Finally!

Mojang has finally confirmed the Release Date Month for Minecraft on the Vita, which will be August, the same month that the XBone and PS4 editions will be released on their respective platforms.  It's actually kind of a big deal because of the way that it all works out.  The details of it are as such:

• Minecraft: Playstation 3 + Vita Edition will be available on the PSN in August.
• It will include all the features from the most recent Playstation 3 version, including online play on Vita.
• This means everyone who has bought Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition from PSN will get it on Vita for free. Those fluent in Sony-speak might refer to the deal as “Cross-buy.”
• We are working closely with Sony Computer Entertainment to look into ways to enable upgrade from the Blu-ray disc version of Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition to Minecraft: Playstation 3 and Vita. We’ll have more info on this closer to release.
• Minecraft: Playstation 3 + Vita Edition will cost $19.99.
• It doesn’t matter if you buy for PS3 or Vita first, you own the game for both platforms.
• Saves are transferrable between the Playstation 3 and Vita versions of Minecraft. You will be able to craft at home on your Playstation 3, then continue on the bus/toilet with your Playstation Vita.
• All of the DLC you’ve purchased for Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition will work on Playstation 3 + Vita Edition.

So, basically, the Vita version of Minecraft is the PS3 version, except on the Vita.  I personally think they could have based the game on the PS4 version as, yes, I know it's a very technical game technically, but I don't think it's so much that the Vita could not handle the PS4 version.  However, I suppose the PS3+Vita deal is the sweeter end of it, because of the way the PS4 version is set up.

• Minecraft: Playstation 4 Edition will be released on the PSN in August. It brings significantly bigger worlds and a greater draw distance than Playstation 3 + Vita Edition.
• It will include all the features from the most recent Playstation 3 version.
• Minecraft: Playstation 4 Edition will cost $19.99.
• If you’ve bought Playstation 3 Edition from the Playstation Network you will be able to upgrade for $4.99.
• You will be able to upgrade for a minimum of a year after the release date.
• We are working closely with Sony Computer Entertainment to look into ways to enable upgrade from the Blu-ray disc version of Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition to Minecraft: Playstation 4 Edition. We’ll have more info on this closer to release.
• Players with Playstation 3 Edition or Playstation 3 + Vita Edition saves will be able to import their worlds to Playstation 4. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to transfer your saves from Playstation 4 to Playstation 3/Vita. There are technical reasons for this; we can make worlds bigger without too much stress, but shrinking them causes all kinds of problems.
• Cross-platform play will not be possible between Playstation 3 + Vita Edition and Playstation 4 Edition.
• Many, but not all, of the DLC skins and texture packs you’ve purchased for Playstation 3 Edition will be available for use in Playstation 4 Edition. We’d like to say all your DLC would transfer but some of the items are trapped in licensing deals that are too boring to get into here. We’ll have more on this soon.

So if you buy the PS4 version as an upgrade, you can pull your files over to it, but then they are locked to your PS4 copy of the game since you can't send them back.  Again, I think the Vita version could have been the PS4 version, but then you miss out on the cross-play/Cross-buy with the millions of people (yeah, millions) who have already bought it on PS3.  I'm personally trying to remember if Minecraft has ever been on sale, because if it has and I didn't buy it because I was waiting for the Vita version, I will be momentarily upset with myself, but then recall that "who the hell thought it would be Cross-Buy" was my thinking, and justifiably so.  It's a pretty great move regardless.

In any case, it's goddamn Minecraft on my Vita.  I have literally been waiting for this for years, and it's finally becoming a reality in a scant few months.  I'll finally be able to build shit whenever I want to and enjoy the Lego Box that is the game, when I have completely and totally lacked the ability to do so until now.

Now, here's just hoping that the PS3 version of the game isn't stuck on, like....the Adventure Update.

good lord, that update was a while ago and there's so much more stuff in it and hnnng this is why I'll never be satisfied

Gamescom Was a Nice Little Vita Show After All

A common worry going into Sony's Gamescome Event was that it was going to be an all-PS4 show.  That's not a far-fetched idea, given that the PS4 is the new hotness riding a wave of positive PR thanks to E3 and such, but everyone was hoping that the Vita would see some sort of acknowledgement, and we got that and then some.  We didn't get a sequel to Uncharted:  Golden Abyss announcement (unfortunately, this would've been the perfect time to announce it) or a Gravity Rush 2 announcement (which was always going to be TGS), but we got some good news nonetheless.  News that some people are prodding endlessly with a stick instead of just saying "Yeah, it's good" because we can't all agree on anything ever because why would we, but that's just the way of things.

Between the straight-up price-cut of the Vita itself and the lowered memory card prices, Sony managed to shave a very nice bit of the price off the lovely little portable.  A nice bit more than people actually realize, it seems, because they're not looking at the big picture.  The $50 price-cut of the Vita itself is steep and much nicer to think about, and each tier of the memory cards took a drop.  4 Gig dropped $5, 8 Gig dropped $10 and the 16 and 32 Gigs each dropped $20, meaning you're spending a right comparable amount of money picking up a Vita and a 16 Gig card versus a 3DSXL bundle.  My 3DS XL Bundle, the Animal Crossing one was ~$220 for the system, Animal Crossing (pre-loaded) and a 4 Gig stick (which was less than 4 gigs because Animal Crossing).  If you buy the shiny Walking Dead Vita Bundle for $200 (which comes with a 4 gig stick) and throw down $40 for a 16 gig stick, you have $240 invested in it, 4 times the storage for $20 extra.  Essentially, price parity is pretty nice and if when you throw in Playstation Plus for $50, you get a ridiculous amount of games for a year which makes the value shoot right up.  So yes, you spend a little more, but you get miles more than the money you spend unless you jump in the Wal-Mart deal, spend less and get a shitload of content.

People rail on and on that there's no reason for the proprietary cards and insane prices and, sorry, there is.  It's called the PSP.  Piracy was absolute bananas on the PSP and, unlike the DS, it actively squeezed out and over-shadowed actual purchases for the device, which is not something that Sony wanted a repeat of.  Games just didn't sell, but whenever they released, they were among the most pirated things on all the popular sites out there, so the age-old excuse of "if there were good games I -would- buy them" went right out the damn window.  Hell, Metal Gear Solid:  Peace Walker only sold 52,000 physical copies in America at launch which is ridiculous for a Metal Gear Solid game and especially as good of one as Peace Walker was.  Yet, there were far, far more people that played it than that - it's not like the DS was where a game got 23.34 Million sales (like Mario Kart DS, jesus) and got heavily pirated as well.  That's what I mean when I say that the actual buyers got squeezed out of the equation - the buyers just didn't compare at all to the people just straight-up downloading the games.  So that's why they went a more controlled route this go around.  Because you can't tell me that people would've bought games for a $250 Sony handheld if it was as easy to pirate as the PSP.

There was also the matter of games being announced for it, which is, you know, kind of important.  Borderlands 2 came out of nowhere to see a release on the Vita sometime in 2014, brought to us by Iron Galaxy Studios, the team who developed DiveKick which just released this week.  That...is certainly a get for Sony, and it was alongside several other announcements for the Vita that I will defer to Chance for because I don't want to mine in Joystiq posts and cobble together a bunch of links.  Let's take a look at the list, shall we?

