Today I was graced with the pleasure of interviewing EASHS (@EASHS - His Twitter! Go Follow Him!)
It was a great interview and he is an awesome guy, so without further ado, let's do this thing!
Sam Wilson: Okay.
Sam Wilson: Let's Start.
Sam Wilson: For those of the people that do not know who you are, introduce yourself.
EASHS: Well, many people might be wondering about my age difference from my brothers and sisters, also, the fact that i live in Norway, while they live in sweden. I am 16 years old, and I do not consider myself a "nerd", but more of an explorer of art! Haha, well, I think Minecraft is an art! I have a little brother, which is also very into the whole Minecraft gaming thing.
EASHS: I enjoy tweeting, and I love skyping with my family in sweden while we are playing Minecraft. It does consume alot of my time, but at the side of playing I really enjoy drawing and watching good movies, mostly animation :)
Sam Wilson: Next question.
Sam Wilson: Did you attend minecon this year?
EASHS: Unfortunately, I did not get that chance. It was the closest family of my sister, which included my half brother, Zetterstrand, because he made the paintings in Minecraft. I still have a lot of school work, but I did enjoy watching the IGN livestream. My family here in norway hooked the PC up to our bigscreen-tv and watched until late at night ;)
Sam Wilson: Awesome. So you have 'famous' family in the Minecraft community?
EASHS: Yes, my brother in-law, might be the one people know the best, Notch. Then it's my sister, known as ez (elin Zetterstrand) and my brother Harr (Kristoffer Zetterstrand).
Sam Wilson: That's awesome! Are you happy with the Minecraft 1.0.0 release?
EASHS: Yes, I am very proud of the game. Its very charming, and I have been looking forward to just creating a new map, and playing the finished Minecraft. I really enjoy that. I hear people complaining about the bugs, but i dont really mind, every game has bugs! Ohh, and the yogscast were so stupid when they did not take their time to read the end credits, I really love them (yes, I cheated). The game is wonderful, best game ever
Sam Wilson: Did you contribute any ideas to the development of the game?
EASHS: Yes! Well, just in the same way the whole Minecraft community have. Thats one of the other most amazing things with this game, items and features like brewing, potions and pistons are things I would say are ideas from within the community. But, I have not have any special way of implementing features in the game :)
Sam Wilson: True, have you ever tried creating a minecraft mod or are you happy with the game as it is?
EASHS: I do not play with mods or texture packs, the game is wonderful as it is. Also, I have no idea how to make them.
Sam Wilson: Haha. What is your favourite mob in the game?
EASHS: Ohh, thats a hard question.
Sam Wilson: Haha.
EASHS: Well, I Really like the Villagers. I think most people do not understand them, but for me its like a mysterious secret village.
EASHS: In an abandoned landscape.
Sam Wilson: True.
EASHS: And you find these silent and peaceful people,
EASHS: With their hands crossed,
EASHS: It just amazes me.
Sam Wilson: Have you ever met Markus [Notch] in person?
EASHS: Well, yes I have. I attended my sisters wedding this summer, and of course on many earlier occasions.
Sam Wilson: That is awesome. What would you like to see implemented in the game now? Personally, I like the idea of NPC trading!
EASHS: Well, one feature I've wanted has allways been to be able to feed chickens with seeds, and they would lay an egg
Sam Wilson: That is awesome.
Sam Wilson: Okay.
EASHS: yeah ^^
Sam Wilson: Apart from Minecraft, do you play any other games?
EASHS: I have this thing for a game called machinarium. But other than that, I would not call myself a gamer. I've never played MW3 or COD or whatever (shock). I do like the games that are different, and with visual effectes and an oportunity to be creative, like sims. Yes, I feel weird, but I do like that. After all, Family, friends, school and then gaming ;)
Sam Wilson: What is your absolute FAVOURITE thing about Minecraft?
EASHS: Yet another very hard question!
EASHS: Well, the fact that people can do WHATEVER, absolutly everything they want with the game. Some people enjoy building, some enjoy surviving. Its the whole game itself that is wonderful. My favourite feature in Minecraft might be the mobs. I just love watching animals jump around, and I love hiding from zombies. Without them, the game would have been completely different.
Sam Wilson: That's very true.
Sam Wilson: Do you make Minecraft videos for YouTube?
EASHS: Aww, my computer can't handle any recording software. As much as I would love to. But one thing I love, is that it handles Minecraft super well. I usually play with fullscreen, fancy graphics and normal render distance :) A guy I met via the Minecraft Community said he could by me fraps, but ill wait until I get a better PC. Ohh, and if I am going to make videos, it would be in Norwegian ;)
Sam Wilson: Haha awesome. Last question.
Sam Wilson: When you play Minecraft, what do you do in a normal session? Do you play Multiplayer or Singleplayer and What do you do?
EASHS: As of now, I pretty much play everything. I play on two different huge servers, I play Creative mode sigleplayer, as well as survival. I would actually consider myself a builder, rather than a survivor. I think its a creative outlet, and I really enjoy sharing my buildings with other people. I am active in the community, and I try to tweet as much as I can. I visit several servers during a week, and enjoy talking with the people out there. Also, I spend a lot of time with my Niece and Nephew, skyping and playing on a private whitelisted server, sometimes even ez joins the call to play with us. Thats the part I enjoy the most.
Sam Wilson: Thank You Very Much.
--End Interview--
Overall it was great talking to him
Follow him @EASHS
Also - New Video. Minecraft TNT Shotgun + Cannon Launcher Click For The Video!
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Interview with CitrusChris. Head Developer for Simulation Game - D.E.V.
