“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” gave Tom Cruise his best opening in 13 years, but in order to make a profit, the pricey action flick from Paramount will need foreign audiences to turn out in force.

With a $178 million production budget and a promotional and distribution price tag that hovers around $150 million, sources close to the studio and at rival companies estimate that the sixth installment in the spy franchise will need to pull in $560 million in order to get into the black. Some competitors think the figure that “Mission: Impossible” needs to make is even higher, approaching the $650 million range.

These are achievable results given the past track record of films in the series. “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” boasts the biggest haul with $694.7 million globally. Its follow-up, “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” fell slightly short of the fourth iteration, generating a nevertheless robust $682.7 million worldwide. If “Fallout” hits either figure, it will be in the clear.

However, there are also a lot of big names that will need to get their share of the spoils. Namely, producer J.J. Abrams and Cruise, both of whom get a sizable percentage of the grosses. Skydance, the film’s financier, will also be cut in on any money the picture makes. All these profit participants will limit Paramount’s taste of the riches. Of the major parties involved in “Mission: Impossible,” only Cruise has gross points, meaning he gets a percentage of the first monies received by the distributor.

Part of the reason that the “Mission: Impossible” films carry a hefty price tag is because they rely on stunts and effects that are filmed “in camera.” It would be cheaper to load up on CGI, but, of course, then audiences would be deprived of seeing Cruise leap across buildings and jump out of a helicopter that’s hovering 2,000 feet above ground. Recounting stories of risking life and limb has become a key selling point for Cruise films.

That does have its drawbacks. One gnarly stunt resulted in the actor fracturing his ankle, causing production to shut down for eight weeks. Insiders say insurance covered that multi-million dollar cost.

“Fallout” does seem off to a promising start. The latest installment launched to a franchise-best $61.5 million in North America and picked up a mighty $92 million overseas. The key to turning a profit will likely be China, where the film opens on Aug. 31. “Rogue Nation,” the previous film in the series, brought in $135 million from the Middle Kingdom. That lofty sum was only dwarfed by the $195 million that “Rogue Nation” took in domestically. If “Fallout” wants to match or surpass “Rogue Nation’s” $682 million global total, it will need to replicate those results in China.

In the wake of “Fallout’s” No. 1 opening and rapturous critical reviews, as well as the earlier success of “A Quiet Place,” some were quick to say that the film was a signal that Paramount had regained its stride after years spent in the box office doldrums. That may be the case. However, “Fallout” still has several key markets left to open before the studio can pop champagne.

It should also be said that “A Quiet Place,” filmed for a measly $17 million, and with a box office haul of $332 million, will likely prove far more profitable than “Fallout.” Plus, no one broke an ankle during shooting.

Villagers can be very helpful in Minecraft as they’re passive and can be traded with. They’ll be wearing one of six colored outfits, which depend on their profession, but their state can be changed if they’re attacked by some of the game’s many creatures. If a villager gets attacked by a zombie, they’ll turn into a zombie villager, which means they’ll try to attack you and you will not be able to trade with them. However, if this happens in your world, you’ll be happy to hear that you are able to cure a zombie villager, and here’s how you can do so.

First of all, you need to make sure that you have all the items you need. You’ll need one golden apple and one splash potion of weakness. Once you have everything ready and have found a zombie villager (in a safe place that preferably has a low barrier between you and the zombie), you’ll need to use the splash potion of weakness. You need to aim at the zombie villager and throw the item at it by pressing the right trigger on console, or the right click if you’re on PC. Grey swirls will emanate from the zombie if it’s working.

You then need to do the same thing with the golden apple, making sure that the one you’re throwing doesn’t have a purple glow of any kind. Once you’ve thrown it, some colored swirls will emanate from the zombie. It will take a few minutes, but the zombie villager will eventually turn back to their normal color and be cured. If you leave the zombie villager for five minutes, you should be fine.

That’s all you need to know about how to cure a zombie villager in Minecraft. For more on the game, be sure to search for Twinfinite.

One of Shazam!’s Easter eggs lays the blame on Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) for the alien invasion in Justice League! Director David F. Sandberg’s superhero fantasy will continue the more fun and hopeful DC Universe that began when Justice League pivoted away from the darker tone established by Zack Snyder. Now, it seems the in-universe scapegoat for Steppenwolf’s invasion is the DCU’s number one Big Bad, Lex Luthor himself.

Seemingly crazed when imprisoned in Arkham and shaved bald at the end of Batman v Superman, Luthor warned Batman (Ben Affleck) that “the bell cannot be unrung… he’s coming!” As it turned out the ‘he’ who did arrive was Steppenwolf (not Darkseid), who sought to collect the three Mother Boxes and terraform the Earth into another version of his homeworld Apokalips. The Justice League resurrected Superman (Henry Cavill) and stopped Steppenwolf’s invasion in an unnamed Russian town, but the super team was unaware that the bald billionaire staged an escape from Arkham. In Justice League’s post-credits scene, Luthor recruits Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello) and revealed his plans to build “a league of our own.”

Shazam! is full of references to Justice League and all of the DC movies that precede it. In fact, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), the foster brother of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) – who can become Shazam (Zachary Levi) when he says the magic word – is a superhero fanboy who has his own collection of Justice League merch. One of Freddy’s prized possessions is a framed copy of the Daily Planet boasting the headline “SUPERMAN IS BACK”. It’s a very compelling Easter egg because his “Weekend Edition” of the Planet is a composite of articles describing the events of Zack Snyder’s films.

However, the text is the really fascinating part! In the sidebar, underneath “Alien Attack on the World” and “Russia Cleans Up”, it reads: “The Top Suspect: As a worldwide search begins for those responsible, specialists say early signs point to Lex Luthor and his associates.”

Laying the blame for Steppenwolf’s invasion on Luthor and “his associates” sheds light on some of Justice League’s aftermath. Luthor’s escape was naturally news; he was also very vocal about aliens coming when he was incarcerated so it makes sense he is linked to the invasion. Citing Luthor’s “associates” indicates that recruiting for the Legion of Doom is further along than just Deathstroke (and these are matters Batman and possibly Cyborg must be tracking – they are likely the “specialists” noted).

Pointing the finger at Luthor and never naming Steppenwolf also illustrates certain decisions that were made regarding what aspects of the truth the League wanted publicly known; Lois Lane and Clark Kent would have known everything that happened in Russia, yet the truth is skewed. Choosing to omit Steppenwolf and his Parademons’s names may be a choice made for security reasons: it protects the secrets of Themyscira and Atlantis. To acknowledge the Mother Boxes means revealing the history of Steppenwolf’s first invasion thousands of years ago, and that two of the alien power sources were hidden by the Amazons and the Atlanteans – hidden civilizations the world doesn’t even know exists (yet).

Finally, while it may seem unfair to blame Luthor for the invasion when he had no actual hand in it (that fans know of), this could also be strategy on the part of the League: it puts the evil billionaire and his malevolent allies on notice that the heroes are onto them.

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All this said, it’s worth noting that all of this is gleaned from a Shazam! prop that will likely not see more than a few seconds of screen time; and that other excerpts of the newspaper use old and repeated copy (the main stories use the same text about the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Ultimately, Freddy’s Daily Planet is merely a cool background detail, but it does hint at some potential direction for the wider DCEU. Fans won’t really know what will truly count as canon until Luthor and the Legion of Doom emerge in Justice League 2 – but at least the groundwork for that sequel is clearly being established.

Claudia Kim’s character in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has been included in all marketing material and trailers for the movie so far, and yet her character is only billed as Maledictus. The lack of a name when everybody else has a full title could either be because she’s only known as that, or some form of misdirection. Given that Maledictus has greater meaning in the Wizarding World, the latter seems more likely.