• Age of Zombies (BlitWorks/Halfbrick)
• A-Men 2 (Bloober Team)
• Assault Android Cactus (Witch Beam)
• Avoid Droid (Infinite State Games)
• Broken Sword: the Serpent’s Curse (Revolution Software)
• Eufloria HD (Omni Systems)
• Fez (Polytron Corporation)
• Final Horizon (Eiconic Games)
• Flame Over (Laughing Jackal)
• Gravity Crash Ultra (Just Add Water)
• Gunslugs (Abstraction Games)
• Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Dennaton Games and Devolver Digital)
• Joe Danger 1 (Hello Games)
• Joe Danger 2 (Hello Games)
• Kick & Fennick (Green Hill Studios)
• Minecraft (4J Studios)
• Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games)
• Samurai Gunn (Teknopants)
• Starbound (Chucklefish)
• Supermagical (Tama Games)
• Switch Galaxy Ultra (Atomicom)
• Table Top Racing (Ripstone)
• The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Nicalis)
• Volume (Mike Bithell)
• Wasteland Kings (Vlambeer)

I had to add Minecraft and Starbound, the last of which is almost more impressive than Minecraft, because it's essentially Terraria ins Spaaaaaaaaace (one-half of the original two Terraria developers is making it), it has a ton of content, and there's absolutely no Vita Terraria sales data just yet, meaning it's a blind leap of faith and that's so appreciated.  Granted, all of those are games that are classified as "Indie", but as we've come to learn, that doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot in the grand scheme of things.  The prime gradient here is content and Minecraft, Terraria and Starbound at the very least are going to have those in spades, not to mention Rogue Legacy and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.  Those are just the games that I know a little about.  As you can see, there are a hell of a lot of other games on that list, and that's probably not even a complete list.  And this is all before TGS.  And before the PS4 launches and does Remote Play like a champ.

Yeah.  The Vita's gonna be just fine.

Minecraft Vita is a Thing That is Happening

I...honestly never thought this was going to happen.  Truly.

A PS4 version of the game?  That was always in the cards.  It was inevitable.  A foregone conclusion.  Maybe a PS3 version.  That was definitely within the realm of possibility.  But a Vita version seemed so perfect, so good that it was not to be a reality.  A portable version of the game that wasn't the stripped-down Mobile version whose last big update was like, beds, which have been around for almost a year at that point?  It would be the stuff of legends.  And a PS4 version always meant that you -could- Minecraft on the go via Remote Play, but it would never be the same thing as, for one, you would have to have a reliable internet connection that wasn't 3G, which is sort of -not- something you can rely on.  It would have been better than nothing, but it never would have been a proper Vita version of Minecraft.

And to be fair, I may be jumping the gun here.  All that we know is that Minecraft in some iteration will be on the PS4, the PS3 and the Vita, but word of versions, builds or anything like that is just not present currently.  One could reason that the PS3 version will simply be the 360 version with the updates its received by now (and by the PS3 launch) baked in, and that the PS4 version will basically be the already announced XBox One Edition (which will basically just have bigger worlds, though likely not infinite, and just run smoother and such), but where does that leave the Vita version?  Given how similar architecture apparently is between the PS3 and Vita (though friendlier than the PS3 by a wide margin), it should be a simple enough matter to simply make the Vita version the PS3 one with the necessary tweaks and whatnot, or maybe even just cut down the PS4 version a bit since the PS4 and Vita are apparently a lot alike as well.  But I am ever the cynic here and this is something that I have yearned for, so I have to assume that there is a catch of some sort.

As we know there is a mobile version of the game for cellphones.  And as we know, there is that whole Playstation Mobile thing on the Vita (and other things) that a lot of people (rightly) care about because it's a very small barrier of entry.  What worries me here, clearly, is that the version of Minecraft that the Vita gets will be the heavily neglected Pocket Edition (as it's actually called) instead of...you know, a proper version.  Because that would still technically be Minecraft on the Vita and it would simultaneously be the biggest dickpunch and misdirection in recent memory for me at least.  Okay, maybe not the biggest, but a pretty big one.  On the one hand, I don't think it's possible because nobody really considers the Pocket Edition a proper version yet, but on the other hand, it's easy, and Playstation Mobile is right there and people -are- trying to push it at the same time as everything else.  This is clearly not the way you want to push it, and I'm fairly certain that the folks in charge understand that (because Shahid is awesome) but it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility.

Still, it's better to dream when you can, and I've been dreaming about Minecraft on my Vita forever since it just makes sense to have a giant sandbox building playground on something that you'll want to have on you all the time.  So it just makes sense to have it be a proper version that you'll want to sink your teeth into and build dramatic things, and especially because the Vita is a proper power machine in its own right.  It just makes -sense- to give it a version comparable to the ones on Consoles, but I just can't believe whole-heartedly.  Terraria was announced for the Vita to my surprise and wonderment and I haven't heard word one of that lately, yet not too long after that announcement was one for Terraria Mobile for Cellphones which I'm hoping is purely coincidental.  As stated, however, that's just the cynic in me speaking and I highly doubt that -both- building games that I wanted will end up being some incarnation that I won't want to touch with a ten foot pole.  I choose to believe it won't work out that way because that way just doesn't make sense.

oh yeah, a bunch of other stuff got announced too, but I will talk about that later

Terraria on Vita Can't Come Fast Enough

Today, I finally got to wrap my hands around a 360 controller as Minecraft for the mentioned system was loaded up and, indeed, I actually played it, which is something that, before today, I had not done.  Being a creative mode game that was already loaded up, I did the only thing that you do in Creative - I built.  At first, I was frozen with the possibilities; after all, this is a game where literally everything that is grand and wondrous has been made, basically, and anything you can do will hardly pale in comparison.  Yet, we try anyway because the thrill is there no matter what, and eventually I settled on making what everyone more or less ends up making first.

I made a house. 

Rather, I constructed a house.  The semantics, I'm glad to say, are more about the amount of pride used rather than the logistics of it.  I didn't just throw up four walls and smash a door in.  No, I laid down a framework of pillars and built walls in between.  I carved out beneath them and laid down a stone foundation surrounding those walls.  I slammed wooden floors in place.  I created a floor rug with colored wool.  And then I threw down stairs for a second floor and basement both.  I furnished the place.  Without so much as a floor plan, without so much as a preconceived notion of just what this thing was going to look like, I had already put together something quite nice, especially for a first effort.

And then I worked on the second floor.  I extended it out a single block around the edge of the first floor and hopped down, adding supports at the four corners, using fence posts that dropped down to a single wooden block.  Then those wooden blocks were supplemented with stairs that served as a sort of 'trim' to add depth to the facade as they covered the entire bottom layer of the outside of the house.  A set of wooden logs surrounded the front doors to create a 'frame' while also adding depth.  Then, building up the new walls of the new floor, I separated it into the 'landing' from the stairs and a nice bedroom within which I used half-slabs to create nice varieties in height, building up to a focal point where the beds went.  It was about this time that my 360 time was cut short and while I was nowhere near complete, I still held something of satisfaction.

I'm not done, however.  I cannot physically finish that house now, nor can I begin the project anew here, being that I don't own a copy of the game, nor the means with which I can actually play it.  I have an urge to create, to construct, yet no outlet with which to do so other than LittleBigPlanet which I can't get back into at the moment because Soul Sacrifice drops Tuesday and I'm going to play that thing.  It's not quite the same either.  Nor is my other outlet, Terraria, but it will be something different enough, new enough, that I should be able to play with it whenever it comes out.  That's the rub, however, the 'whenever' is not Tuesday, nor next Tuesday, nor the Tuesday following.  And, essentially, I need it now, not then.  My urge to construct will have to take a backseat to my urge to destroy, to cast spells, to fell monsters and that's something that I'm generally fine with.

Still, I really want to play Terraria.  I want to build a house.  I want to find a snow-covered area and build an igloo.  Then I want to build a -riduclous- igloo.  It will please me.  Especially since the game is coming out during the summer and it'll be nice to think cool thoughts.  As in thoughts involving cool and/or cold things.  Not things that are awesome and neat.  Well..that too, but you get my point.

please, Mojang, let 4J port Minecraft to the friggin' Vita, I will love you forever with 20 of my US dollars

Ohhhh, Makes Sense

So, while I have clearly had sort of an up-and-down couple of weeks as you've no doubt noticed by now, it's all been on the up for the last couple of days, yet I found that I was dreadfully tired yesterday (aside from a few hours when the Drakengard 3 semi-announcement made me so excited I nearly ran around the house cheering) and today (despite still being happy and also excited about Drakengard 3) even though I got a rather good bit of sleep last night.  You would think that I would be rather alert today, rather willing and able to do just about whatever, up to and including writing a rousing post tonight.  Yet, despite there being little bits of news, nothing too big, unfortunately, it was a bit of a hassle to actually sit down and attempt to think.  It's a bit worrying, really.

