Notes

First Look at Virtual Reality Minecraft At Xbox Showcase

First look at virtual reality Minecraft at Xbox showcase Dave Lee North America technology reporter



1 March 2016



Minecraft is already adored by millions of gamers around the globe. Now Microsoft has shown us what the real world is like in virtual reality.



Microsoft purchased the block-building phenomenon in 2014 for $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) which was an incredible deal that left fans of the game worried about its future.



The US firm said it would not harm its popular formula and instead invest in Minecraft.



In a special event held in San Francisco's trendy Mission District, its Xbox division showcased the virtual real-world version of Minecraft for the first time.



Palmer Luckey, creator and designer of Oculus Rift VR headset, said it makes you feel as if you're in Minecraft.



It's like many VR experiences. It's completely absorbing. It's a fantastic way to experience Minecraft's addictive construction process on a virtual screen.



Parents may be worried about $1,500 that is the price of a game that is popular with kids.



That's the amount they'll have to pay for an Oculus Rift headset, as well as a computer that is powerful enough to power it.



It's certainly too expensive, I suggested to Mr. Luckey.



He replied, "It isn’t."



"I mean, it's expensive relative to everything else out in the world but if you look at it as compared to television or a mobile phone, you're getting a lot more technology.



"It's not as if this is simple hardware, and the price is expected to go down in time."



It'll have to be slowed down quickly if it is to be adopted by the mass media in the near future.



I am expecting a small revival of the games arcade. This is an area where people can go to play the latest video games they are unable to afford for themselves.
Wow Servers


Big titles



Oculus Minecraft was just one of many games showcased at Xbox Spring Showcase. This gave journalists (and some YouTube stars) the opportunity to play some of tomorrow's blockbusters.



Quantum Break was a fascinating world that has me shivering for an hour. It's a game where you play Jack Joyce, an uncooperative action hero who gains the ability to alter time following an experiment that went wrong.



If this sounds like another scenario that is predictable for a game, you'd be right. But the game's mechanics (think "bullet time" but with a twist) make it a unique experience.



Also, make sure to read Tom Clancy's The Division -- set in a highly accurate and authentic Manhattan.



A lot of the titles that were featured on the show were promoted as great to run on a PC through Microsoft's Windows 10 operating systems.



"If you take a look at the numbers, PC gaming is the fastest growing segment of gaming available," said head of Xbox Phil Spencer.



"It's only normal that we'd focus on gaming on Windows."



Virtual plans



In the realm of virtual reality, Microsoft has opted not to create its own headset - although it is developing the Augmented Reality-focused Hololens but is instead working to make it compatible with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.



On the price debate, Spencer stated that he believes virtual reality will follow the path that high definition televisions have set. It's a high-end item initially, but it becomes hard to resist once you have experienced it.



"The early adopters will be around to help boost the VR industry," he said.



In light of the fact that Sony's PlayStation 4 will soon get its own VR headset I asked whether Microsoft might also consider making its own equipment.



"I definitely think it could be a part of our roadmap," he said. But he said that the current focus was on creating Windows 10 fully-compatible with high-end VR games.



'Not hacked'



The latest games are useless if gamers can't play them online. In recent times it's been quite an issue.



Low reliability on Xbox Live, the online gaming platform used by Xbox gamers, has caused thousands of issues.



Snoop Dogg is one of the fans who are unhappy with their service. He has pleaded with Bill Gates to fix the issue, or else he'd change to PlayStation.



Mr Spencer apologized for the problems.



He added, "It's evidently always regretful."



"This last outage was a worry that we learned from. It took us a bit longer to understand the issue, but it was clear.



He denied that the company was the victim of hacking and claimed that although its network was constantly under attack it wasn't, as claimed, destroyed by an organized effort to cause gamers to be cut off.



And on the risk of losing Snoop Dogg: "Snoop's been an avid player for a long time, and a loyal patron of Xbox.



"I am able to understand when people are angry. I take it as a sign of the love and commitment people feel for what we offer as a game platform."



Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC, and on Facebook.



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