A Maledictus witch, such as the one Kim is playing, is a witch whose blood was cursed, meaning she will eventually turn into a beast of some kind; like an Animagus except without the free will. That hints at some form of transformation, and a snake seems the most likely outcome: Kim’s character works in a circus, and the first trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald has a “snake girl” on their billing; not only that, but Kim was also wearing snakeskin leggings in first look images for the movie.

It’s not difficult to suggest that Kim’s Maledictus is a snake girl, and there’s one history-lite snake that Rowling has yet to deal with. While it’s still firmly in the realm of speculation, evidence it starting towards Kim playing Nagini (especially given the additional presence of Potter-linked characters Flamel and Leta Lestrange.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald may explain the backstory to Voldemort’s snake, Nagini. The prequel film series is ostensibly focused on Grindelwald’s rise to power, and the terror he inflicted upon the wizarding communities across Europe during the 1930s and 40s. However, it seems as though J.K. Rowling is also working on weaving in many elements from Harry Potter into the Fantastic Beasts story, so that eventually the whole arc of 13 movies, from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, will exist as a complete whole.

We know Grindelwald’s reign of terror came to an end in the infamous duel between him and his former lover, Albus Dumbledore, in 1945, when Dumbledore emerged triumphant and took ownership of the Elder Wand. From there, Voldemort eventually rose to power as the darkest wizard of all, until a baby boy named Harry Potter almost destroyed him in 1981. Rowling has always been a master at laying strong foundations and backstories to all of her work, and that’s becoming ever more evident in Fantastic Beasts. In the lastest trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald, we meet Nicolas Flamel, immortal alchemist and creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone, which was the first artifact that Voldemort sought to help him regain strength. But there’s another connection to Voldemort lurking in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and it’s something (or someone) that goes on to hold great significance throughout all of Harry Potter.

The unknown character played by Claudia Kim has no name billed other than Maledictus; in the Wizarding World, someone who will at some point turn into a beast. She resides in the circus that Credence joins, and all things point to her eventually turning into a snake named Nagini.

Nagini was a large, female snake who was always by Voldemort’s side. In part, this was because she was one of his Horcruxes, and so, as Dumbledore suspected, Voldemort kept her close by in order to preserve the life fragment within. She was eventually killed by Neville Longbottom during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Nagini’s origins, though, have always been unclear. It’s not even known if Voldemort owned the snake before his downfall at the hands of Harry Potter in 1981, or if he came by her when he was hiding in the forests of Albania. However, what we do know is that Voldemort used Nagini’s venom (obtained by Peter Pettigrew) to sustain him in a temporary form until he could regain his body. She was turned into a Horcrux after Voldemort murdered Bertha Jorkins in 1994.

The lack of backstory for Nagini is curious; Rowling is meticulous in making sure all major characters and creatures in her stories have them, and for Nagini’s to be so vague would point towards Rowling planning on telling it at some point. Certainly, Nagini will have a complete backstory, even if it’s only Rowling who knows about it for now. Could that all change with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald?

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Venom director Ruben Fleischer confirms that his film will lay the groundwork for sequels down the road, depending on the success of the feature:

We’ve definitely laid some groundwork for different directions that the franchise could go, but obviously it all hinges on people’s excitement about this film. I hope people will stay and see what seeds have been planted.

That last sentence appears to be a clue that sequels will be teased during the post-credits scene, rather than peppered throughout the story – hopefully. We all remember the overloaded insanity of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which packed Rhino, Green Goblin, and Electro inside an already bloated story, and indicated that Vulture and Doctor Octopus were on their way, eventually.

In Venom, the titular Venom will be facing off against “Riot,” a lesser-known villain and fellow symbiote who is extremely similar to Venom himself, at least, in the comics. It is believed that Woody Harrelson, who will eventually play fan-favorite Carnage, might be making a small cameo in the film, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.

If I had to guess, I’d say that we’re going to watch Tom Hardy “become” Venom by fighting Riot, and then get treated to a post-credits scene of Woody Harrelson in a jail cell, being infected by a red-tinged symbiote.

This begs the question, why wait? We’ve been watching cinematic universes form and quickly die for years now, and I think the audience is getting pretty sick of origin stories which serve as little more than a lengthy trailer for a more interesting narrative, usually involving popular villains facing off against now-established characters. Post-credits scenes have become a promise: “next time we’ll give you what you came for. Just wait.”

Why should we? We all know who Venom is, and if we don’t, it’s really not difficult to catch up – the idea isn’t exactly complicated. I’d love to see a comic-book character introduced in the first five minutes of a film, instead of dragging out yet another origin. And watching Venom face off against his big-name nemesis Carnage, a visually distinct and vicious psychopath that makes the morally ambiguous Venom look like a saint, would be much more exciting than watching Venom fight “Diet-Venom.”

Even Marvel failed when they tried to do something similar with The Incredible Hulk, by setting Hulk up to fight Abomination. Watching the two green giants duke it out wasn’t an interesting situation at all, and just served as a stall for a real challenge somewhere down the line.

Of course, the real problem here is that Spider-Man isn’t around to team up with Venom to take down Carnage – “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is always an interesting narrative for a superhero flick, and it’s doubtful that we’re ever going to see it in the oddly-titled “Spider-Verse.”

And to be fair, there’s nothing Sony can do about that; the MCU obviously doesn’t want to merge. But I do think they should have set Venom up with an interesting antagonist, if they want to establish sequels. Carnage can always be defeated, and return for a sequel, even if he dies.

Just tease his resurrection in the post-credits sequence.

Sony’s Venom no longer has any major box office competition in October. The studio has bet the house on Venom, which is intended to launch a new shared universe featuring Spider-Man secondary characters. If Venom proves to be a box office success, then viewers can expect other spinoffs such as Morbius, Silver & Black, and Silk. If it doesn’t perform well, then Sony’s plans could potentially come crashing down. With so much riding on one film, the studio understandably chose a release date with as little competition as possible (no easy task in a year increasingly packed with big-budget tentpoles). Luckily for Venom, however, what little competition there was seems to be slipping away.

The most direct competition was Andy Serkis’ Mowgli, a “faithful” adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Serkis’s pitch is darker than Disney’s films, and has a great cast – including the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, and Christian Bale. Unfortunately, it has only been two-and-a-half years since Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book took the world by storm. As a result, Mowgli had long been expected to underperform, and Warner Bros. has taken the unusual step of pulling it from theaters outright. Instead, Mowgli will release straight on to Netflix. For Warner Bros., it avoids the gamble of an expensive theatrical release for a movie with poor prospects, and means they’re able to focus marketing on A Star is Born, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Aquaman.

Mowgli’s departure from the box office is very good news for Venom. The film is expected to be a blend of superhero action and classic horror tropes, although it may not actually be R-rated after all; the Sony panel at SDCC suggested the studio is aiming for a PG-13, and producer Avi Arad insisted in a recent interview with Vulture that “Kids love Venom.” If that’s the case, then Venom’s only real competition for October is Damien Chazelle’s First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as Noel Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon. The concepts are so different that they shouldn’t affect one another. Halloween is the next major horror, releasing on October 19, but that’s going to have a higher age-rating and so shouldn’t put too much of a dent in Venom’s box office.

In theory, October could yet become a little busier; there are a lot of major releases in December, including the Warner Bros. Aquaman movie. In practice, however, it’s too late in the day to push a major release forward to October. The marketing campaigns for the December releases are kicking into gear, with the first Aquaman trailer dropping at San Diego Comic-Con. What’s more, major films like that tend to continue post-production until only very close to the theatrical release, so pushing a December release back to October would mean a visual effects rush-job (which Aquaman really can’t afford). With that in mind, it’s unlikely Venom will find itself facing any increase in competition.