Then I realized something as I started feeling a bit off tonight.  Next week is the week in which Spring officially begins.  As long-time readers of mine would know, I hate Spring.  This is something that is well-documented.  The only reason that I hate it is because it's a time of ever-changing environments and allergies and unbearable heat, all of which conspire to make me as miserable and sickish as possible.  I'm not being the slightest bit unreasonable, I think.  We had our first bit of Spring weather this weekend, with temperatures 30 degrees higher than what the norm had been for the last month....which then dissolved right back into the normal temperatures.  With snow.  That's what's got me feeling icky currently - the drastic change between hot and cold, and that's something that'll just keep happening.  It's unfortunate, really.

Yet, in the spirit of trying to keep things moving, let's talk a little shop here.  As stated, there are a few bits of mini-news out there, so let's have an impromptu News Dump and see if any of it particularly interests you.

The first thing that is something that is of-note is that Minecraft is actually getting a disc-release...on XBox 360.  Of the XBLA version.  Which is multitudes of versions behind the actual PC version.  Yet it's still the only console version of the game and being that it'll be the same price as the digital version ($20), it is nice to have that option.  As someone who actually desires physical releases for my own convenience, my first instinct was "Yes, I might just buy this for when I buy myself a cheap 360" (or, in the unlikely event that the NeXtBox is fully backwards compatible), but then I went "Why?"  And it was actually kind of a horrifying moment.  I realized that Minecraft is one of those titles that you more or less -have- to have access to all the time, as in the downloadable version, since who knows when the desire to play will hit.  So I might even personally skip on this one for the inevitable day when I actually friggin' buy the PC version for my laptop that I swear I will someday own.  Or maybe other dreams will come true, and I'll be able to someday play a Vita version.

In news that is surprising everyone, I guess, the Vita Out-sold everything in Japan last week thanks in part to the release of Soul Sacrifice which sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 115,000+ copies (spread out across the stand-alone copy, the hardware bundle and the Double-Pack to spur the multiplayer-focus) which -technically- means it sold more than Hatsune Miku:  Project Diva F for PS3, the top-selling game on the list.  The gulf between the Vita sales and 3DS sales is a small one, around 2,500 units, but it's still damn impressive considering the 3DS and 3DS XL are counted as a single unit for sales.  The gulf between the Vita and the Wii U (mentioned because they are the two newest consoles out there, what don't you understand about that, Joystiq commentators) is considerable larger, however, with the Vita outselling it by a hefty 54,000 units and the gulf between the Vita and the 360 (the worst-selling console there) is hilarious considering the 360 managed to sell 738 units total.  Still, all in all, it's a great sign.  A lot of the sentiment seems to be "hurr durr, well it finally got a game" which is shamefully stupid as we know, but Soul Sacrifice looks pretty great, so it likely spurred a lot of purchases with that regardless.

Finally, the two bits of REVENGEANCE DLC that we know about now have a release window.  Sometime in April, we'll be able to buy the Jetstream Sam and Blade Wolf DLC packs which will, unsurprisingly, allow you to play as Jetstream Sam and Blade Wolf.  Both of them will have their own settings and such, telling expanded stories about the respective characters.  From the way it reads both packs will be $7, as in $7 individually which isn't bad at all.  Blade Wolf, at the very least, probably has to have an entirely different moveset and playstyle, and with both packs ensuring there will be hours of playtime there (likely dozens in replayability alone) there's an obvious value to it.  As someone who really liked REVENGEANCE and wants to funnel as much money into it as possible to increase the chances of a sequel, I know I'll be picking them up.  If they can bring in David Hayter to voice the "Soul of Snake" Sword DLC, I'll buy the hell out of that as well.

There's other little bits of info strewn about the internet and I might talk of them on another night, but that's good enough for tonight.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just be over here ticking off the days til Fall.  Obsessively.

Let's Talk About Minecraft - Nether Edition

The other night when I ranted about Minecraft, I mentioned the Nether in passing, but since I have been watching a -lot- of Minecraft videos, it's still been on my mind, so I wanted to go into that with a little more detail since it honestly is a rather big point.  And with this form, talking specifically on this one point, I can give all the detail I could possibly want, which is a -lot- since it is just so much nit-picking here that is to be done.  Nit-picking like you have never -seen- before.  Well, you have if you've read my other posts where I nit-pick but that is entirely beside the point - the point is that the Nether, as it is, even with the update it got with the Adventure Update, is still so much unfulfilled potential.  It's an in-between thing where the two sides are 'good idea' and 'why is this here, again?'.  Though it does, as you'll see me point out, heavily lean towards the latter point with pretty much everything it involves, but not -exactly- since everything in it leans to the former conceptually at least.

The Nether, when it started, was meant to be this Hellish landscape that offered two things to the player:  A new area to explore, theoretically, and a way to 'fast-travel', as time and space is fairly different in the Nether.  Every one Nether Block is the equivalent of 8 blocks in the overworld, so a short jaunt in the Nether translates into a rather long walk in the Over world, and an epic journey in the Nether sends you out into what might as well be the other side of the Minecraft 'world' in the Overworld.  Whether you want to connect your far-apart bases in a slightly shorter way, or use the Nether to branch out and -make- faraway bases (to generate new chunks, most likely), the Nether serves that purpose and it does it fairly well.  This is basically the only thing the Nether does fairly well, with the only other thing being "being completely too dangerous to the player".  Which doesn't increase the challenge, so much as it rewards your patronage with burning, item-destroying death.

I mean that, of course, as exactly how I said it.  If you hadn't noticed in the screenshot at the top, the Nether is an unforgiving place full of lava and fire and by that merit, fiery death.  And, if you're not in the know about Fire in Minecraft, well here is the thing:  Anything in item form (as in, when your items drop from you upon death) touched by fire will instantly disappear forever.  So say you get hit by a fireball from a Ghast who shoot them from the sky, die, and your items pop out in the crater that is about you.  Any of those items that hit fire created by said fireball are gone and you're just screwed in terms of regaining them if and when you can return to that spot in the time allotted.  It's meant to be abrasive so that you don't actually want to stay; simply use it as a shortcut for the overworld.  Apparently it was er....'inspired' by the Wheel of Time series which has a similar thing full of danger, but good for fast travel.

Since it was implemented in the game proper, only one real big improvement has been made to it, which is the inclusion of Nether Fortresses. the things that generally house the other new bits added to the Nether on the Adventure side of the Adventure Update:  Nether Wart and Blaze Rods, both things used in potion-making.  This is sort of when it starts undermining the entire reason that it existed in the first place, since you made this -thing-, this dimension, that exists solely as a way for you to get from Point A to Point B in a faster way, and then also added things that you have to explore to find, negating any sense of 'urgency' that might have been created.  It creates a muddled message, which when there is very little that is specifically stated to begin with, is a rather dangerous thing.  Now, when you spawn into the Nether, not only do you really not know what to do (much like with the game proper, which basically simply instructs you to explore, destroy and create in that order), applying the same rules could end poorly as you might suspect, and without knowing otherwise, these are the only rules that you will probably apply.

With the message going both ways, the thing you want to do is clear it up one way or another.  If the message is that you don't want to be in the Nether unless you have to be, then add some urgency.  Put the amount of time you can spend in the Nether on a timer and bring the exploration stuff from the Nether to the regular world.  Make portals one-way so that you -have- to go in and establish another one to get out as, making the player work to get out will make them remember it, to not want to repeat the exercise.  This might complicate the fast-travel message in a sense, but no more than it already has been.  If the message is that you are supposed to explore the Nether, then give the Nether more that is worth exploring for.  As a means of offering you something, anything, to look at, the Nether Fortresses do the bare minimum, offering empty rooms and hallways with the very, very slight chance of having stairways that also house Soul Sand and naturally growing Nether Wart and, on even slimmer occasions, a Blaze spawner.

Beyond those things, all the Nether offers is a paltry sum of blocks that barely breaks the double-digits, and only thanks to the Adventure Update for that matter.  Netherrack, Soul Sand, Nether Brick (In fence and stair form, as well as block) and Glow Stone are the only unique blocks, with only Soul Sand and Glow Stone serving purposes beyond the cosmetic.  This is a realm that you are apparently expected to explore around in and it, at present, completely lacks things that incentivize your exploration.  Mods are already in place to fix this, most notably with the "Nether Ore" mod that adds Ore blocks for you to search for and mine in the Nether, but Mods should never be taken into account for a game's whole itself, no matter how mod-friendly the game is or appears to be.  You have to be able to point out what it offers at its basest level, what everyone has access to without anything extra, so it's something you can speak of in broad strokes.

