Notes

Microsoft will Unify the Majority of 'Minecraft' Platforms This Summer

Minecraft is set to get its final version. The Better Together update will be released in August and will unify Minecraft across every platform that it supports, including iOS, Android, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Bedrock Engine powers all mobile, Windows 10 and Amazon Fire versions of Minecraft. It doesn't matter on which platform your friends are using to play Minecraft. All versions will be identical, they will share updates and DLC, so all players can create new worlds.



Nearly all. The initial "Better Together" update did not include Minecraft versions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4.



Marketing lead Emily Orrson states, "Beginning with Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, we'll expand the code base to ensure that everyone -- the vast majority -of our community are unison."



The Better Together update adds Bedrock to Minecraft on the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch and lets players play with nearly every version of the game. With the update, players on participating consoles can enjoy Realms (the game's multiplayer mode) as well as the newly launched Community Marketplace. All DLC purchased will be transferred to Bedrock. The update will add infinite worlds to Xbox One or Switch, which is a significant improvement over the current grid of 3 miles by 3 mi.



"They've been seeking relief there for a long time, and now they'll be able walk right up inside of these worlds and continue to create them indefinitely," says executive producer Jesse Merriam.



However, those on PS4 which is the most popular console of the moment, won't be able to switch to Bedrock immediately.



Merriam said that "our goal is to unify all Minecraft players." "Today we can confirm Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. However all of our current generation partners are on the market and we're looking to connect all Minecraft players. This is all we can confirm today."



The PS4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft will retain their platform-specific names and the Java version will formally be named Minecraft: Java Edition, which is what most players refer to it as. Today, we have the core Minecraft game along with three different versions (PS4, Xbox 360, and Java), which do not guarantee the same updates or cross-platform capabilities. It's a good step towards unity, but it's not an entirely seamless leap yet.



"We're extremely close with Apple, Google, PlayStation, Nintendo, Amazon, our VR partners -- and a lot more of it is a lot to do to make sure we're always working in everyone's store, and all the other things," Orrson says. "Right now we are doing our best to make sure that everyone is connected, but it's a lot of work to work through all of the scenarios we come across."



Microsoft purchased Minecraft in 2014 for $2.5 Billion. It's only natural that the Xbox One version of Minecraft is getting some affection in this Better Together update. Of course, Sony builds the PS4.



"It's not because of a lack of wanting to or effort on our part," said senior global communications manager Aubrey Norris. "We are currently in discussions with our partners. We are interested in PlayStation, and we invite Sony for PlayStation players to Bedrock. However, these are confidential discussions.



Microsoft and the developer Mojang are far from finished with Minecraft. Better Together is part of an overall effort to transform Minecraft into an "creative platform." Developers want it to be more than just a game. They want it to be the foundation for community-driven creativity, innovation, and connection.



The Community Marketplace, which hit Pocket and Windows 10 editions in June was a significant part of this transition, allowing players to search for, purchase and sell their own game creations.



Servers are also getting attention in Better Together. These servers let players experience unique worlds created by dedicated players. The Servers tab will appear between the "Worlds", "Friends" and "Friendstabs upon starting up. This will introduce a new set of players to fan-favorite worlds like Lifeboat which was created by a 14-year-old and his dad. Lifeboat boasts 6,000,000 players each month. Initial servers landing on Bedrock include Lifeboat, CubeCraft, Mineplex and InPvP.



One final update will make Minecraft even more self-contained: an integrated recipe book for crafting.



"We want to combine the strengths of all existing crafting systems together," Merriam says. "The Java edition is known for its ability to experiment and discover with different techniques, and you can go to the crafting grid and try out different techniques and ultimately find the right recipe.



The recipe book allows players to toggle recipes in the crafting grid. This eliminates the need to launch the game and then find the Wiki page that is relevant. However, those who prefer to experiment with recipes are free to leave the book out completely.



Merriam states, "Anyone who has interacted with a dedicated Minecraft enthusiast will know that there's a lot pride a child will feel if they have the recipe for an item."



Keep up-to-date with the latest news from E3 2017 here!

GAMING
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