Even with this boost, it remains to be seen whether or not Venom will be a box office hit. Audiences were initially skeptical – especially after the first teaser trailer didn’t even show a glimpse of the Venom symbiote. But the first full trailer was moderately well-received, becoming the most-viewed in the entire Spider-Man franchise. Another trailer is expected soon, and hopefully that will be followed up with a strong marketing campaign. Ultimately, though, everything will depend on the quality of the product. In the absence of any real competition, good reviews and positive word-of-mouth will likely make or break this film.

Superhero movies are everywhere. With the MCU, DC Universe, and X-Men franchise, there’s a ton of superheroic properties being released every few months. Sony is now trying to get back into the superhero game, developing a series of films with Spider-Man’s supporting characters. The first of these is Venom, which will bring Eddie Brock and his antihero alter ego to the silver screen for the first time since the less than stellar attempt in Spider-Man 3. Joining Tom Hardy’s title character is four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, playing his love interest Anne Weying. Williams isn’t exactly a superhero regular like Zoe Saldana, so why did she sign on? As she recently revealed:

I always like to do things I haven’t done before—genres, parts. I like a challenge. And one of those challenges has been stepping into a bigger world.

It looks like Michelle Williams is an actress who like to challenge herself. And what could be more challenging than a Venom movie without Spider-Man? The odds are stacked against Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming blockbuster, so only time will tell if Williams made the right call by joining the infant Spider-Verse.

Michelle Williams’ comments to Vanity Fair make a great deal of sense, as the actress has been in a ton of different projects throughout the years. This includes big budget CGI wonders like Oz the Great and Powerful, intimate dramas like Brokeback Mountain, horror flicks like H20, and comedies like I Feel Pretty. Williams has never been one to take predictable acting jobs, so playing Anne Weying in Venom is just another way to continue challenging herself.

From the looks of Venom’s first trailers, Michelle Williams will mostly be playing a love interest and supporting character in Venom. In addition to her relationship with Eddie Brock, she’s also an attorney representing shady Life Foundation, run by Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake. Anne Weying will likely be the connective tissue between Venom and the Foundation, and will hopefully be able to get into some action of her own by the film’s end. With a talent like Williams attached, it would be a waste to keep her on the sidelines.

If Venom ends up being a success, then Michelle Williams’ role in the still growing Sony Spider-Verse will likely grow as well. In the comics, Anne Weying ends up eventually bonding with the symbiote herself. After being shot, it temporarily bonded with her to save her life, thus transforming her into She-Venom. This made her far more aggressive and violent, totally flipping the character on its head. This seems like a great storyline to explore in a possible Venom sequel, and will incentivize William to return for another go at Anne.

Venom will hit theaters on October 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Video: When comic book fans think “Venom”, they automatically think “Spider-Man”. That isn’t just because Venom is one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains, it’s also because his comic book origins are tied directly to those of Spider-Man.

However, in Sony’s upcoming movie Venom, the villain is on his own — and we asked the director how that was going to work.

We spoke to director Ruben Fleischer at San Diego Comic-Con about how the focus of Venom is, well, Venom.

“We just focused on making the best Venom movie that we could possibly make and tried to be true to the nature of Venom in the comics,” Fleischer said. “As far as the origin, that’s already been portrayed on screen before and so we wanted to make a new movie with an original story.”

Fleischer also told us which comic book runs most influenced the film (Lethal Protector, Planet of the Symbiotes) as well as movies (An American Werewolf in London). Watch it above and read more about what happened Venom-wise at Comic-Con here.

Venom opens October 4.

COMME des GARÇONS has just released a new selection of tote bags, currently available at Dover Street Market New York, Dover Street Market London, and COMME des GARÇONS Chelsea.

Released under the brand’s SHIRT label, the bags come optioned in paper and plastic, featuring silver CDG branding against a black backdrop. Multicolored artwork then livens up the accessory, which boasts a nod to X-Files and Minecraft‘s Creeper enemies.

Again, you can find the new COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT tote bags at Dover Street Market New York, Dover Street Market London, and COMME des GARÇONS Chelsea.

In other style news, Gosha Rubchinskiy’s PACCBET just debuted a new collection.

The men’s World Cup kicks off this week. As exciting as it promises to be, however, most of us will only get to watch it on flat television sets, as opposed to getting the three-dimensional experience of seeing it live and in person. Researchers from the University of Washington have come up with an augmented reality alternative, though. While it probably won’t be available to the masses in time for this year’s tournament, it does hint at one way in which fans at home may be able to enjoy sports games in the future.

What the researchers have developed is a machine learning algorithm capable of transforming 2D soccer clips into 3D reconstructions, which may be viewed using AR headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens. The results allow viewers to turn flat surfaces like their desk or kitchen table into a virtual pitch, complete with three-dimensional action that you can circle around to view from different angles.

It’s not quite the equivalent of watching it in person, but it’s much closer than regular TV. And significantly cheaper, too!

“Our goal is to enhance the viewing experience of sports,” Konstantinos Rematas, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “Instead of watching a soccer game or highlights on a flat 2D screen, we convert the original video into 3D and visualize it in augmented reality. Essentially the game becomes a hologram, where you can move around and look from different viewpoints, generating a more immersive experience.”

As its input, the algorithm generating the AR experience requires just a single YouTube soccer video. Because this is not enough information to train an entire rendering system to “upconvert” 2D players into 3D, the neural network learned to estimate depth by playing the playing the EA video game FIFA 2018. Using the totality of this information, it can do a passable job of accurately gauging where players are on the pitch.

At present, the system is still a work in progress. For instance, the ball is not yet properly rendered (something which turns out to be pretty darn important in soccer) and the players remain two-dimensional cutouts. These are two improvements the researchers hope to make.

“The next steps are about increasing the quality of the game reconstruction,” Rematas continued. “In particular, we want to estimate precisely the location of the ball and reconstruct better the players — occlusions, full 3D shape estimation, [and more].” In addition, the researchers plan to extend the framework to also cover other sports such as basketball, hockey, and football.

A paper describing the work is available to read online.

There is now more evidence suggesting that Apple is working on its own smart glasses for augmented and virtual reality experiences. In a new job listing, Apple is seeking to hire a 3D user interface engineer to “drive the next generation of interactive experiences for our platform.”

“You will work with some of Apple’s most advanced technologies including the Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) support offered in ARKit and Metal 2,” Apple said of the 3D UI Frameworks Engineer position within The Technology Development Group in a job post spotted by 9to5 Mac.

A prior report suggested that Apple could ready its AR glasses by 2020, with company exploring wireless technologies to create a consumer-friendly untethered augmented and virtual reality experience. Unlike some current AR and VR solutions on the market today, Apple’s implementation will reportedly not need trackers or cameras. Instead, all the hardware will either be packed into the glasses or an accompanying box. The headset will rely on the WiGig 2.0 wireless standard to communicate with the box, eliminating clunky wires.

“We have been and continue to invest a lot in this,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a 2016 earnings call when asked about the technology. “We are high on AR for the long run, we think there’s great things for customers and a great commercial opportunity.”

Apple’s mixed reality glasses would be a natural progression of the company’s efforts in the augmented reality space. Apple has been experimenting with AR through its smartphones. The iPhone X, for example, allows users to create AR emojis called Animoji, and Apple allows third-party apps to deliver AR capabilities by using the cameras on its smartphones.