Something that I think the Nether lacks in this same train of thought is sustainability; regardless of the newer intent for exploration, the original message of "You do not want to be here" lingers on, as the realm offers absolutely no means of survivability on its own.  You cannot have water in the Nether.  Trees do not spawn naturally in the Nether, so you have no wood with which to make tools.  There is no way to gain iron to create a flint and steel in case your portal gets shut off.  Think the realm is frustrating on its own merits?  Try and spend half an hour or better searching for a Nether Fortress, finally find it, manage to gather Blaze Rods and Nether Wart and Soul Sand, get back to your portal and have a ghast ruin it with a fireball.  Most will call you an idiot for not bringing flint and steel into the Nether to begin with, but if you are simply intending on going from Point A to Point B, there is a chance that you might just not bring one and then get sidetracked with a fortress or something similar.  In mechanical matters, it's usually hard to blame the player, is what I'm getting at here.

An easy solution would be to...well, simply add what is lacking.  Trees.  Some form of water.  Things to mine for.  Honestly, just taking about half the blocks that exist already and making "Nether" versions of them is the lazy solution, but is definitely one that works.  Beyond that, the issue of Zombie Pigmen constantly wandering the sprawling expanse of nothingness still needs to be addressed as well.  Which....would honestly be best served by taking the Village templates that exist and making them work for the Nether and for the Pigmen.  This is not really things that are all out there in the thought process.  I don't think this is something I should have to present down as an idea, a theory, instead of something that is actually in the game proper.  But as is, the Nether is just a waste - some more things in it (as I have said with Minecraft in general) could do so much to fix that up.  With any luck, there will be some thought given to the Nether and soon.  We're on the road to 1.4 after all.

Let's Talk About Minecraft - My Thoughts on Progress

With the recent news that Minecraft on PC has sold seven million copies, it seems like that's the perfect jumping-off point to do a little reflecting on Minecraft's success versus its progress.  I think when I type that last sentence, there's a reflexive tensing that goes on out there for certain people who may be a little in-the-know about the game, since I'm sure you kinda get what's coming.  Honestly appraising the amount of hard content in Minecraft is a hard task since the numbers simply don't add up to the dedication, the loyalty and, most importantly, the amount of money that's been drawn by it and, at its worst, you'll get the people with that dedication and loyalty that will argue to the ends of the Earth that what is there is all it needs, even though the game is known to be in a state of ever-continuing-updates until Jeb burns out or something.  More level-headed people, I think, will understand the logic behind the numbers and get where I'm coming from when I get into it here.

From my perspective, where Minecraft is at now, including the latest version of it (actual version 1.31, not the snapshot), it's simply not a full game yet.  Before knees start jerking and this and that, I should clarify that 'being full' and 'being good' are not the same thing, so where I say I think it's not a full game, that is not to say that I think it's a bad thing.  I feel like I have to throw that down as a disclaimer so as to not incur any wrath which is honestly kind of disheartening.  It's just that I have found between now and when it released that I've sort of flipped my judgment on it being a 'full' game.  Maybe it's because I've seen the amount of post-release support and while it's been great, it's not been -really- great, or maybe it's just because a little bit of the luster has been lost.  Or maybe I'm just thinking more rationally about the game now.  For whatever reason, I take a look at the release version patch notes and I'm just tearing my hair out at what it has listed and just how little has shifted from then and now.

Any other game that launched, fully released, as Minecraft did in the state that Minecraft was in, would be crucified by reviewers and the like, even if it had the complex and satisfying world-building possibilities of Minecraft.  NPCs were in the game simply to be there and have served exactly zero purpose until the latest update where they gained the ability to trade with the player and breed, though whether or not they can establish their own houses for the new people created is not something I know.  These are -the only- other NPCs in the game, these Testificates (which were originally a place-holder.  They are now official unless they get a change.) and from release to now, eight months later, they did nothing.  The player could not interact with them in any way aside from stealing things from their village (with no repercussions) and killing them (again, with no repercussions) and that mostly remains still.  The latest snapshot has added the ability for Testificates to like or dislike you depending on how you treat them, but snapshots are purely optional until they are fully-fledged updates, and thus do not count.  Especially since 1.4 is likely months off yet since 1.3 has just released.

This version of the game was also the one that introduced "The End" realm which consists of a sponge texture, some pillars with things that support the Enderdragon, said Enderdragon and Endermen.  It is a boss realm, pure and simple, and has barely any thought past that.  You can find the fabled Enderdragon Egg after defeating the dragon and collect it by using overcomplicated matters (since just breaking it to pick it up like any other block would be insanity) and then put it in your house as a trophy, maybe, but that's about it.  Or you can farm Ender Pearls which more or less cease to have a purpose after you have found the stronghold in your world, i.e. where the portal to The End is, which means that yes, you have easy access to the thing you need for the portal after you have found and turned the portal on.  In the eight months between now and the release of the game when it was added in, there has been absolutely nothing done with it, so it exists in the exact same state as it did back then, which is to say a state that seems a little too under-done, especially for another realm that is in the game itself.

Of course, that is not a new thing, since the Nether realm went so long without serving a concrete purpose other than "fast travel" which is trumped by minecart systems any day, what with the lack of ghasts in the overworld.  Only with the release version did the Nether get anything resembling a purpose with Nether Wart (used for potion-making, also added in release) and Nether Fortresses which are giant, empty Nether castles that have Blaze spawners in them if you're lucky.  Which is subjective, of course, since Blazes, as an enemy type, are kind of awful, since they can fly around an area known for very high places that end in dips in vast lava oceans, meaning they're hard to harvest from, and can set you at fire.  And will.  Several times.  It is worth noting that, at release, netherwart could only be grown in the Nether, thus giving you a reason to stay there.  Since then, the latest release has taken that away, so reasons to care about the Nether has once again been taken down a notch.  Yes, you still have to find them there initially, but that's about it.  The Nether, as it remains, is kind of a perfect statement of the game, since it has potential, but nearly nothing is being done with it.

I -should- state that I'm not one of these people who are knocking what -does- get released because it's not what they -think- should be released, the "Why are there -cats- in the game, they serve no purpose!" crowd.  Oh no, I think that everything that has made it in deserves to be in, I just think that it's not enough and has been entirely too staggered and short-sighted.  For instance, you can write in books now in the current version of the game.  In a game where bookshelves exist.  So where do you store these written-in-books?  Storage chests, of course.  Giving an item that requires three tiers of creation (Sugar Cane to paper, paper/leather to books, books/wooden planks to bookshelves) to make a purpose beyond making sure enchantments done at a table smack-dab in the middle of a mess of them is too much to ask for, apparently.  Which seems, yes, like I am just whinging and being a dick, but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from - I just think there needs to be a little more purpose added as well as more things.

I could go on and on about all this stuff and I might some day, but for now, I honestly think that's enough.  I've probably ruffled enough feathers as it is, and that's while just really scratching the surface of what I consider to be the 'issues' the game has currently.  I have to stress, again, that I don't dislike the game, nor think it's bad, but I think there are some fundamental oversights that have either only now, eight months later, been attended to, or are still so far off that we don't even know.  I understand that it's basically just Jeb working on the game currently and he's doing a good job for what he's got to work with.  A great job, even.  But that's not an excuse, nor is it okay for Minecraft when it would be horrible for any other single game out there.  I'm honestly not saying something that outlandish when I say that the game needs more.  Here's hoping that it gets that and that the non-PC versions of the game start getting treated a little better, since the XBLA version is still in Beta, and the Pocket edition is literally like two years ago Alpha.  This is not how you do games, no matter who you are or what you've made.