Today I was presented with the one in a lifetime chance of interviewing a game developer. CitrusChris - Head Developer of the Game. The game I interviewed him about was a game called D.E.V.
The interview will explain the game and some other key things you would like to know!
Developers Website
So without further ado... here we go.
TheRussianPigeon: So, for the people who do not know what D.E.V. is, can you explain it?
ChrisC: D.E.V. is a simulation game. It focuses around a small games development company that you have just founded, in your mom's garage. You hire and train staff to work in an office you design, making games based on your orders. Whilst the game centers on developing video games, you can also branch out into other avenues, such as console development, and contracted work. Whilst there is no 'end game' scenario, so you can keep on playing indefinitely, there are a number of milestones that can be achieved. For example, best newcomer, most anticipated release and more. You will lead your company through the ranks, from a small, independant indie company, to a large scale corporation.
The interview will explain the game and some other key things you would like to know!
Developers Website
So without further ado... here we go.
TheRussianPigeon: So, for the people who do not know what D.E.V. is, can you explain it?
ChrisC: D.E.V. is a simulation game. It focuses around a small games development company that you have just founded, in your mom's garage. You hire and train staff to work in an office you design, making games based on your orders. Whilst the game centers on developing video games, you can also branch out into other avenues, such as console development, and contracted work. Whilst there is no 'end game' scenario, so you can keep on playing indefinitely, there are a number of milestones that can be achieved. For example, best newcomer, most anticipated release and more. You will lead your company through the ranks, from a small, independant indie company, to a large scale corporation.
TheRussianPigeon: When is the game expected to be released and on what platform?
ChrisC: Current projections are for the game to enter a small closed beta in the first quarter of 2012 (around March time). After the beta indentifies bugs and "balance" issues, these will be fixed, and hopefully released in the second quarter of 2012 (around May or June). The game will be available on Steam for Mac and Windows, and as a stand-alone product on Windows, Mac and Linux.
TheRussianPigeon: What gave you the idea of the game?
ChrisC: The idea was influenced heavily by the game Game Dev Story, by Kairosoft. This game is available on iOS and Android platforms. However, when I played this game, I found it to be too transparent. Too repetitive. The game was basically the same once you hit a certain point. I also wanted to change a few things with the basic mechanics of the Kairo title, so I started D.E.V.
TheRussianPigeon: I have played the game before but I'm sure D.E.V. will be better. Will there be 'acheivments' in D.E.V.?
ChrisC: Oh, yes, definitely. The achievement framework is already in the code. Achievements make a game even more addicting, because of the "must get this" effect on the player. However, D.E.V. achievements will not be boring ones like "Start the game!"
TheRussianPigeon: How much will D.E.V. cost?
ChrisC: D.E.V. will hopefully retail for around £4.99. However, there will be pre-orders for £1.99, hopefully from the time of the closed beta.
TheRussianPigeon: I saw on your website that people can donate. How does this help you and will donators receive any perks?
ChrisC: Originally the donation link was there for anyone who used my Bukkit plugins and wanted to contribute to me.
ChrisC: However,
ChrisC: Donations will help in the running of the website, will fund development and will help me earn some money as I'm unemployed at the moment. I may consider some form of donator perks, for donations over a certain amount. This is yet to be confirmed.
TheRussianPigeon: So, you are the only person working on D.E.V. Correct?
ChrisC: I'm the only programmer working on the project, yes.
TheRussianPigeon: What do you like to do when you are not working on D.E.V.?
ChrisC: I'm an avid gamer, and play titles such as Minecraft, Terraria, Assassin's Creed, Fable and Elder Scrolls. I'm also a college student working on a programming BTEC (which is 3 A Levels). I also spend time with my girlfriend.
TheRussianPigeon: What/Who inspired you to make a game?
ChrisC: Honestly, Notch. Mojang. The entire story of Minecraft inspired me. And, seeing all these indie bundles and indie games making it big.
TheRussianPigeon: Can you reveal any exclusive information about D.E.V. for the blog viewers?
ChrisC: Unfortunately, there's not much "exclusive" information relating to D.E.V. currently. And even if there was, I don't think I'd be allowed to say it.
TheRussianPigeon: That's fair enough. Once D.E.V. is complete, what will you do next?
ChrisC: I have a few DLC ideas for D.E.V., and will obviously provide bug updates when required. After that, I'm sure a new game will work its way onto my lap.
TheRussianPigeon: Why do you think people will buy D.E.V. and How do you think it will stand out amongst other games in the Steam Market?
ChrisC: Because of the sheer popularity and addictiveness of the Kairo title. I've seen so many reviews of the Kairo title asking for more and comments on how addictive the game is. However, I'm not sure how well it will stand out in the market. We'll see.
TheRussianPigeon: At what age did you get interested in game development and When did you learn about Java coding?
ChrisC: Ooh, well I've been interested in games since a young age, and developing them came with software and web development which I started getting into at age 13. I only recently learnt Java coding, when I decided to be involved with making plugins for the Bukkit project. This would have been around May 2011.
TheRussianPigeon: Finally, do you have any advice for any people that want to learn about game development?
ChrisC: My advice is to simply jump in to some code. Read some online tutorials, or find an open source project and learn how the code works.
---End Interview---
From this interview I learnt lots of things I did not know about D.E.V.
Chris is a really awesome genuine guy.