In addition to software, Apple had also been working on the hardware side for its glasses, and the company had filed a patent application for a lens system that would allow for a more compact set of glasses. Given that AR glasses are worn on the face, reducing the bulk and weight of the glasses would lead to a more comfortable experience, especially if the glasses are worn for a longer duration.

When it launches, Apple’s mixed reality glasses will face competition from Microsoft, Facebook, HTC, and others. Microsoft is pushing its Hololens at enterprise customers, while less expensive Windows Mixed Reality headsets are designed for AR experiences on Windows 10. Facebook’s Oculus and HTC Vive are also popular options.

Samsung may be looking to expand its partnership with Microsoft in the mixed reality space, a move that could result in a Samsung-made wireless Windows Mixed Reality headset experience that supports both augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. Given the increased competition in the space — Microsoft’s effort is facing stiff competition from Oculus and Magic Leap, and Apple is rumored to be working on its own mixed reality glasses — the strategic partnership could benefit both companies.

For Samsung, a flagship mixed reality headset experience that is cordless will allow the company to showcase its components business, using internally developed processors, OLED displays, and sensors, one Samsung official told The Korea Times.

The deal would be a major win for Samsung’s silicon business. As a condition for being a partner in Microsoft’s mixed reality efforts, Samsung wants Microsoft to use its processors for Windows Mixed Reality and Mixed Reality Ultra experiences. Currently, Microsoft partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung create wired Windows Mixed Reality headsets. This could give Samsung similar positioning to Qualcomm, which was the exclusive chip supplier to phone manufacturers that use Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile operating systems. We still don’t know specifics about the wireless Windows Mixed Reality hardware requirements.

Samsung could showcase its wireless mixed reality headset as early as this fall at the IFA 2018 show. This would give Samsung some lead time in the market against rival Apple, which is expected to debut its wireless mixed reality headset in 2020. A successful Samsung launch will benefit Microsoft as it expands its mixed reality ecosystem and attempts to attract more content to the platform at a time when competition is increasing.

Even though Samsung and Microsoft had partnered in the past to launch the Samsung Odyssey Mixed Reality headset, that headset still required a wired connection to a Windows 10 PC. It’s reported that Microsoft had lowered royalty demands from its partners for mixed reality experiences, and Samsung wants more content developers to join consortiums that it leads in relevant segments.

“It’s premature to say how successful Microsoft will be driving a rich ecosystem which will, in turn, drive its adoption to mixed reality,” a second Samsung official said. “But Windows MR is expected to boost the existing VR ecosystem. Because the market is extremely new, Samsung Electronics can understand how the markets go by partnering with Microsoft.”

Additionally, Samsung also partners with Facebook on a mobile VR experience with the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset that works in conjunction with Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones.

If there’s anything we’ve learned from Hollywood movies, it’s that there’s only a matter of time before the machines inevitably become sentient, take control of the earth, and ruthlessly hunt down any and all remaining humans in impressively efficient fashion. For now, though, we’ve still got the upper hand(s); we can safely place virtual reality headsets upon our unprotected craniums without fear of decapitation, accidental laser eye surgery, or any other freaky sci-fi mishap.

Virtual reality is often associated with video games, and for good reason. Most VR development is in service of immersive, unique gaming experiences that simply aren’t possible via any other medium. Some titles — particularly horror games — offer a certain je ne sais quoi that just can’t be equaled on a boring old television screen. That said, gaming isn’t the only way to take advantage of that great new VR headset. The most exciting thing about VR is that we’re still just scratching the surface and discovering new ways to educate and entertain ourselves. With that in mind, here are ten of our favorite VR apps.

ALLUMETTE (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR

Penrose Studios’ free-to-play, stop-motion VR film experience chronicling the story of a young girl in a cloud-borne village is absolutely breathtaking. In Allumette, you act as the camera, exploring the gorgeously drawn world however you please — even ignoring the main storyline, if you so desire. Make no mistake: This is a narrative, not a game. Though none of the characters in Allumette actually speak, per se, the forms of communication they do use (emotive, Sims-like noises, mostly) do an effective job of conveying emotion and intent.

The story itself — based loosely upon a poem by Hans Christian Andersen — is both charming and heartrending, though we won’t spoil too much here. Few VR experiences create the same sense of weight and presence for the viewer, and in Allumette, you’ll truly feel like you’ve been transported into a storybook world. The 20-minute runtime is an eternity in comparison to most narrative-based VR experiences — few even reach the 10-minute mark — but Penrose CEO and founder Eugene Chung considers virtual and augmented reality to be the future of storytelling, and pushing boundaries is the only way to break paradigms. Allumette lies somewhere in the murky realm between filmic narrative and video games, but somehow it rises above genre as a simply divine experience.

If you enjoyed Allumette and you have access to an Oculus Rift, Henry is also worth checking out.

COLOSSE (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR

Top notch sound design and wonderful, Samurai Jack-esque animation are the driving forces behind Colosse, a short-story VR experience that responds to the rooted player’s gaze, moving the narrative forward seamlessly. Described by developer Fire Panda as a “real-time virtual reality storytelling experience,” Colosse revels in its sense of scale, with clever details throughout — for instance, the “hunter” character is rendered at just 12 frames per second, while the rest of the film is in 60 — that contribute to its unique atmosphere.

Audio and visual cues direct the player’s gaze, and certain objects “wait” to activate until you look at them, which provides a natural sense of pace. Certain events will occur depending upon the direction you’re facing, so you’ll never be stuck searching for the next piece of the puzzle. Originally designed as a demo for the Oculus Mobile VRJam, Colosse isn’t quite as fleshed out as Allumette, but it’s certainly a sight to behold, and a fun display of the ways VR can change storytelling. Oh, and it’s free.

GOOGLE EARTH VR (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard

When VR began to blossom as an entertainment medium, one of our first thoughts was: “Google Earth is going to be super freaking cool.” Turns out, we were right. Flying around the planet like some kind of hypersonic eagle is both enjoyable and educational, at least if you happen to like geography. And even if you don’t, you can still use the quick-nav menu to visit landmark sites like the Sphinx or the Golden Gate Bridge, or pay a digital visit to the capital of Djibouti.

Unsurprisingly, lots of landscapes and areas appear to be little more than colorful smudges (especially if you’re using Google Cardboard), but it’s a free app, so what are you gonna do? Zooming across vast distances in a matter of seconds and descending upon mammoth structures like the Hoover Dam is exhilarating, even if you can’t make out the individual cars driving across it. Chances are, you’ve used Google Earth before, so you know the drill. It only gets more fun in virtual reality; just don’t expect too much detail.

KINGSPRAY GRAFFITI VR ($15)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

Ever fancied yourself a street artist? No, not like the guy who paints himself gold and stands still for several hours. A true street artist — think Banksy or Shepard Fairey, scaling freeway overpasses and windy rooftops to unleash your inner Rembrandt for urban passersby to appreciate (or scoff at, as the case may be). In Kingspray, you can (legally) live out those dreams, using (virtual) spray paint to make your mark on one of five (digital) walls, from laboratories to rooftops.

Whether you prefer to tag alleyway walls or train cars, Kingspray features realistic drip and spray effects, complete with different can caps and pressures to fully customize your masterpiece. You can load up images and project them onto paint surfaces to act as stencils, save 360 degree screen captures, and even paint online with up to three friends. What more could you want? Oh, yeah, in true VR fashion, you can pick up loose objects like bricks and bottles to throw at each other. Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.