Let's Talk About Minecraft - XBLA Release Edition

I've said it a few times before and I'll probably say it again, but I've been fairly eagerly awaiting news on the XBLA version of Minecraft, as while I still don't own a 360, I based my hopes on -a- console version meaning that there could be -more-, and I still stand by that, no matter what Mojang says.  I'll cling to my hopes, damnit, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!  Now while the game has not officially launched, it's close enough - so much so that there are already people with the game (obtained via gift codes, legally mind you) and youtube accounts to show off for we unwashed masses.  One such example of this is ChimneySwift11, a fairly well-known Minecrafter, who already has five episodes (of this writing) of a little mini-series of Minecraft for XBLA appropriately titled "Minecraft on XBox" (Linked to the first episode since the show-list doesn't seem to be up yet).  In fact at this point, it's pretty much my only exposure to the XBLA version of the game and it's....a bit worrying honestly.

First of all, the big thing which is big enough to me to be the elephant in the room, is that the game is actually not based on the Release Version of the game.  I kind of understand this, since it was really started before the Release Version came out, but....at the same time, if you base a version of a game on anything, it should be the version that is officially a real not-beta, not-alpha game.  That's just kind of basic theory here, so I would imagine that the whole point would be to hold off porting the game until said Release Version was portable but that's why I'm just writing about games, I guess, instead of making them.  Anyways, the reason why it's a big deal is just that - It's a pretty damn big deal since the game was based off the Beta 1.6.6 version of Minecraft which was far before a lot of the 'integral' game mechanic parts came into play.  Namely a hunger bar, Enchanting, and Potion-Making.  I'm....not quite sure, even, if The End realm was in 1.6.6, but I doubt it, and I highly doubt that it was added to the XBLA version as, you'll notice, I said "based off".  Minecraft XBLA, at this point, does carry some changes and some improvements (such as the quick-shift from chests to inventory and vice versa), but by-and-large, it seems like a Beta build of the game.

This pretty much further compounds the "Is Minecraft really a game" debate as, with the release version of the game that had this and that, The End Realm, a 'boss' and a credit roll ending, the answer could pretty much be swayed in favor of saying "Yes".  There was 'depth' in the form of gaining experience that was then used to Enchant Items to your whims, as well as the potion-making that could be used to add further strategy to your playstyle, and while the NPCs did absolutely nothing, they still existed.  It skirted lines, but from the 'crossed' side of them, whereas before that, before the Adventure Update and the additions in the Release Version, solid arguments could be made for the side that said "No", and as someone who sees the XBLA version in the wake of the current version, I'm inclined to agree, as it's basically like seeing into the future from what was and seeing not only what doesn't exist in Minecraft XBLA, but what -still- doesn't exist in the base version of the game for PC.

What Minecraft really needs, and what it's been getting very, very slowly, is quite simply:  More.  More what?  More everything.  More mobs, more blocks, more biomes, more NPCs, more interaction, more recipes, just more things.  I hate to draw the comparison to the game that got compared to it a lot at release, but, Terraria released with more content in the form of unique blocks and items than Minecraft has even -now-, or if not more, then close.  Regardless, it received a lot of post-release support (which has unfortunately dried up due to the two dudes splitting up) which infused even more -things- into the game, yet managed to leave stones unturned.  (which is why I say unfortunately, since there seem to be a lot of unfulfilled developer promises involved)  There are just now more than 20 mobs in Minecraft, both passive and unfriendly (Zombie, Skeleton, Spider, Creeper, Slime, Silverfish, Cave Spiders, Endermen, Ghast, Blaze, Magma Slime, Zombie Pigmen, Pigs, Sheep, Chickens, Cows, Squids, Wolves, Ocelots, Testificates, Iron Golems, Snow Golems, Ender Dragon), and the last new mineral to be added to the game was Lapis Lazuli, which was a while ago and remains fairly useless, despite Minerals being a fairly untapped resource for the game.  (Pardon the pun)

The point I'm trying to hammer in here is that the Minecraft of now on PC doesn't have a whole lot of what it really needs, and the Minecraft of now on XBLA has drastically less than the PC version.  I don't know the full extent of what it lacks, as I've stated a couple times, but I can tell right now that it is in a big way.  And while there are apparently plans in place for fast and plentiful updates for the XBLA version, it's already entirely too far behind.  Especially with the way in which Minecraft has been updating lately, however unofficial it may be.  I'm talking about the Snapshots, of course, which are basically "the update thus far, or what works of it" that get released every week as an optional download from the main site, adding a few new things with each one, which can be big or little.  It's mainly used for testing those updates on a broad scale before the next full update includes the sum of them.  Thus, as examples of Snapshot additions, the books within which you can write from the last snapshot and the cocoa plants from the next (or one of the next) will all be in the game proper when the next official update drops, provided they don't break the game entirely.  Unless the next update (or the one after, depending on the actual time between them) for the XBLA version can match parity with the official release version of Minecraft on PC currently, it'll always be a game of catch-up and, depending on when and how that content gets added could be an additional problem.

I guess a little of the green in my eyes has been taken away by seeing how this has gone down, as I honestly can't think of Minecraft in the context of how it was back in 1.6.6 anymore, in terms of things to build or experiences to be had.  I can hardly say that it's the same game and it doesn't really matter, even, since it's....quite different and in ways that are quantifiable and large.  Still Minecraft as a basis is tantalizing for me who has nothing of it.  I'm sure if my only option was to buy a computer for Minecraft or be able to play a rather old version of it on something I own (particularly my Vita), I would opt for the latter and happily so, but that option isn't before me, so it's a little easier to say I'm not too interested in the XBLA version of the game.  Regardless, I'll be taking a look at it to see just how easily it comes to parity with the PC version, or if it really ever does.  Certainly something to watch.

My Games of 2011, The Games That Weren't My Games

Much like last year, there were several games that, while noteworthy, I simply didn't get into playing them for one reason or another.  Some because I didn't want to, some because I didn't get to, and some because I just didn't have the funds to justify getting it.  Luckily(?) this year I didn't really have any games that I just didn't get around to playing by some miraculous glut of purchases, so that's honestly one less section that I have to put in, however there's really only two sections that the games for this year to fit into for me.

No Ability

Terraria

I actually keep forgetting about Terraria in every fashion for a multitude of reasons.  It's a PC-Exclusive game that will most likely remain that way, it seems like it's either completely entrenching one moment or completely off-putting another, and I actually own it, technically, but I can't play it because my PC is terrible and has no shaders to speak of in the graphic cards or something.  I know, really authorative on PC gaming specs, right?  Anyways, I got myself a Steam Profile a ways back as almost a cruel joke for myself since I'm not fooling anybody; I can't run shit on this machine.  And shortly after that, I was handed a copy of Terraria and it was going to be fun times because I mean, look at Terraria, it doesn't need -shit- to run, right?  Wrong.  It needs more than I have, which means it's....well, completely untouchable to me for now.

It's unfortunate as, like I said, at times Terraria looks like the kind of game I personally would sink -hours- of my life into when in the right mood, as, despite the lack of 3D space to work with, Terraria compensates by having a lot of 'fluff' items to decorate with.  Dummies that you can put full suits of armor on for display, statues, varied pieces of furniture, etc. the possibilities are already numerous and growing more and more with every update.  It's out-paced Minecraft in that department by quite a bit already and has the added benefit of, well, being more of a game than Minecraft unfortunately.  While I'm not one to needlessly compare the games, as the internet seems wont to do, there are striking similarities and in brutal honesty, Terraria is a more realized game and feels like it's actually past release.  It has actual NPCs rather than placeholders, actual boss fights, plural, rather than only one, and definite 'post-game' content that shapes the world around your character and their designs.

However at the same time as the above, there is only so much that you can do with a single plane of input.  (Well, two as there's a background layer for walls)  You can make things that look kind of neat, you can make overly elaborate towers and tall buildings to compensate for the single plane and....that's about it.  There's not really the expansive feel that you get with 3D terrain.  I mean just look at this video of a series called "Medieval Minecrafting" in which one DurandalofAegis proceeds to make a gigantic castle in Minecraft.  There's a real feel of scale that I really don't think you can recreate in a solely 2D environment.  Maybe I'll get proven wrong, and there is obviously merit alone to Terraria itself, merit that I would've loved to explore personally, but I just couldn't.