Monday 28 November 2011
Game Review - Geo by Maximilian Starzinski
Today, I announced something about my blog and that I do game reviews when @Foolish_Notch (AKA Maximilian Starzinski) Sends me a tweet asking me to add him on skype because he wants to talk about something. I do this and it turns out he has a game that he wanted me to review. This game 'Geo' is a sandbox game. It is 2D and Still in early Alpha Stages. Early Early Alpha Download Link - Here!
Gameplay -
The gameplay in Geo is great, it has 2 gamemodes, Creative and Survival. Survival is fun, with a similar structure to Minecraft or Terraria. Although, you play as a Ghast? - like creature which is rather funny. The gameplay is great considering it is only in an early alpha stage. There is not much more to say except that the world generation is nice and ores are findable.
Gameplay Rate - 7/10
Sound -
There is currently no sound in the game.
Rating - N/A
Graphics -
The graphics currently in the Alpha version of the game are mixed. The background of the game needs work but it is still quite peaceful and relaxing. The best part of the graphics are the blocks themselves, the textures are well drawn and suit the game very well. Overall, the graphics are good and as I state a lot, are advanced for the Alpha Version of the game.
Graphics Rating - 8/10
Bugs -
Because this game is in Alpha at the moment, there are a fair few bugs that need to be sorted out. Such as, world generation going strange when changing gamemode, and slight glitches. I have only encountered 1 crash during my play time which was good. I have to give this game some leaway when it comes to bugs so don't panic if you play the game and you encounter a glitch. Just tell me in the comments below or on twitter, or tell @Foolish_Notch.
Overall Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe this game is a nice alternative to the current sandbox games on the market at the moment. Not to mention the fact it is free. I give this game a 'Go Get It, Whilst it's free'. If I get the time, I will record some let's plays and upload them to my channel. Go get this game at the link in the introduction.
So Yeah.
GO GET THIS GAME WHILST IT IS FREE
Sincerely,
Pige.
Gameplay -
The gameplay in Geo is great, it has 2 gamemodes, Creative and Survival. Survival is fun, with a similar structure to Minecraft or Terraria. Although, you play as a Ghast? - like creature which is rather funny. The gameplay is great considering it is only in an early alpha stage. There is not much more to say except that the world generation is nice and ores are findable.
Gameplay Rate - 7/10
Sound -
There is currently no sound in the game.
Rating - N/A
Graphics -
The graphics currently in the Alpha version of the game are mixed. The background of the game needs work but it is still quite peaceful and relaxing. The best part of the graphics are the blocks themselves, the textures are well drawn and suit the game very well. Overall, the graphics are good and as I state a lot, are advanced for the Alpha Version of the game.
Graphics Rating - 8/10
Bugs -
Because this game is in Alpha at the moment, there are a fair few bugs that need to be sorted out. Such as, world generation going strange when changing gamemode, and slight glitches. I have only encountered 1 crash during my play time which was good. I have to give this game some leaway when it comes to bugs so don't panic if you play the game and you encounter a glitch. Just tell me in the comments below or on twitter, or tell @Foolish_Notch.
Overall Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe this game is a nice alternative to the current sandbox games on the market at the moment. Not to mention the fact it is free. I give this game a 'Go Get It, Whilst it's free'. If I get the time, I will record some let's plays and upload them to my channel. Go get this game at the link in the introduction.
So Yeah.
GO GET THIS GAME WHILST IT IS FREE
Sincerely,
Pige.
Top 5 'If You Like Minecraft, You will like these' Games.
Okay, I know I haven't posted for a day, so here you guys go.
My Top 5 Games Like Minecraft
5. [PC] Roblox - A sandbox MMO where you build things - aimed at younger users
4. [XBOX360] Fortress Craft - Pretty much the same but not as good as Minecraft.
3. [XBOX360] Total Miner - A little more developed and personally I prefer it to Fortress Craft.
2. [iOS] Eden World Builder - Although It does not have survival mode, the creative is brilliant and it has a lovely community. Perfect for iOS.
1. [PC] Terraria - 2D Sandbox game, except the emphasis is more on exploration whereas Minecraft's emphasis is on building.
My Top 5 Games Like Minecraft
5. [PC] Roblox - A sandbox MMO where you build things - aimed at younger users
4. [XBOX360] Fortress Craft - Pretty much the same but not as good as Minecraft.
3. [XBOX360] Total Miner - A little more developed and personally I prefer it to Fortress Craft.
2. [iOS] Eden World Builder - Although It does not have survival mode, the creative is brilliant and it has a lovely community. Perfect for iOS.
1. [PC] Terraria - 2D Sandbox game, except the emphasis is more on exploration whereas Minecraft's emphasis is on building.
Sunday 27 November 2011
Official Channels
My Main Channel Where I Game and Review.
My Main Channel
ComputerTIL - The Channel I Share With Miningdude
Where we show you all the helpful tips and hints to optimize your PC.
ComputerTIL
My Main Channel
ComputerTIL - The Channel I Share With Miningdude
Where we show you all the helpful tips and hints to optimize your PC.
ComputerTIL
Minecraft vs Terraria
In this blog, I will be comparing Minecraft to Terraria (a 2d game, where you craft, dig and explore.) I will be exploring all parts of the games, well, as many as I can cover. At the end I will give a clear conclusion on which is best.
Round 1 - Gameplay.
In both games, Minecraft and Terraria, gameplay is some of the best around in games available at this current time. The games are indie-simulation-sandbox-architecture games where exploring, building and digging is all encouraged. The best thing these games is the fact that you can't really 'complete' the games, although Minecraft recently released a way to 'beat the game', once you beat the game in Minecraft you can carry on playing which is a good factor in a game. The gameplay in Minecraft is more focused on actually building whereas in Terraria, being 2d and not as visually pleasing, the emphasis is on exploring.