LITTLSTAR (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Samsung Gear VR

Using your VR headset to watch content from Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube is fun. It’s like having your own personal IMAX movie theater to visit any time you want, without dropping obscene amounts of coin on popcorn and cookie dough bites. (Unlike next-gen IMAX, it won’t use lasers, of course.) Littlstar VR Cinema changes the game by offering a full library of 360 degree videos designed to make you feel like you’re the cameraman. Whether you’d prefer to educate yourself about the state of Nepal post-earthquake or simply jam out to some music videos, Littlstar provides a point of view that you just can’t get anywhere else.

There’s Broadway theater content, sports content, and content for kids, making this one of the best VR experiences out there. It’s also absolutely free. The user interface is smoother on some platforms than it is on others — looking at you, Rift — but that’s a minor complaint. If you’re the creative type, you can even film and upload your own 360-degree content for others to view and enjoy.

OCEAN RIFT ($10)
Platforms: Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR (demo)

The open ocean is a terrifying yet wondrous place, and its full depths are on display in Ocean Rift. The experience is akin to an African safari, except you’re free to roam wherever you please — and you’re underwater, of course. Explore any of the 12 huge open habitats at your leisure, observing marine wildlife that includes dolphins, manatees, sharks, and more. Head toward the surface to cavort with sea turtles, or dive into deeper waters to encounter more dangerous — and potentially deadly — animals.

If you want to simply sit back and watch the fish pass you by, Ocean Rift can be a calming, therapeutic experience. If you’d prefer to explore the game to its fullest, it can almost become a survival horror game with a few surprises up its watery sleeve. Little touches — like the outline of a diving mask around the screen’s edges — help to make this a truly memorable experience. If you don’t want to pay for the full experience, check out the Gear VR demo here.

THE FOO SHOW (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR

Of all the fantastical possibilities that the commercialization of virtual reality affords, talk shows are extremely low on the list. After all, who really wants to step into the shoes of an audience member on Oprah, without even receiving a free gift?

As it turns out, though, it can be cool. The FOO show — hosted by Tested.com co-founder Will Smith, a.k.a. FOO — is technically a talk show, but it’s so much more than that. The show, funded via Kickstarter and powered by motion-capture, features a digitized Smith speaking with digitized guests about games and tech culture.

You might be wondering: “Why is this in VR?” That’s a good question! The coolest thing about The FOO Show is its creative use of VR to transport viewers directly into the game environments that are being discussed onscreen. For example, the first episode (technically, Episode 0) transports viewers — as well as cyber-Smith, and his cyber-guests — into the watchtower from Firewatch, where you can walk around, examine your surroundings, and interact with objects, all while enjoying insightful commentary. The following episode depicts Smith interviewing Blendo Games’ Brendon Chung about hacker-puzzle game Quadrilateral Cowboy, with part of the interview taking place in one of the game’s environments. Frankly, we’re not sure what kind of schedule the show will adhere to — if any — but it’s a creative concept that gamers should love.

TILT BRUSH ($20)
If you’re not the artsy type, Tilt Brush might surprise you. Using the motion sensors for the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift Touch controllers, the app allows you to “paint” in a three-dimensional space to create absolutely stunning works of art, in any color imaginable. The motion controls are surprisingly accurate, and the digital medium means you can simply go back to delete any mistakes you might have made. Even if you’re not naturally creative, Tilt Brush will bring out a new side of you.

In addition to painting (which, sadly, is limited to a single brush shape), you can add cool effects like sparkling stars or smoke trails to accentuate elements of your painting. The Oculus Rift version boasts a cool “preview” feature, but the app is equally enjoyable on either platform. Currently, Google (the creator) has chosen not to bring Tilt Brush to PSVR, citing a lack of precision in the tracking software. If you own a Vive or Rift, though, you absolutely have to get Tilt Brush. For now, it’s one of the best VR experiences out there, introducing an entirely new artistic medium for creatives and non-creatives alike to enjoy.

VIRTUAL DESKTOP ($14+)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR

Have you ever fantasized about navigating your computer in virtual reality, like that episode of The Fairly Odd Parents where Timmy actually goes inside the internet? Neither have we. If that sounds interesting, though, boy, do we have some good news for you! Virtual Desktop lets you use your computer in VR, whether you’re browsing the web, watching Netflix, or playing games. Hell, you can even manage spreadsheets in VR, though we think that might be more of a hindrance than anything.

The app works well with multiple-monitor setups, and using your headset to swivel back and forth between screens is pretty cool. There are a lot of limitations — you can’t click tabs in Chrome, for instance, and the app is unfortunately incompatible with 360-degree video content.

WITHIN (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR, PSVR, Google Cardboard

Within provides a platform to view amazing content from VR creators across the world, from crazy on-rails fantasy rides to 360-degree music videos. New experiences are added regularly — most recently, a 13-minute, 360-degree video based on the hit TV show Mr. Robot — to entertain and educate you in the most immersive manner possible. View content from news outlets like NBC, Apple, the New York Times, and Vice Media, as well as musical groups and movie studios.

The Possible, a video series from the Within team, explores technology through the lens of your VR headset, with each episode touching on different topics, like hovercrafts and robotic dogs. The show is directed by David Gelb (Chef’s Table), and new episodes are released regularly. If you don’t download Within, you’re doing yourself a disservice — the app is free, and even if some of the content doesn’t pique your interest, the available library is only going to get bigger over time. Video quality varies — it seems the animated content is smoother than the live-action content — but that’s no reason to deny yourself the Within experience.

NYT VR (FREE)
best virtual reality apps vr nyt
Platforms: Android, iPhone, Samsung Gear VR

Although VR games tend to get a lot of the press attention, 360 filmmaking is an exciting — if embryonic — use of virtual reality tech. Although people are still figuring out how best to immerse viewers within film, there are some interesting experiments out there. The New York Times is producing some of the highest quality work in the field of 360 video, and all one needs to watch them is a smartphone.

Although NYT VR doesn’t have a vast library at the moment, the current videos cover a range of topics. In one, a woman relays the experience of listening to music for the first time after receiving a cochlear implant, and how it differed from her experiences with rhythm as a child, the narration accentuated by stylish drawings. Another gives viewers a look inside the studio as rock band The National records their latest album. The production values are exquisite, images flowing seamlessly as the viewers looks around.

FULLDIVE VR (FREE, WITH IN-APP PURCHASES)
best virtual reality apps vr fullride
Platforms: Google Cardboard, Daydream, iPhone, Android

Fulldive VR bills itself as a “Social All-in-One VR Platform.” What that means is that it provides a platform where users can browse VR content from a variety of sources, sharing their findings with friends and even commenting on them. The app is compatible with Google Cardboard, and is easy to get into. The app’s interface drops users in a 3-D environment where they can browse menus, adjust settings, and view their friend list. As with many Cardboard apps, users can navigate by looking at a particular icon. In addition to “trending” videos, Fulldive sorts content by emotions, like “Cute” or “Scary,” which isn’t always the easiest way to find what you’re looking for.

The content itself comes from a wide swath of sources, including the New York times and Discovery. Users can jump from a short, CGI film in which they flee a giant squid, to first person documentary footage of elephants. If you’re looking for a wealth of VR content, Fulldive is a great resource.

At the turn of the decade, a little game called Minecraft proved to be a revelation in videogames – inspiring a whole generation of players and developers in the process. Markus ‘Notch’ Persson created a blocky, sandbox world that essentially let us create anything we like and share it with our friends. It’s a cultural phenomenon that sold millions of copies before Mojang, the small studio behind it, was bought out by Microsoft in 2014.

There’s been a plethora of Minecraft clones over the years,, but none really delivered the whole package like Minecraft does. On top of the vanilla experience, players have created mods and server plugins that expand its creative possibilities even further, from changing the Ender Dragon to letting you play as Thomas The Tank Engine, and even redesigning the entire game with modpacks like Feed The Beast.

