sits ominously in the background. Much like Middle Earth, Potter World goes all out when it comes to authenticity. Buildings appear as they do in the mind’s eye, complete with inside furnishings. You can learn about potion making, duel other wizards and witches, or go off and play a friendly round of quidditch. This is Minecraft at its strongest: creating game worlds that best those of their AAA counterparts.
Minecraft users will be able to download a new update this evening and with the update comes the inclusion of Final Fantasy XV skins. The Final Fantasy XV skin pack will be available on both the Nintendo Switch and also the Wii U. Here’s what’s coming in the upcoming due later today:
Added Final Fantasy XV Skin Pack
Fixed a crash that would occur when players looked at a Cauldron while holding a Water Bottle obtained by Fishing
For all of you who told Final Fantasy XV to ease off with the crazy property cross-overs around the time Valve dropped the Half-Life Gordon Freeman Noctis skin for the game, Final Fantasy XV has one message for you: “Can't stop, won't stop.” Final Fantasy XV has yet another franchise crossover up its sleeve, and it's one I'm honestly surprised we didn't see earlier: A crossover with Minecraft.
A brand-new skin pack for Minecraft lets you dress up the game's blocky denizens as a host of Final Fantasy XV characters, from the obvious (Final Fantasy XV's Four Beautiful Boy protagonists) to popular NPCs (Cid, Cindy), to some surprise appearances (Kenny Crow?).
“Put that camera away, Prompto. We're monsters.”
Resetera member “AlexFlame116” posted screenshots of the PlayStation 4 iteration of the skin pack, which arrived with Minecraft's 1.68 update. It's is currently only available in select territories, including Australia's PlayStation Store. Microsoft probably gave the pack to Australia first as a way saying “Sorry y'all have to live alongside taipan snakes.” That's a nice gesture. Don't worry: We probably won't have to wait long before the pack comes to North America.
The Australian price for the Final Fantasy XV skin pack is listed as $4.85 AUD, which is roughly $3.99 USD. That's a standard price for a Minecraft skin pack. If you ever aim to acquire a human skin pack, be prepared to pay a much higher price.
Square-Enix has kept Final Fantasy XV fresh in everyone's minds by adding a steady stream of content to the game. We've had time to write up tons of tips, tricks, and guides for Final Fantasy XV, so be sure to check them out.
Among the nominees for the Strong National Museum of Play’s 2018 World Video Game Hall of Fame, one game stands out: All the other games are at least 15 years old–including Asteroids, Ms. Pac-Man, Half-Life, and King’s Quest–but Minecraft exited beta in 2011, making it the sole nominee born in this decade. The game has also earned a nod twice before–and it’s been snubbed twice before–in the Hall of Fame’s four-year history.
Arguably, the snubs happened for good reason. Past winners include classic games like Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong, and some of the more modern winners—like Halo: Combat Evolved and World of Warcraft—have had their legacies tested for well over a decade. By contrast, Minecraft is still in active development by Microsoft, and while it’s prompted countless clones in the present day, we can still only guess at its long-term impact.
Then again, the Minecraft-loving masses could finally impose their will this year through a new Player’s Choice ballot. The top three winners will join 27 other ballots cast by industry experts, giving it a greater chance at earning an induction spot–whether it’s deserved or not.
That’s all well and good, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of Ms. Pac-Man, which should have won a spot even before its male-centered counterpart did.