In terms of gameplay, I can see myself playing Minecraft for continuous lengths of time whereas I can only play Terraria in chunks as I find it rather tedious.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 2 - Sound
In both games, the soundtracks used are brilliant. Simply brilliant.
Minecraft has it's music which plays at random times along with its spooky ambient tunes that play near dark areas. The sounds used in Minecraft match a 'real' version of the ingame item, such as the bow sound, the door sound and many more. However, I prefer the soundtrack in Terraria, simply according to my personal taste. It matches the game slightly more as it plays 'jungle themed' music when in the underground jungle and it plays spooky music at night and during the red moon. The actual game sounds sound more realistic such as the zombie moan, the mining sound and the slime noise.
Round Winner - Terraria
Round 3 - Graphics
Both games tried something different in terms of Graphics. Terraria went for the 'cartoon' approach to things for their sprites and graphics whereas Minecraft chose slightly realistic but at the same time a kind of blocky, pixely approach. Minecraft has 3D graphics whereas Terraria has 2D Graphics. Minecraft also has an actual 3D feature, so you can use 3D glasses to view images in 3D. Both games have extremely customisable graphics options but all in all Minecraft's graphics are slightly more appealing.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 4 - Cost.
When compared to games in the market at the moment with similar sales records, both games are Exceptional value for money. Terraria is only (as of 10:03 GMT 27/11/11) £3 (GBP) which is one of the cheapest games currently on the market. Minecraft is £20 (GBP) (as of 10:05 GMT 27/11/11), Although this is substantially more than Terraria, it is still great value for money. Therefore in terms of a Fun:Value ratio Terraria narrowly wins but only because of the cost.
Round Winner - Terraria
Round 5 - Community
A good community is what makes a good game great. Both of the games in question have strong communities with User submitted modifications and add-ons. Aswell as general friendliness. After all, it's no good having lots of User Submitted things if the community isn't actually friendly. Terraria's community is good and strong but it is nothing compared to the extremely strong and friendly Minecraft community.
Minecraft has more user-submitted things whereas Terraria does not have that many.
Round winner - Minecraft
Round 6 - MultiPlayer
The two games in question both took different approaches to MultiPlayer. Minecraft decided to go with basic multi-player (The game, with friends) whereas Terraria decided to implement the feature of carrying on the same character through multiplayer (keeping items and all). In Minecraft when you join a server for the first time, you have no items whereas in Terraria when you join a multiplayer server for the first time (if you pick the same character as in single-player) you can use all the items you have obtained via Single-Player. Minecraft MultiPlayer is largely more customisable with such programmes as Bukkit, which adds a whole new spectrum of plugins to make multiplayer a more complete experience however Minecraft multiplayer can be rather dodgy sometimes, with problems such as world generation failing, the Invalid Code Key error which has occured since the 1.0.0 Update. Terraria does not have this problem but it does not have as many features.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 7 - Media
When browsing any popular media sharing site like YouTube most of the gaming section is filled with Minecraft and First Person Shooters. As a Youtuber who uploads videos of Minecraft and who has previously made Terraria videos, I feel it is fairly safe to say that Minecraft videos are more popular as Terraria gameplay is not as exciting. All though, with all this hype comes problems too, for example, recently the Yogscast (a popular YouTube group, who make Minecraft videos which receive hundreds of thousands of views.) had received comments from Notch (the creator of Minecraft) saying that at Minecon, Yogscast had been swaring at children. This has not really been cleared up but it seems that Notch was tired and that the two parties involved are friends again. Although there can be a lot of problems with lots of hype, there are more positives and negatives. Terraria gameplay still get's views on YouTube but many people prefer to watch Minecraft gameplay.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 8 - Updates
Minecraft and Terraria are both regularly updated. Minecraft recently released the 'full version' of the game with the 1.0.0 update but Mojang claim they will keep releasing updates. Minecraft has had lots of updates since the early Survival Test, each gradually adding new features but apart from the last 2 updates 1.8 and 1.0 there has been no significant amount of new features in one update. On the 1st of December 2011, Terraria Update 1.1 will be released, with one of the most significant updates in recent game history with the addition of 222 New Items, 39 New Monsters, female characters, new ores and new armour. New combos and a new wiring system, a brand new lightning system and finally a new boss called the Wall Of Flesh. All in all, I think we can safely say that in terms of updates, although there has been more for Minecraft, in terms of new content...
Round Winner - Terraria
Conclusion
Round 1 - Minecraft
Round 2 - Terraria
Round 3 - Minecraft
Round 4 - Terraria
Round 5 - Minecraft
Round 6 - Minecraft
Round 7 - Minecraft
Round 8 - Terraria
Winner - Minecraft
Terraria fought a good fight, but all in all, Minecraft just beat Terraria 5-3. If you're looking to decide which of these 2 games you want to get. Although it costs slightly more, Minecraft is the game to get.
Adios.
Sam (TheRussianPigeon)
Round 1 - Gameplay.
In both games, Minecraft and Terraria, gameplay is some of the best around in games available at this current time. The games are indie-simulation-sandbox-architecture games where exploring, building and digging is all encouraged. The best thing these games is the fact that you can't really 'complete' the games, although Minecraft recently released a way to 'beat the game', once you beat the game in Minecraft you can carry on playing which is a good factor in a game. The gameplay in Minecraft is more focused on actually building whereas in Terraria, being 2d and not as visually pleasing, the emphasis is on exploring.