Once you return to Mojang’s masterpiece, make sure you look the part with the best Minecraft skins.

Sometimes, though, you may only want part of the Minecraft experience, augmented with other flavours and moods. That’s where the best games like Minecraft come in. We’ve got five games here that are similar to Minecraft in some fashion, be it the creative aspect, mining, exploration, or something else. Enjoy!

Deep Rock Galactic
Games like Minecraft – Deep Rock Galactic

Currently on Steam Early Access, Deep Rock Galactic takes the core concept of mining for ores and valuables and has created an entire game around it, while upping the sense of peril. Of course, mining is a huge part of Minecraft, but if you’re playing vanilla, there’s little more to it than digging a series of tunnels in hopes of striking gold… well, diamond.

Deep Rock Galactic expands on that greatly. It lets you choose your preferred class, team up with three friends, and then delve into the “most hostile cave systems in the galaxy.” More than a mining simulator, it’s a first-person shooter in which each cave you venture into is procedurally generated. So, just like in Minecraft, you’ll experience something new every time you play.

You can drill straight down to your objective or choose to create branching paths, exploring as much of the underground as possible. What may sway your decisions are the hostile creatures that will stand in your way. You’ve got a vast arsenal of weapons to deal with these threats, but you’ll only be able to hold them off for so long before you’ll be forced to rush to the surface with as many of your treasures as you can carry.

Stardew Valley
Games like Minecraft – Stardew Valley

Farming in Minecraft is one of the most relaxing activities you can… until a creeper comes along and blows up a large chunk of your land, that is. If you often find yourself tending to your crops instead of building and mining then Stardew Valley will be right up your stree… err, planting row.

It starts out as you inherit your grandfather’s old farm, which gives your character a reason to leave the city behind, and try to make it on their own in the countryside. Outside of your customisable house you’re given a vast plot of land to work with, which you can clear and develop as you wish, making space for a multitude of crops and animals. Venturing outside of your farm introduces you to the village where you can meet villagers, go shopping, fishing, and even mining. Getting to know the locals builds up relationships and, eventually, you’ll be able to marry the love of your life.

The other way to stave off any loneliness as you earn money by selling crops and livestock is to make the most of Stardew Valley’s multiplayer. It’s certainly handy to have a few more, erm, hands as you venture into the mines and face hostile monsters. Besides that, Stardew Valley is a relaxing experience, and one that’ll help make the days fly by.

No Man’s Sky
Games like Minecraft – No Man’s Sky

After a controversial launch on PC and PS4 in 2015, the small team behind No Man’s Sky has put a great deal of effort into delivering the dream game many hoped it would be originally. It’s closer than ever now due to a series of expansions that have added base building, survival mode, and 30 hours of story. The most significant addition, however, is online multiplayer – which for many people finally makes No Man’s Sky the game they always wanted it to be.

So what is No Man’s Sky? Looking at the larger picture it’s about exploration. You go on a personal journey through multitudes of galaxies and planets as you make your way to the centre of the universe. But that end goal of eventually reaching the centre is merely the driving force for you to experience just how much of the game there is. You can meet other intelligent species, bump into hostile robots, document docile creatures, and get into space wars.

If you were put off by the reception No Man’s Sky initially received, but still harbour some fondness for that original vision, then you should give it a second chance. No Man’s Sky NEXT, as it is now known, is significantly different and could even be considered a successor to Minecraft: you can build a home, farm and harvest crops, and turn your excavation of natural resources into factories.

Terraria
Games like Minecraft – Terraria

A list like this couldn’t exist without including Terraria, could it? It’s been famously referred to as ‘2D Minecraft’ for as long as the sun has been burning. The fact of the matter, however, is that it’s got a lot more going for it than that.

The concept is ultimately the same, as you create your own objectives: build an impressive mansion or base of operations, explore the far reaches of the land, or delve deep into the underground hunting for riches. As you explore further and learn more about Terraria you’ll quickly discover there’s a lot more at play.

By completing specific goals, you can unlock NPCs that’ll stay and work in your base, such as a nurse or a wizard. They each have varying benefits and are necessary if you’re to defeat bosses, progress further into the Underworld, and eventually unlock expert mode – more bosses, enemies, biomes, and items. While Terraria’s creative freedom isn’t as open as it is in Minecraft, it offers much more when it comes to combat, and you’ll sink a lot of time into it if you want to complete everything.

Fortnite: Save The World
Games like Minecraft – Fortnite: Save the World

While Fortnite Battle Royale has exploded in popularity this year, the other – and original – Fortnite game mode, Save The World, hasn’t seen as much support. It’s a shame, as it’s a solid game, and a very good alternative to Minecraft. Unfortunately, it’s not free-to-play (yet) like Battle Royale is, so that instantly creates a barrier for the vast majority of Fortnite players.

The combat mechanics are largely the same between the two modes, but rather than fighting other players here, you work together to stave off the zombie horde. That’s a concept that’s been done to death, sure, but Epic mixes it up a little by adding a bit of Minecraft to its riff on Left 4 Dead. You build and create your own base, placing construction parts and traps as you please, and then venture forth into the world to complete missions.

You can play Fortnite: Save The World with up to three friends, and as you beat back the undead together you’ll unlock skill points to upgrade your characters. Plus, there are regular timed events to coincide with real-world festivities like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, meaning you can celebrate with your friends no matter the distance between you.

Whenever I need to clear my mind, or try to think of a topic for my next blog post, I usually either go for a run or play video games. Since there’s been a heat wave in my area recently, so I’ve stuck to video games. Most recently it’s been Minecraft.

One of the aspects of Minecraft is finding stuff and putting into your backpack. Punch trees to get blocks of wood, dig for iron, find villages and “borrow” carrots and potatoes, etc. It doesn’t take long for your pack to fill up, and then you have to start choosing what you really need, and what you can toss to free up space. While it always seems limiting, your pack is ridiculously generous. It has 36 available slots, each for a separate type of thing. Some things like swords or shovels completely fill up their own slot, but for raw materials like wood or iron ore, you can put up to 64 items in a single slot. So in principle you can have 36 slots each filled to the top, for a total of 2,304 items. Unlike some games that estimate some kind of weight or volume limit, Minecraft only cares about slots. If there’s a free slot, you can add it to the pack.

It’s easy to see how ridiculous this is. Minecraft is block-based, and each block is supposed to be about a cubic meter in size. A full pack of 2,304 cubic meters would form a cube more than 13 meters on a side, and your avatar is perfectly comfortable lugging all of it on their back. Of course in the game, once something is added to your pack, it’s volume doesn’t matter. Like most video game packs, there must be some magical effect that simply compresses it all into a reasonable size. Maybe those Pym particles used to explain the size changes of Ant-Man.

But what about mass? A couple thousand cubic meters of anything is going to have quite a bit of mass. Even the density of air at sea level is about 1 kilogram per cubic meter. If you filled every possible slot of your Minecraft pack with air, it would literally weigh more than a ton. But how extreme could things get? In Minecraft, the heaviest single block you can make is one of solid gold. Gold has a density of 19,300 kg per cubic meter, so that means you could fit more than 44 million kilograms in the pack. All of that gets shrunk down to some manageable size, say about the size of a baseball.

Of course video games aren’t beholden to the laws of physics. They can make their own rules to keep the game entertaining. But suppose we tried to make a real back of holding. Anything you toss into the bag gets compressed to a small volume. How much could we pack into our bag? Nature has given us a clear answer. There is a maximum amount of mass that can be compressed into a volume before it would collapse into a black hole. For the volume of a baseball, that’s about 20 trillion trillion kilograms, which is far more than the Minecraft limit.