Star Wars:  The Old Republic

Another PC offering (as will likely all the 'no ability' games be), The Old Republic and the upcoming Phantasy Star Online 2 caused me to really really consider my position on MMOs because they are both games that I would really like to play.  I'm just not sure -how much- though, as I wouldn't want to pay for the privilege of playing the game I bought with other monies, and that's really a stance I'm not planning on wavering on.  We'll see if that stands when I actually have a computer that could play either game, as I suspect I might buckle under the weight of being able to play something with my Li'l Sis (TOR) or being able to play a PSO game online for the first time after missing out all those years ago on Dreamcast.  All venues that I would consider listening to suggest that TOR is actually something to keep an eye on and to play and, most importantly, enjoy, but I am not really the best judge of these things.  Still, after great enjoyment with the Knights of the Old Republic games, it would be nice to give TOR the ol' college try.

Minecraft

Still.  Goddamnit.

No Hurry

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

While it may be considered blasphemy in some places, I don't think Skyrim would have placed very high on my GotY list even if I had played it.  Regardless, I didn't and the reasoning is quite simple:  There's no need to buy Bethesda games at launch.  I have made this point again and again and will continue to make it until it proves to be mis-truth.  The games are generally riddled with bugs that may or may not render some future additions completely untouchable if not just generally hamper your experience, and they will invariably always get some form of expansion packs that are then bundled in when the game goes "Game of the Year Edition" the following year.  And all the reasons to play it, the expansive maps, the stories, but main and side, and the actual experience of the gameplay?  Those will all still be there when you pick up the game a year down the line at a discount with content that people had to shell out half the games value to get additionally.

Regardless, I find it hard to be anything more than a little charmed with the openness and such of Bethesda worlds that so entrench others.  I have fond memories of Morrowind and Oblivion, but they're only of dicking around which you could generally do in most games.  While the specifics might be exclusive to these games, the general vibe is not, nor can it be, so it' not something to really tout.  For instance, the most fun I had with Morrowind was getting it on PC, using the glitch that let you make spells that would permanently buff your stats to make a super dude and then going around and assassinating the guards of the land with shurikens until 1) I died or 2) the game crashed.  Similarly in Oblivion, I had a lot of fun just killing people to throw them into rivers and the like and specifically causing trouble in the district of the Imperial City where the Thieves Guild meets for initiation; hopping up on those rooftops and taunting guards and civilians that happen to be annoyed at you while they just stare at you in impotent rage, it's a pretty good feeling.  Yet not feelings specifically found only in Bethesda games.

Portal 2

I hate to do it, but I gotta be that guy.  I didn't really care for Portal which is no doubt partly caused by the overexposure I and the rest of the internet was subjected to after its massive success.  I gave it a try, played until I couldn't, which meant I didn't beat it, and just couldn't be bothered to care.  Even when I saw the rest of the game via two different Let's Plays I couldn't care.  I realize that's just my own personal thing here and no representative of popular opinion or of even an opinion that you should have, but I can't really lie about it.  And as far as I can tell, Portal 2 promised from day one to be more of the same but bigger and 'better', so I basically just had to write it off to a later date.  I'll give it a try just like the first Portal and since the internet hasn't exploded with memes from the game, hopefully I'll be able to enjoy it a bit more.

Batman:  Arkham City

Much like Portal 2 being more of the same of Portal 1, Arkham City had been described as more of the same of Asylum but, again bigger and 'better' which...just isn't very appealing to me.  I didn't dislike Arkham Asylum, but when I beat it I was very much done with it.  I had done the bulk of the side stuff already, so when the game dumped me back into it after the final boss fight, I could only walk around for a little bit before I shrugged and moved on.  I can't tell what it is, but Arkham Asylum was just one of those games that, while I was playing it, it was awesome and I couldn't get enough until I was finished, and then when I was finished, I just couldn't be bothered to have anything more to do with it, as I said.  It wasn't like the combat wasn't great - it was.  It wasn't like the characters, the acting weren't wonderful and nostalgic - they were.  It just was not a game made with replayability in mind to me, which is a bit rough considering one of the two(?) trophies I had left was to play the game through again on hard.

Like the rest of them, I'll play Arkham City one day.  That day is just undetermined and very much in the future.

And finally one last game that wasn't my game of the year and I'm going to give it its own section.

Don't Hate Me, Chance

Dark Souls

I assure you there is a very, very simple reason for why I didn't play Dark Souls this year, nor will I for a while yet:  I haven't played Demon's Souls yet.  I know I was talking about starting that up months ago, going so far as to even plan out my character far in advance, but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Other games take priority over one that's going to stab me repeatedly in the throat while I am learning its ways, I'm afraid, and me being weird as I am, I can't let myself play the sequel before the original even if they have nothing to do with one another.  It's just not a thing I can do, and I would suggest that I suffer for that as others might suggest as well.  While I am assured that Dark Souls is a very good game, I have only been able to muster a wary eye towards it, wanting to know of its ways, yet not wanting to be spoiled on too much of it.  I want just that right amount of preparedness for when I step into its world that I might learn the hard knocks without suffering the easy ones as well.

While there's a few other games that could make this list, these are pretty much the note-worthy games here.  There's really no ill will towards any of them, just not any particularly high level of excitement, either.  And if we know one thing about me it's that that's what I crave:  games that excite me.  Whether it be for the concept alone (Lollipop Chainsaw) or the promise of something I already like, but refined (Like, every sequel this past year that I played), I have to feel something for the game before I want to exchange currency to hold it in my hands.  It'll be a dark day indeed if I lose that feeling, but I really, really doubt that day will ever come, which is something to be quite thankful for.

A Look Ahead - ForgeQuest

I guess I've become more entranced with this whole Indie Games thing than I'd ever anticipated since I tend to really not pay attention to such things (as a lot of 'Indie' things at this point are Straight iOS/Cellphone projects which hold no interest with me) yet it seems every few months I'm here talking about another one.  Minecraft, Project Zomboid, the Zeboyd games, etc.  I'm running with the theme that this is, well, a good thing of course, as the Indie philosophy (when unspoiled) is that someone has a creative idea and the drive to see it brought to life which is something to be respected.  All the better when their project actually looks like something that is pretty neat which is what ForgeCraft does; precisely why I felt a bit compelled to write about it after checking it out some.

It's all thanks to Siliconera that I have something to talk about in this project since "A 2D Zelda-Like Project in an Open World" is honestly one of the more eye-catching titles one could hope for, though at first I was a little skeptical that it was truly 'Zelda-like' aside from the isometric scope.  Comparisons could more than suitably be drawn to 3D Dot Game Heroes based on the voxel work the game comprises of, though after thinking about it for a moment, 3D Dot Game Heroes was clearly based on Zelda (and some complained that it was almost -too much- like Zelda) so the comparison became that much easier to reason out and, indeed, accept.  Regardless, it's a very cool look though I'd still have to give it to 3D Dot for being shinier (both literally and figuratively) and would definitely help it to stand out with the other games of its type that have come out.

I say the above because of, well, what the name would imply:  -Forge-Quest does indeed imply forging things, as in forging things together like crafting, much as MineCraft implies that one will, in that game, mine things and craft things, thus drawing a comparison to one another.  Even in a couple of their videos, the style of 'forging' is done in a 3x3 grid which will be instantly recognized from any Minecraft rookie, though to suggest it's unique to Minecraft would be a little short-sighted.  Nonetheless, I expect a lot of that to be thrown around when the game comes out sometime in 2012 which is a shame, but provided the game provides enough different for the players, it likely won't be something harped on.  And from what I've seen, I would certainly suggest that it would provide quite enough, though all things will be known when it actually comes out (or at least goes into Beta).

The other videos on their youtube channel show quite a bit of progression, and welcome progression at that as the combat (and movement for that matter) seemed to be more Diablo-like which is something I don't care for in all honesty.  There's absolutely no reason to require someone to click around ten times just to traverse an expanse of land that covers three screens and clicking on an enemy to enter pre-scripted attack animations that trade off at predetermined speeds is....less than exciting of course.  Many would disagree with me on that, of course, considering how popular Diablo is but, eh, opinions and all.  Still the above shows, besides progression, some pretty solid concepts that are fairly tried-and-true but with a new spin on them which is inspiring at the very least.