In terms of gameplay, I can see myself playing Minecraft for continuous lengths of time whereas I can only play Terraria in chunks as I find it rather tedious.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 2 - Sound
In both games, the soundtracks used are brilliant. Simply brilliant.
Minecraft has it's music which plays at random times along with its spooky ambient tunes that play near dark areas. The sounds used in Minecraft match a 'real' version of the ingame item, such as the bow sound, the door sound and many more. However, I prefer the soundtrack in Terraria, simply according to my personal taste. It matches the game slightly more as it plays 'jungle themed' music when in the underground jungle and it plays spooky music at night and during the red moon. The actual game sounds sound more realistic such as the zombie moan, the mining sound and the slime noise.
Round Winner - Terraria
Round 3 - Graphics
Both games tried something different in terms of Graphics. Terraria went for the 'cartoon' approach to things for their sprites and graphics whereas Minecraft chose slightly realistic but at the same time a kind of blocky, pixely approach. Minecraft has 3D graphics whereas Terraria has 2D Graphics. Minecraft also has an actual 3D feature, so you can use 3D glasses to view images in 3D. Both games have extremely customisable graphics options but all in all Minecraft's graphics are slightly more appealing.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 4 - Cost.
When compared to games in the market at the moment with similar sales records, both games are Exceptional value for money. Terraria is only (as of 10:03 GMT 27/11/11) £3 (GBP) which is one of the cheapest games currently on the market. Minecraft is £20 (GBP) (as of 10:05 GMT 27/11/11), Although this is substantially more than Terraria, it is still great value for money. Therefore in terms of a Fun:Value ratio Terraria narrowly wins but only because of the cost.
Round Winner - Terraria
Round 5 - Community
A good community is what makes a good game great. Both of the games in question have strong communities with User submitted modifications and add-ons. Aswell as general friendliness. After all, it's no good having lots of User Submitted things if the community isn't actually friendly. Terraria's community is good and strong but it is nothing compared to the extremely strong and friendly Minecraft community.
Minecraft has more user-submitted things whereas Terraria does not have that many.
Round winner - Minecraft
Round 6 - MultiPlayer
The two games in question both took different approaches to MultiPlayer. Minecraft decided to go with basic multi-player (The game, with friends) whereas Terraria decided to implement the feature of carrying on the same character through multiplayer (keeping items and all). In Minecraft when you join a server for the first time, you have no items whereas in Terraria when you join a multiplayer server for the first time (if you pick the same character as in single-player) you can use all the items you have obtained via Single-Player. Minecraft MultiPlayer is largely more customisable with such programmes as Bukkit, which adds a whole new spectrum of plugins to make multiplayer a more complete experience however Minecraft multiplayer can be rather dodgy sometimes, with problems such as world generation failing, the Invalid Code Key error which has occured since the 1.0.0 Update. Terraria does not have this problem but it does not have as many features.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 7 - Media
When browsing any popular media sharing site like YouTube most of the gaming section is filled with Minecraft and First Person Shooters. As a Youtuber who uploads videos of Minecraft and who has previously made Terraria videos, I feel it is fairly safe to say that Minecraft videos are more popular as Terraria gameplay is not as exciting. All though, with all this hype comes problems too, for example, recently the Yogscast (a popular YouTube group, who make Minecraft videos which receive hundreds of thousands of views.) had received comments from Notch (the creator of Minecraft) saying that at Minecon, Yogscast had been swaring at children. This has not really been cleared up but it seems that Notch was tired and that the two parties involved are friends again. Although there can be a lot of problems with lots of hype, there are more positives and negatives. Terraria gameplay still get's views on YouTube but many people prefer to watch Minecraft gameplay.
Round Winner - Minecraft
Round 8 - Updates
Minecraft and Terraria are both regularly updated. Minecraft recently released the 'full version' of the game with the 1.0.0 update but Mojang claim they will keep releasing updates. Minecraft has had lots of updates since the early Survival Test, each gradually adding new features but apart from the last 2 updates 1.8 and 1.0 there has been no significant amount of new features in one update. On the 1st of December 2011, Terraria Update 1.1 will be released, with one of the most significant updates in recent game history with the addition of 222 New Items, 39 New Monsters, female characters, new ores and new armour. New combos and a new wiring system, a brand new lightning system and finally a new boss called the Wall Of Flesh. All in all, I think we can safely say that in terms of updates, although there has been more for Minecraft, in terms of new content...
Round Winner - Terraria
Conclusion
Round 1 - Minecraft
Round 2 - Terraria
Round 3 - Minecraft
Round 4 - Terraria
Round 5 - Minecraft
Round 6 - Minecraft
Round 7 - Minecraft
Round 8 - Terraria
Winner - Minecraft
Terraria fought a good fight, but all in all, Minecraft just beat Terraria 5-3. If you're looking to decide which of these 2 games you want to get. Although it costs slightly more, Minecraft is the game to get.
Adios.
Sam (TheRussianPigeon)
Saturday 26 November 2011
My Fears for the Future Of Minecraft
First thing I would like to say is that this is not a hate.
I am stating my opinion.
Recently, it has become clear to me that the 'unique' experience of Minecraft is in danger, in several forms. In this blog post I will explain to you what I fear about the future of Minecraft and what may cause it's downfall.
First off is Minecraft coming to different platforms. Recently Minecraft Pocket Edition for iOS was announced and before that, the android version was released. As announced, Minecraft for the XBOX will be coming next spring. Minecraft coming to all these other platforms is one of my main fears for the game and the community. One of the things I love most about Minecraft is coming home and being able to play the game, with the introduction of the Pocket Edition, you can play anywhere, which erases the feeling of relief of having a whole evening to play the game. The release of the Pocket Edition could mean that people with slightly slower computers give up altogether on playing on the PC and just play on the Pocket Edition. Although 1 community member lost will not effect anything, if more and more people left, there could be problems.