But there’s a more subtle limit related to neutron stars. While a black hole is the ultimate limit, highly compressed objects have so much weight that there is a point where they would collapse under their own weight. This limit is called the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit. Beyond that limit a neutron star will collapse into a black hole. We aren’t exactly sure what that limit is, but it seems to be a bit more than 2 solar masses compressed into a sphere only 20 kilometers wide. At that density, the volume of gold in a minecraft pack would be compressed to a volume of a few cubic centimeters.

In other words, the upper limit of a Minecraft pack is about the same as the upper limit for a neutron star.

What’s great about virtual reality is that you can get the full-body building experience in Minecraft given the blocky world consumes your entire field of view. The drawback is that you don’t have visual access to the real world without lifting the headset up enough to peek into reality or completely removing the device altogether. Microsoft has a fix for this problem, at least for Windows Mixed Reality headsets, with the latest Insider Preview builds of Windows 10.

Available in Build 17723 in the Fast Ring and Build 18204 for Skip Ahead participants, Flashlight simply opens a visual portal into the real world, so you can see what’s going on outside the virtual environment without fully breaking the experience. With the press of a button, a voice command or Start menu shortcut, you can see who’s running through your play area or to quickly scan the environment.

Each Windows Mixed Reality headset includes two built-in visible-light low-resolution cameras to determine your location in the physical environment, removing the need for external cameras/sensors as seen with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Now when you click an assigned button on a controller, one camera provides a video feed of reality through an oval portal rendered within the virtual world. This view follows the controller as if you were shining a flashlight into reality.

Right now there are six Windows Mixed Reality headsets costing either $200 or $400, depending on the model (motion controllers included). They’re the “third” entry into the VR market with the Microsoft Store serving as the base distribution platform. The HTC Vive is based on Steam whereas the Oculus Rift has its proprietary Oculus Home. SteamVR for Windows Mixed Reality is currently in beta.

Outside the new Flashlight feature, the two new Windows Insider builds retire the XSS filter in Microsoft Edge and introduce new Group Policies and MDM settings for IT management. You will also find 157 new emoji stemming from Unicode 11. Microsoft even made a few tweaks to existing emoji and ninja cats.

Microsoft improved the update experience as well that uses a trained predictive model to determine the right time to restart your Windows 10 PC. According to the company, “we will not only check if you are currently using your device before we restart, but we will also try to predict if you had just left the device to grab a cup of coffee and return shortly after.”

Finally, the latest builds throw the Game bar into the Start menu while keeping the Win + G keyboard shortcut intact. If you’re running a kiosk, Microsoft improved the setup experience via a simplified assigned access configuration page. Additional improvements to time accuracy and traceability include Leap Second support, software timestamping, and a new precision time protocol.

Adventure Time and Minecraft have a long history. The heroes of the popular Cartoon Network animated show made appearances in Mojang’s building game in 2017, and now the favor is being returned with tonight’s episode of Adventure Time where the show’s cast is drawn in a block-y, Minecraft-like style.

The episode, titled “Diamonds and Lemons,” is airing tonight at 7pm ET and you can see favorite characters like Finn, Jake, Marceline, and Princess Bubblegum in all their brick glory. Like in Minecraft, the group can be seen building things in the Land of Ooo borrowing the core gameplay of Minecraft. The first clip for the episode was released last month.

Cartoon Network is also collaborating with Funko to make Adventure Time x Minecraft figures, so that’s an extra collaboration thrown into the mix. Funko recently announced a partnership with Epic Games to make figures based on Fortnite, so they’re well-versed in toys based on games.

Adventure Time meets Minecraft meets Funko Pops.
Adventure Time is a popular, long-running animated series on Cartoon Network starring the human Finn and his dog friend Jake as they explore the Land of Ooo and take on quests. It’s a very strange, fantasy series with a devout following thanks to the show’s mature storytelling and imaginative creations. There have been several video games based on Adventure Time, including a new Adventure Time game slated for 2018.

“Diamonds and Lemons” doesn’t have an official synopsis beyond the fact that it’s a Minecraft crossover, but you can see the episode in full when Adventure Time airs tonight at 7 pm ET. The episode will also be available on the Cartoon Network mobile app after airing.

Minecraft is a game loved by millions of people all around the world, but how is Microsoft’s nascent Minecraft server subscription service doing?

Minecraft is an unprecedented title in various ways, most recently pioneering some of the most pervasive cross-play systems in the industry. This is Minecraft Realms.

Minecraft Realms is an unprecedented feature in gaming that doesn’t really get enough praise. Through Realms, Minecraft can connect players from Windows 10 PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, VR platforms, Android, and iOS (and hey, even Windows 10 Mobile).

For a small fee, you and up to ten friends can play together on a shared dedicated world, crafting, adventuring, and building together. No other game has achieved anything this pervasive as of writing, although many are moving in that direction, most notably Fortnite, which allows Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile cross-play. Of course, Minecraft is, of course, a completely different sort of game, which revolves around co-operative play in infinitely random worlds. The rentable Realms feature is still relatively new, however, and is missing a frustrating amount of features.

Minecraft Realms: What you’ll love

Minecraft Realms is a true game-changer for the legendary title, which Microsoft purchased for over 2 billion dollars. It allows friends across virtually every major gaming platform to connect together, sharing a persistent world that never goes away.

Minecraft Realms allows you to set up and administrate private worlds for a relatively low cost. The maximum cost is $7.99 per month, supporting up to 11 concurrent players per world. The amount of players that can be given access to a Realm is far higher, but only up to 11 players can be online at any one time. You can also pay $3.99 per month for up to three players, which might be better value for families or small groups of friends who want to play together.

Only the server owner needs to pay, and the others can connect for free, providing they own a compatible version of the game. There are two separate Realms versions, one for the classic PC edition, and one for the cross-platform Bedrock version.

The Bedrock edition allows players from iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Windows 10 PC, VR, and Xbox One to connect and play together, and it all just works. This is how gaming should be.

Minecraft Realms can be modified offline, and then uploaded for the rest of the members to enjoy. You can add unique skins, behavior modifiers, and all sorts of other features using Minecraft’s Add-Ons platform. Setting up a Realm with the skins and other Add-Ons you want is as easy as double clicking a few files on Windows 10, and you can customize your own skins using tools as simple as Microsoft Paint. All of those skins and mods live in the cloud too, and work across any device that can connect to the Bedrock edition.

Minecraft Realms has great uptime compared to some other multiplayer platforms I’ve had experience with, powered by Microsoft Azure, and server latency is generally quite low. When it comes collaborative, creative fun that respects the devices you have access to, there are few platforms out there that offer equal value, compatibility, and fun. Still, Realms has a long way to go before it’s as robust and feature-rich as some of the other platforms out there.

Minecraft Realms: What you’ll hate

If you’re setting up a small server for a group of trusted friends of family Minecraft Realms’ Bedrock edition tools for administration will be more than adequate. However, if you want to run a larger Realm, incorporating friends of friends, perhaps followers from your Mixer or Twitch community, Realms really isn’t up to even a basic standard of administrative customizability.

Moderating trolls quickly and easily is needlessly difficult with Realms’ current implementation.

When you first create your Realm, you’re able to set build permissions either to “Member” or “Visitor.” Visitors can, as the name suggest, simply explore your realm. They’re unable to break blocks and actually, well, play the game however, which would be fine if you could promote individual visitors’ permissions. But, you can’t. Minecraft Realms only supports the ability for everyone to be a member, or everyone to be a visitor, which sucks if you’re planning to advertise your Realm publicly using the invite link. Any random friend-of-a-friend can jump in and screw up your builds, unless you’re carefully micromanaging access to your Realm. Moderating trolls quickly and easily is needlessly difficult with Realms’ current implementation, further compounded by the fact text chat logs don’t persist outside of the game.