There's only two real 'environments' shown in the video; the default nature one and the cave/dungeon area but both look fairly visually interesting enough to offer incentive to explore which is one of the goals of course.  The game is designed to randomly generate (like Minecraft and I believe Terraria does the same as well?) terrain that you traverse that is interesting enough for you to want to traverse more which is a cycle that will give you a gigantic living, breathing world...provided that you breathe a little life into it along the way of course.  And to that credit, I would certainly hope that other types of trerrain will be available in the Beta build at least; desert and snow lands are almost a requirement to give the full range of 'types', though a little pedanticism with terrain (biomes, there I said it.  Biomes are not -just- for Minecraft as well, but the fewer things I say to allude it to something else, the better) would be nice.  Flatlands, hilly regions, valleys, marshlands, etc., there's plenty of ways you can design an area and the more you include, the better for the people playing since it just might spark something.

It is a little hard to gauge just how big, in a vertical sense, the world will be, considering the way you're expected to navigate it in the isometric view, which is something else that is a matter of concern for the growing project.  Since you apparently plop down full buildings rather than designing your own (though there is a door spot and it's open, so I hope that means interiors and, by extension, interior design) would is a bit telling that this might take place on 'layers' in the Diablo sense; you have the overworld that leads down into the cave/dungeon layer which leads into lower layer, but that's mostly conjecture on my part.  As a lot of things I've said here are, but based on what exists (four videos and a few paragraphs on their KickStarter) I'm just doing what I can here.  If nothing else, it can help explain what caught my eye and interest about the game in the first place.

I guess the fact that I've looked into all four of their videos, checked out their KickStarter (linked just above) in-depth, and devoted a post to talking about what is right there and what I'm imagining up means that they're clearly doing something right:  The game, like any game where you can actually model the world to your whims, is clearly designed to inspire creativity and it's done that to me.  If they throw enough toys in the toybox to really let players effectively express their creativity in design (something Terraria has been doing quite well, leaving Minecraft to shame in that department) then they'll really have something here.  So here's hoping they meet their goal on KickStarter!  (Goal is set for January 13th and they're not there quite yet, hint hint.)

Let's Talk About Minecraft Again - Release Edition

Minecraft, the indie darling that has been on many many minds this year, has finally been released officially, during Minecon; the convention specifically about all things Minecraft hence the name.  This is both a good thing and a bad thing, of course and neither is really an objective thing as it all depends on where you are and what side of the fence you're on here.  The main bad thing would be that, for those of us who didn't jump on buying it earlier (for various reasons), the price has now been raised to a hefty $26.95 which by all means still isn't bad but considering that anyone could've gotten the Alpha build oh so long ago for much less than that and been able to update it as it came out, it's just the bargain person in me screaming that I blew it for not magically having a computer that could play it and a way to buy a code.

Still, it's one of the few big bad things that the game has, though I imagine the other complaint several will have is, surprisingly, the content.  It's hard to say as someone who has watched the game start from those humble beginnings whether or not there's 'enough' game to Minecraft to actually be considered release-worthy, given that in essence, not a whole lot has been added.  By that, I mean a lot has been added, but it's sort of....well, it's a step above cosmetic.  The game has always been about digging, mining, exploring and building and remains so, basically, with the difference now being that there's more for you to find and a few other things to do.  Basically take a Bethesda game, your Oblivions, Skyrims, etc. and strip out the main story and quests.  What you're left with is a wide world to explore, things to find, monsters to slay, and a personal story to develop; that is Minecraft in a nutshell.

Some would argue that's enough, as I would, but I can understand if someone would suggest that there needs to be more.  And luckily enough, the fact that the game has been released means frankly little to Mojang Productions, as they're devoted to supporting the game post-release to add in whatever they please....much like they did during Alpha and Beta.  Which would also lend a little more ammo to anyone wondering whether or not Minecraft is a 'game' or at least a 'done game', given that Mojang simply sees Release as another 'phase' which questions whether or not they feel there's -enough-.  Granted, most everything essential will likely be added to the game freely, rather than as paid DLC, so finished or not, there likely won't be much issue with what comes now.

What -is- next is another point of interest as, aside from continued support of the PC version of Minecraft, there still is the XBLA version of Minecraft far off on the horizon.  As far as I know, the release window is "sometime 2012" and that's about all that's really known about it.  Content is something else to talk about for that version as they won't really be able to just drop whatever they want into it willy-nilly unless they work out a deal with Microsoft (unlikely) or they work around some sort of "teh internetz" style magic (little more likely, but not much) to work within the limits of Microsoft's "No Free DLC" constraints.

As much as I hate to let my fanboy flag fly, I -really- think going with XBLA was a bad move for Mojang since, well, as mentioned XBLA isn't that open for post-production support which they seem to really be a fan of, whereas it would likely fly on PS3/Vita.  And unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Notch has gone out and said that the XBLA version will be the only console version.  Could be a lie, could be a short-sighted statement, but either way I'm officially not getting my hopes up.  I guess if Minecraft Pocket gets Playstation Suite certified, I can play it on the Vita without getting an Xperia Play, but it just won't be the same since Minecraft Pocket looks...er...yeah.  Not as good.

Oh well.  One day, I'll have a computer that can run it well and I'll be able to jump in and experience all that's existing currently, plus whatever else they've added by that point.  Hopefully the NPC quests will be in by then (as there's (ugly as sin) NPCs, but nothing to do with them yet) as well as a few more nuances to The Nether (little castles are cool, but...) and just the world itself (higher level randomly generated cities?) as, yes, half the fun of the game is crafting whatever you wish and on the top of that list would likely be the pretense of civilization, but the other half is the exploration and Random little villages, abandoned mines, caves and strongholds (underground expanded dungeons) aren't quite enough.

Really, it's just a weird feeling to think of Minecraft as a finished product as we've been taught (by the game and the nature of it) that it is, in fact, not finished and you can always look forward to more.  Calling it released tends to make you think that you're not able to look forward to more, though you actually are able to do so and are encouraged to.  So it's just one of those strange conflicting things that you can't really put a finger on.  Regardless, it's a game, it's growing and it's going to be around for quite a while, so all there is to it now is to enjoy it (if you can) or see what happens next with it.

Let's Talk About Minecraft Again - 1.8 Edition

So, the history of Minecraft's 1.8 update, also known as "The Adventure Update" has been long and storied, with twists, turns and wackiness here and there.  But this is probably the strangest part of it all; The update, or at least a pre-release version of it was leaked.  By Mojang, or more specifically, "Jeb" who I believe has been the lead developer lately with Notch doing his wedding stuff.  Mojang isn't too adverse to doing things a little differently clearly, as they've been selling a game that's only -now- in Beta for quite a while, but the idea of leaking a pre-release version of the update (Likely the one directly from PAX) seems a bit wacky even by these standards.  Still, it's a really good idea, since, well, the game is in Beta, and was delayed for Bug-testing, which seems a bit silly.  This way, they get actual data from people who have paid to beta-test the game without causing a mess of ruckus from releasing the update in a likely buggier-than-normal state.

An interesting side-effect of this type of release, at least from what I witnessed was an unbridled excitement from all sorts of youtubers who have made it their -thing- to Let's Play/Build in Minecraft.  While the 1.8 update itself is exciting enough for many of them, the mere thought of getting it in this manner, in a leak (even if it's not really a 'leak' per se) ramped up the excitement to 11 for many.  Indeed, I watched about 20 minutes of two grown men who've been youtubing Minecraft for quite a while running around yelling "Oh my God!" about every little thing much like I am when new Vita news or Lollipop Chainsaw news comes about.  So clearly, I understand where they're coming from and am not saying this in anything resembling a negative light.  Like I said, it was an interesting side-effect.