Minecraft coming to the XBOX is a whole new scenario, with the introduction of the XBOX version, many members of the PC community will leave for a lag-free and recordable experience on the XBOX. In turn, this could cause a lack of user submitted stuff(s) such as Texture Packs, Mods and Skins. Many members of the PC community will simply think, "let's play on the XBOX instead". Before, Minecraft was a unique, single-platformed experience. Now, it is just becoming like any other game.
Next, is the topic of games similar to Minecraft. Recently, the makers of Terraria announced a big update coming soon, adding loads of new features to the game. Updates are what interests users to keep playing and now that the 'full version' of Minecraft has been released, the updates may not come as fast as before. Therefore, many people will think, "That Terraria game is cheaper, and gets updated more." The idea of Minecraft clones is a great idea, but in Mojangs point of view it is not a good idea, especially if the clone/similar game gets updated more regularly.
Next, the addition of more games into the market. Soon, before you know it, there will be another 'hit' game that everybody will be wanting to play, and Minecraft will fade away. Take games such as Left 4 Dead or more recently Dead Island. Games like those were both largely supported by the community and as soon as the community stopped giving and more games similar were released, sales dropped and the games became old news. I fear this could happen to Minecraft but as long as Mojang keep up the good work, this probably won't happen.
In conclusion, I do fear for the future of the game but I believe that as long as Mojang keep working on Minecraft, there is nothing to worry about.
Sincerely,
Sam.
I am stating my opinion.
Recently, it has become clear to me that the 'unique' experience of Minecraft is in danger, in several forms. In this blog post I will explain to you what I fear about the future of Minecraft and what may cause it's downfall.
First off is Minecraft coming to different platforms. Recently Minecraft Pocket Edition for iOS was announced and before that, the android version was released. As announced, Minecraft for the XBOX will be coming next spring. Minecraft coming to all these other platforms is one of my main fears for the game and the community. One of the things I love most about Minecraft is coming home and being able to play the game, with the introduction of the Pocket Edition, you can play anywhere, which erases the feeling of relief of having a whole evening to play the game. The release of the Pocket Edition could mean that people with slightly slower computers give up altogether on playing on the PC and just play on the Pocket Edition. Although 1 community member lost will not effect anything, if more and more people left, there could be problems.
Minecraft coming to the XBOX is a whole new scenario, with the introduction of the XBOX version, many members of the PC community will leave for a lag-free and recordable experience on the XBOX. In turn, this could cause a lack of user submitted stuff(s) such as Texture Packs, Mods and Skins. Many members of the PC community will simply think, "let's play on the XBOX instead". Before, Minecraft was a unique, single-platformed experience. Now, it is just becoming like any other game.
Next, is the topic of games similar to Minecraft. Recently, the makers of Terraria announced a big update coming soon, adding loads of new features to the game. Updates are what interests users to keep playing and now that the 'full version' of Minecraft has been released, the updates may not come as fast as before. Therefore, many people will think, "That Terraria game is cheaper, and gets updated more." The idea of Minecraft clones is a great idea, but in Mojangs point of view it is not a good idea, especially if the clone/similar game gets updated more regularly.
Next, the addition of more games into the market. Soon, before you know it, there will be another 'hit' game that everybody will be wanting to play, and Minecraft will fade away. Take games such as Left 4 Dead or more recently Dead Island. Games like those were both largely supported by the community and as soon as the community stopped giving and more games similar were released, sales dropped and the games became old news. I fear this could happen to Minecraft but as long as Mojang keep up the good work, this probably won't happen.
In conclusion, I do fear for the future of the game but I believe that as long as Mojang keep working on Minecraft, there is nothing to worry about.
Sincerely,
Sam.
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Update and Minecraft Review
Today, I recorded 3 Episodes worth of a Survival Series.
If you wanna join me, I will say when I'm next recording
A Special Minecraft Review For Y'all
WARNING : THIS IS NOT A 10/10 Review
The game Minecraft is game by Game Developers Mojang and mainly Markus Persson (Notch).
The game itself is a Indie/Sandbox game where you roam around building and exploring during the day and at night monsters come out and try to kill you. The game is currently available for Computer, Android and iOS. During spring 2012 the game will be release for XboX 360. Currently 'Survival' Mode is only available for Computer.
First, let's talk about the actual gameplay. The best thing about Minecraft is the gameplay, although it may seem boring to a gamer used to FPS' or Puzzle games, the gameplay in Minecraft is some of the best you can get these days. There's always something to do and the game is pretty much unlimited to what you can do. There is never a moment when you think to yourself 'there's nothing to do'. There is a thing about Minecraft which means however you like playing games, Solving Puzzles, Shooting Enemies, Going on an Adventure and Playing sports, you can do all of this in Minecraft. Gameplay - 9/10
Next, I will talk about the graphics. As a friend of some Anti-Minecrafters, their reason for not playing the game is the 'bad graphics'. To some people the graphics are what makes the game what it is but to others, it is just 'bad'. Personally, I would not call the graphics 'bad' but I would call them 'different'. As most game developers try their best to have the top graphics available. Overall, the graphics are a part of the game which can be compared to Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Graphics - 7/10
I will now talk about the music for the game. The soundtrack and most of the sounds for the game are made by C418. Before Minecraft was a popular hit, C418 was not the most popular musician in the world but now he is well known amongst the Minecraft Community. The soundtrack is great and provides perfect music for the spooky cavern or the lovely day. Music - 9/10
Unfortunately, there are faults with Minecraft as there is with every game. The Minecraft community itself can sometimes be a bit dodgy. The community is full of players called 'Griefers' who's pure aim is to ruin the game for others by destroying all their builds on multiplayer. Mojang have not done enough to stop this but I am sure that there are somethings that can be done. The game itself is also highly buggy, in the latest update (1.0.0) players have encountered an error when playing on multi-player which doesn't allow a player to connect to the server he/she wants to play on. There are also tons of glitches such as the world not generating correctly and mobs (creatures) glitching out. I believe that Mojang could have focused more on eliminating these 'bugs' and problems rather than releasing the full game and working on new features. Overall Score Point Loss - 6
In conclusion, Minecraft is a game which once you start playing it, you get used to all the faults and it becomes extremely fun, although to a new player or someone who hasn't played it before and prefers other games, it my seem slightly, childish, stupid and rubbish.