Thankfully, the game does now support backups and rollbacks automatically, allowing you to reset your Realm status to an earlier time if someone does jump in and screw things up. There is no way to set a server message or inform people of what’s changed in-game, however. Instead, Realms creates an Xbox Club automatically which becomes a shared space to post clips, screenshots, or status updates. The problem is, almost nobody uses Clubs, because they’re clunky and slow to access across every Xbox app. The Clubs API is implemented within Minecraft itself, but it doesn’t work very well, and is frankly hard to read when it comes to simple text updates with yellow text on a green background (why oh why?).

It’s annoying that any server tweaks you might want to make have to be made by exporting your Realm, modifying files directly, and then re-uploading it. Other games with rentable servers, such as Conan Exiles, allow you to make server tweaks, issue bans, and that sort of thing from within the game using an admin password.

Considering that Realms runs on Microsoft Azure, often touted as the world’s greatest cloud platform, the 11-player concurrency limit seems a bit restrictive. Presumeably it’s a matter of cost, but it seems odd that Redmond doesn’t even offer the option of a higher-paid tier. Additionally, we’ve found that Realms can get laggy as player worlds get larger and more complex, particularly when you start throwing in redstone machine automation and beyond, but the majority of players probably won’t run into these sorts of problems.

Final Thoughts

Minecraft Realms is a vision of gaming on Microsoft’s “intelligent edge,” where the system you choose to play on no longer matters, thanks to the cloud. Microsoft’s experiments with Minecraft across mobile, consoles, and other systems will almost certainly extend to other games in the future, as Microsoft seeks to engage not millions of gamers, but billions.

The fact me and friends can play together in Minecraft using our phones, our portable Nintendo Switch consoles, high-powered Windows 10 PC gaming rigs, or our Xbox consoles, is truly wonderful. However, some of Xbox Live’s more neglected features, such as Xbox Clubs, and Xbox apps across different devices used to connect and communicate do a fair bit to hold Minecraft’s cross-platform aspirations back.

4 out of 5
Additionally, Realms suffers from a lack of moderation and administrative tools for Realm owners, which shows a startling lack of foresight from Mojang and Microsoft’s Realms team. Still, for small groups of trusted friends, Minecraft Realms represents awesome value, infinite amounts of fun, and rewarding creativity. It’ll be interesting to see how the platform grows in the future.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Role playing games (RPGs) are already known for requiring large amounts of time to complete them. Usually, most people wouldn’t give an RPG the time of day if it doesn’t exceed 20+ hours. But once in a millennium, gamers are graced with a game that exceeds all expectations by completely dominating their every moment. One such game was released in 2011 under the title The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Skyrim has managed to become one of those games people just can’t put down. It’s open ended structure, and non-stop flow of quests enthralled almost everyone who took the time to play it. To make matters even more dire, mods happen to be a thing on PC. If you look at Skyrim now with a few mods in effect, it becomes a totally different game. New areas, races, abilities and so much more have been created to expand upon the game Bethesda built all those moons ago.

This game still manages to draw hours of playtime out of fans with every new addition. Bethesda managed to build a beautiful huge world with a magnificent lore that has managed to create a truly amazing time sink. After trying it out for yourself, you may find out first-hand just why this game steals your hours, but you can be rest assured that you won’t regret it.

Minecraft

Minecraft is one of those games that exploded into popularity seemingly out of nowhere. This game that allows you to build almost anything you can imagine in a magical world has accrued millions of fans. It’s hard to look on YouTube and not trip over 100 videos of individuals playing this game. There is just something about the game that causes people to sink hours upon hours into its blocky goodness.

Maybe it’s the randomly generated open world that draws people in. Perhaps it’s the feeling of figuring out how to build that one thing that nobody else can build that keeps gamers coming back to scratch that itch. Or maybe it’s the fact that Minecraft can be played on almost every platform available. You have a PC, home console, handheld, or smart phone? Chances are if you do you have the ability to play this time consuming game.

Whether you’re sitting at your desk or on the porcelain throne, you can pour hours into building your castle for no real reason other than pure fun.

MOBAs

Multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) are those games a large group of gamers just can’t quite put their finger on. It’s not that the fun component of the game is confusing, after all, everyone knows that competition is fun. And it’s not the characters that puzzle people. Some use heroes while others place you into the sandals of ancient deities in order to wreak havoc upon your opponents. It just might be that each match can be relatively short and the games are pretty repetitious.

But, since when did repetition mean that something can’t be fun and devour all of your precious hours? MOBAs may have a pretty set-in-stone formula but they can be highly addictive once you get the hang of them. Heck, even the Twinfinite team has found itself in the clutches of Smite as each match leads to the desire of more god vs. god mayhem. The game just grabs all of your attention with its simple to learn but difficult to master mechanics.

While many are still trying to figure just why MOBAs became such a time sink millions of others are currently devoting large portions of their days to this game phenomenon.

Simulations

Simulations are an odd bunch. That’s not to say that the games are bad in any way, mind you. They are often very detailed and provide realistic mechanics that you just can’t help but marvel at. The thing is that most popular simulations are pretty mundane things that you could possibly do in your real life, but that has never stopped anyone from pursuing one of the many sims available to gamers.

For instance, take a look at Euro Truck Simulator. You will spend tons of hours in this game just following the laws of the road. The beautiful farm land and architecture you may pass during your travels are just an added bonus to the endless driving you will do. If you take a look at The Sims you will notice a similar situation, all you do is live… literally. You get a job, you develop relationships, eat, sleep, and many other everyday activities.

There is just something about watching simple things unfold in the virtual world that creates one of the ultimate time sinks. Will you live to 100 years old in The Sims? Will you make it to your destination in Euro Truck Simulator? The only way to ever know is to pay in hours of your time.

MMOs

The massively multiplayer online game (MMO) is one of the original time sinks in gaming. Create your avatar, choose your path, and set off in huge worlds with tons of monsters to defeat. Join a clan to make new friends, or even make one yourself. Choose to become the strongest in the world or max out your level without ever harming a single soul. These games throw you into entirely new worlds where you can make a name for yourself.

Being able to accomplish amazing feats with friends and strangers alike is an amazing thing. Whether it’s slaying a powerful dragon, or just gathering tons of people to do silly things it’s easy to see the appeal of MMOs. Losing hours of time playing a game with people from all over the world is one of the best things gaming has to offer. MMOs might be a time sink, but they are definitely one that’s well worth the sacrifice.

Grand Theft Auto IV on PC

You may have looked at the title of this section and wondered why only the PC version of this huge franchise was singled out. Everyone knows that Grand Theft Auto is one of the best selling franchises in gaming and gamers on all platforms sink tons of time into any game in the series. And you’d be 100% correct in saying that Grand Theft Auto IV could be considered a time sink on any of the other platforms it was made available on. But none of the other versions have the replay value that the PC release has.

One thing this game has on PC that puts it above the rest is mod support. You can put almost anything into Grand Theft Auto IV on PC. Wanna play as a horse driving a Mercedes Benz? Go right ahead. How about as one of your favorite superheroes so you can fly around Liberty City ruining the lives of it’s many citizens? You can do it all at the expense of your productive hours.

Grand Theft Auto IV manages to transcend the addiction that surrounds the game on consoles by become an even greater time sink on PC. If you need someone to thank just look to the individuals who spend lots of time making super creative mods.

Are there any games that you find yourself spending tons of time playing? Feel free to share.