The Overall Score For My Review Is - 19/30
Gameplay - 9
Graphics - 7
Music - 9
Faults - -6
Overall 19/30
Rank : Good.
If you wanna join me, I will say when I'm next recording
A Special Minecraft Review For Y'all
WARNING : THIS IS NOT A 10/10 Review
The game Minecraft is game by Game Developers Mojang and mainly Markus Persson (Notch).
The game itself is a Indie/Sandbox game where you roam around building and exploring during the day and at night monsters come out and try to kill you. The game is currently available for Computer, Android and iOS. During spring 2012 the game will be release for XboX 360. Currently 'Survival' Mode is only available for Computer.
First, let's talk about the actual gameplay. The best thing about Minecraft is the gameplay, although it may seem boring to a gamer used to FPS' or Puzzle games, the gameplay in Minecraft is some of the best you can get these days. There's always something to do and the game is pretty much unlimited to what you can do. There is never a moment when you think to yourself 'there's nothing to do'. There is a thing about Minecraft which means however you like playing games, Solving Puzzles, Shooting Enemies, Going on an Adventure and Playing sports, you can do all of this in Minecraft. Gameplay - 9/10
Next, I will talk about the graphics. As a friend of some Anti-Minecrafters, their reason for not playing the game is the 'bad graphics'. To some people the graphics are what makes the game what it is but to others, it is just 'bad'. Personally, I would not call the graphics 'bad' but I would call them 'different'. As most game developers try their best to have the top graphics available. Overall, the graphics are a part of the game which can be compared to Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Graphics - 7/10
I will now talk about the music for the game. The soundtrack and most of the sounds for the game are made by C418. Before Minecraft was a popular hit, C418 was not the most popular musician in the world but now he is well known amongst the Minecraft Community. The soundtrack is great and provides perfect music for the spooky cavern or the lovely day. Music - 9/10
Unfortunately, there are faults with Minecraft as there is with every game. The Minecraft community itself can sometimes be a bit dodgy. The community is full of players called 'Griefers' who's pure aim is to ruin the game for others by destroying all their builds on multiplayer. Mojang have not done enough to stop this but I am sure that there are somethings that can be done. The game itself is also highly buggy, in the latest update (1.0.0) players have encountered an error when playing on multi-player which doesn't allow a player to connect to the server he/she wants to play on. There are also tons of glitches such as the world not generating correctly and mobs (creatures) glitching out. I believe that Mojang could have focused more on eliminating these 'bugs' and problems rather than releasing the full game and working on new features. Overall Score Point Loss - 6
In conclusion, Minecraft is a game which once you start playing it, you get used to all the faults and it becomes extremely fun, although to a new player or someone who hasn't played it before and prefers other games, it my seem slightly, childish, stupid and rubbish.
The Overall Score For My Review Is - 19/30
Gameplay - 9
Graphics - 7
Music - 9
Faults - -6
Overall 19/30
Rank : Good.
Sunday 20 November 2011
Upcoming Videos - This Week.
This week you can expect loads of quality videos.
The two you will be seeing first include.
A Minecraft song Parody - More News Soon
and
A Minecraft Story Machinima - More News Later.
You can also maybe expect some 1.0.0 Gameplay
and some mod spotlights.
And thats about it for this week :)
Stay Tuned. :)
The two you will be seeing first include.
A Minecraft song Parody - More News Soon
and
A Minecraft Story Machinima - More News Later.
You can also maybe expect some 1.0.0 Gameplay
and some mod spotlights.
And thats about it for this week :)
Stay Tuned. :)
The Channel And Upcoming Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRussianPigeon?feature=mhee
Click on the above link to head over to my YouTube channel where you can view loads of videos related to Minecraft and other games aswell.
Over the next few weeks you can expect some Minecraft 1.0.0 full Version Videos, aswell as Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Videos.
This is going to be an interesting few weeks and I hope you enjoy all the content to come.
Please Subscribe aswell.
Latest Video - Click Here! Minecraft 1.0.0 Complete Changelist in Under 4 Minutes
Click on the above link to head over to my YouTube channel where you can view loads of videos related to Minecraft and other games aswell.
Over the next few weeks you can expect some Minecraft 1.0.0 full Version Videos, aswell as Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Videos.
This is going to be an interesting few weeks and I hope you enjoy all the content to come.
Please Subscribe aswell.
Latest Video - Click Here! Minecraft 1.0.0 Complete Changelist in Under 4 Minutes
Question Time!
Here are my questions to you!
Be sure to answer them in the comments section below
What kind of content would you like to see regularly uploaded on my channel?
www.youtube.com/therussianpigeon
What's your favourite thing about the new version of Minecraft?
For changelist, Click Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mUg9fK3EE
What Mods shall I try out?
What texture pack shall I use?
Who would you like to see me do videos with?
Now It's Your Turn!
Got a question for me?
Ask It In The Comments Below.
Be sure to answer them in the comments section below
What kind of content would you like to see regularly uploaded on my channel?
www.youtube.com/therussianpigeon
What's your favourite thing about the new version of Minecraft?
For changelist, Click Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mUg9fK3EE
What Mods shall I try out?
What texture pack shall I use?
Who would you like to see me do videos with?
Now It's Your Turn!
Got a question for me?
Ask It In The Comments Below.
New Video - Minecraft 1.0.0 Changelist In Under 4 Minutes
New Video
Telling you all you need to know about Minecraft 1.0.0 In Under 4 Minutes
All this information about Minecraft 1.0.0 was sourced from the Minecraft Wiki and I attempt to recite it all as quickly as possible.
These videos are not for my benefit but they are for yours, showing you what exactly has been updated in this new full version of minecraft.
I hope you enjoy the video and make sure you stay tuned for more information.
Lots of Love
TheRussianPigeon
P.S.
Here is the complete changelist.
Fixes & Changes:
- New achievements
- Glowstone changed from "stone" to "glass".
- Amount of Experience Orbs dropped by a player on death now limited.
- The ability of Endermen to carry blocks reduced in some way.
- Minor changes to some textures (most notableMonster Spawner).
- Ghast fireballs have a different texture.
- On death, a proper score is given based on how many experience orbs the player has collected.
- When flowing lava hits a water source directly from above, it creates Stone where previously the lava would flow through the water.
- You can toggle between three states when pressing F5 (first person, third person back, third person front), having the addition of 3rd person view from the front.
- Ender Pearls have a unique ability. When thrown, the player will teleport to the Ender Pearl's impact location, but take 2 and 1/2 hearts of fall damage. They will not work in Creative.
- Golden Apples now glow purple in inventory.
- Fences no longer block you from moving onto their space. You can now stand next to them, like you can with glass panes and iron bars.
- They will also connect to solid blocks.
- There is a slight delay between jumps when holding down the jump button, so that the player no longer bounces between ceiling and floor in two-block-high spaces.
- Labels for items have a blue border.
- Random loot chests in Strongholds.
- Blocking now moves the player's arm, rather than the sword just floating right in front of the player.
- Weapon and tool damage has been nerfed to make space for the increased damage enchantments (Diamond swords do 3.5 hearts now instead of 5).
- Some mob health has been changed (Sheep, Spiders, Zombies)
- Many blocks mining speeds have been decreased. This is mostly blocks that used to take a long time to mine.
- Redstone Ore
- Iron Doors
- Wooden Door
- Iron Block
- Gold Block
- Diamond Block
- Stone Brick
- Iron Bars
- Furnace
- Dispenser
- Brewing Stand
- Obsidian (from 15 to 10 seconds)
New Features:
- In the Nether:
- "The End" (unofficially called "The Ender", or "Enderlands"), which replaces the previously announced Sky Dimension.
- End Portals take the player from theOverworld to The End. To go back to the Overworld, one must defeat theEnderdragon and jump through the portal that appears.
- End Portal Frame (Name not confirmed)
- End Portal Block (Name not confirmed)
- Endgame/Credit screen (You can still play your world)
- End Stone
- End Portals take the player from theOverworld to The End. To go back to the Overworld, one must defeat theEnderdragon and jump through the portal that appears.
- New Items:
- Finished Biome code and new Biomes.
- New sound effects,[citation needed] including:
- Changes in already existing sounds:
- A change in the sound of Rain.
- New sounds for Doors.
- New sounds for the Skeletons' walk to make them sound more skeleton-y.
- Bow models now appear in third-person larger and in 3D.
- Bows no longer have an infinite number of uses.
- If water or lava is above a ceiling that is a single block thick, particles of water or lava will drip through, provided you are within 13 blocks of the ceiling.
- 6 New Mobs:
- Enderdragon (Boss Mob)
- Mooshroom Cows.
- NPCs in Villages, as Villager Mobs.
- Snow Golem mob.
- Can be crafted.
- Melts in hot biomes.
- Spreads snow around when it walks.
- Passive, but throws snowballs at enemies.
- At least two new aggressive mobs for the Nether.
- Experience (skills) is now enchantments.
- Each Experience Orb is worth one Score Point.
- Animal Breeding.
- Wheat Bundles feed animals and make them come towards you.
- Feeding animals makes them enter "love mode".
- Hearts will come out of animals while in love mode.
- Breeding will produce Baby Animals. Smaller versions of the parents with large heads that have a faster animation and a higher pitched sound.
- Unlimited Strongholds per map (changed from three).
- New/Improved Armor system.
- Increased armor durability.
- Sun and moon changes:
- Game mechanics changes:
- Hardcore Mode - Locks the difficulty to Hard and forces you to delete your world if you die. The health bar changes appearance to indicate you are playing in Hardcore mode.
- Item Repair
- Potions, Splash Potions, Potion effects,Brewing Stand, and Brewing.
- Enchantment Table, and Enchanting
Just a quick hello to my blog
Yo Fledglings.
TheRussianPigeon here just informing you of my blog.
Stay tuned for video information uploaded regularly and other posts or things that I feel like mentioning.
TheRussianPigeon here just informing you of my blog.
Stay tuned for video information uploaded regularly and other posts or things that I feel like mentioning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)