While I don't know everything that's in 1.8, I have seen quite a bit of it and honestly, the new additions that I know of so far are pretty amazing.  I've seen (deserted) NPC villages that show off brand-new ways to decorate in Minecraft (primarily showing off that you can make a table by placing a wooden pressure plate on top of a fencepost which was previously not possible), Abandoned Mines in disrepair with new spiders (that are smaller and poisonous compared to the previously existing spiders) and chests scattered about with random loot, (and the chests actually open now) and last, but not least, the Endermen.  The first new hostile mob to be introduced (alongside the new spiders, of course) in....well, quite a long time.  Notch actually had a bit of insight into how he created the Endermen which is an interesting read, and I have to say, seeing them in the game isn't particularly lackluster.  I'm sure it would actually be 'scary' were I the one playing, even.

This is a slight bit of a re-tread of news for people who have been following Minecraft news, but I haven't mentioned it at all here, I don't believe, so now would be the time.  Endermen, as you see above, are lanky, tall humanoid mobs who have the ability to pick up blocks and place them back down in different spots, clearly changing the landscape you've become familiar with in an attempt to confuse the hell out of you.  (Mostly conjecture, of course)  I'm not sure if they can pick up blocks you've placed or only naturally placed blocks, but either way, it'll....well, it's a thing and the only previous instances of mobs interfering with blocks was Creepers who would destroy them when they exploded like -jerks-.  (Also Ghasts, who shot fireballs that, again, could destroy blocks.)

On top of all this, Endermen are initially passive mobs, merely content to wander about in packs, picking up blocks and placing them down here and there.  However, (and if you didn't read the Insight I linked to above, this is the important thing to take from it) if you should 'look' at one (reflected in the game by putting your cursor on them) they know it and they don't like it.  They'll stop what their doing and slowly turn to stare at you for as long as your cursor remains on them.  Such an unsettling move, of course, would direct you, the player to get the hell out of dodge, but unfortunately, if you've made it to this point, you're kind of screwed.  As soon as the cursor leaves the Enderman, he will hunt you.  He will find you.  And he will (try to) kill you.  Endermen are extremely mobile when hostile and can teleport to catch up with you or even to confuse you if you're trying to fight him.

While the core combat mechanics remain mostly unchanged (aside from archery) this type of an encounter serves enough to make it feel a bit more...deep, a little more involving, as compared to "This Mob will run directly at you until you kill it, you die, or it falls into a hole or something." at least.  It's one of the many changes 1.8 introduces that makes Minecraft feel....well, closer to being a finished product.  I would say "More like a game", but well, Minecraft has always felt like a game to me (despite, again, not having played it) as I don't quantify games by having a tangible end point or anything of the sort.  But it does feel like it's a bit more ready for the November release date which is fast approaching.

Lawyers Are Awful, Notch Isn't

Now, I don't mean to put anybody off when I say this, specifically because I know going into a law career is a good idea and such, but, let's be honest here:  Lawyers pretty much ruin everything.  At the very least, copyright lawyers, since it seems 90% of anything they bring to the table like lapdogs for their pay is some vague, awful claim to appease their masters and show that they are, in fact, doing something for the money they get.  Of course, it's not -always- the lawyers themselves....but most of the time, it really is.

So, this is pretty much the story you've heard time and time again:  Company A trademarks a name, Company B trademarks another name that happens to have a word in common with Company A's game, Company A's lawyers catch wind of it and pounce.  Today's culprits just so happen to be Bethesda's lawyers, suing over Mojang Specifications (I never knew that was that actual company name.  Huh!) over their trademark for the game, "Scrolls" claiming, you guessed it, their usage of Scrolls infringes on Bethesda's usage of Scrolls in The Elder Scrolls series.

In a candid blog post by Notch, he explains that, well, this isn't exactly a surprise, since Bethesda started sniffing around all the way back when they first filed the trademark for Scrolls, demanding more information on their desired usage for it.  Notch was cool about it, since he's a big fan of Bethesda (I mean, he planned to launch Minecraft the same day as Skyrim, out of reverence, which, unfortunately won't be able to pan out) and started talking compromise right away to ease their fears on just how the word "Scrolls" would be used.  But Bethesda never really got back to them about it.

Until, well, today.  A 15-Page letter from a law firm in Sweden (where Mojang is based, obviously) showed up earlier today, demanding not only that Mojang immediately cease and desist using the term "Scrolls" for their game that isn't even in Alpha yet (I...don't think.  I have been out of the loop on Scrolls) and also to compensate them for court fees that come from.....threatening to sue them for their Pre-Alpha game that happens to share a common word with their major franchise.  At least, I would imagine that's why they want, quote, "a pile of money up front" when in the context of a pre-lawsuit letter.

For the record, Scrolls is looking like it's going to be a Trading Card Scroll Game of sorts, so the chances of getting it mixed up with any of The Elder Scrolls series are...rather slim.  But then again, I did google "Scrolls" and the previously linked website came up before anything for The Elder Scrolls came up.  Maybe that's the extent of research necessary before filing a lawsuit for infringement!  (If that's the case, Bethesda's lawyers need to get on Scrolls Unlimited and Scrolls from the Dead Sea, pronto!  Of course I'm kidding.)

I've gotta say, Notch is really going about this the right way, since he's totally right:  Lawyers do not actually represent a company, regardless of what you might think.  They're just there to protect the company from the once in a blue moon time when someone really screws around with your company's name or something, but the rest of the time, they have a need to justify themselves, lest they become redundant.  So until I hear someone from up-high in Bethesda really ration out that Mojang's trademark for "Scrolls" is infringing on their series in any way, I'm thinking the same thing here.  This is just Lawyers being Lawyers.  We'll just have to see how it pans out.

Let's Talk About Minecraft Again - 1.7 Edition

Now, we all know I've repeatedly Lamented my lack of ability to play Minecraft, thanks to the gruddiness of my computer (which is only slightly less gruddy), but we all know I still follow it from afar, watching with bated breath for the day which I may get my clutches on the 'finished' product to make my blocky dreams come true.  Until then, as is the custom, I find that I catch every piece of news about the game that comes to pass (being subscribed to about, ohh.....five people who play Minecraft on Youtube pretty regularly will do that) and I always find a bit of intrigue in just what happens to make the game grow.

Pictured above are likely the biggest things added in the latest update:  Pistons.  Now, we all know what pistons are; they're things that move up and down and occasionally move things.  And in Minecraft, that's what Pistons are all about, is moving things.  People have already come up with rather neat ways to use these (specifically Sticky Pistons) to make lots of neat things, including, of course, secret passages.  As you can see below, the possibilities are colorful and varied.

As always if you prefer, feel free to just take that to Youtube proper to watch it better.

Colorful trailer aside, (As it really was pretty nice) it really does highlight the various uses for whatever you could desire.  As long as it involves something that can be done by just moving blocks.  Still, just from the doorway thing they showed, that's enough for some real big enticement there, as if you could hide switches in your house well (which, you can, currently) and run Redstone wire well, you could have a lot of really neat things going on.

I -was- going to talk more on the subject, but my current rage at MSN being unable to send goddamn messages has ruined my ability to think.  I'll try and edit something else in if I think about it.

E3 - Mostly Over, But How Was It?

Just as Christmas always comes and goes, leaving a bittersweet sense of excitement, glee and satisfaction in its wake, so too much E3 arrive and leave us.  And every year is different and as such is graded differently for what it's brought us to have and to be excited for.  While I can't speak for everyone, of course, I can certainly speak for myself for what I liked, what I didn't, and what I just didn't care about one way or another.

What I Liked:

I could probably just say "Sony's Conference", here, as there was very little about the Sony conference that I didn't like (EA NBA section aside), at least what I can remember.  Sure, a few things are a little less than memorable, like the Move stuff, but what was good was really good.  Uncharted 3, Uncharted:  Golden Abyss, Release dates for Ico/SotC Collection, God of War:  Origins, the new that there's going to be a Bioshock Vita title, there just was a lot to love all around. 

And most of all of the things I liked is, obviously, the Playstation Vita.  As many others around the internet are saying, Playstation Vita is probably the single most exciting thing I got from E3 this year, because I got everything I wanted:  A reasonable price, fantastic graphics and power, interesting looking games (some of which are launch titles s'far as I can tell, also LittleBigPlanet Vita eeeeeeeeeeeeeee), and genuine early support for it.  (I mean, Ken F'ing Levine pulled one out of his pocket to proudly proclaim that a new chapter of Bioshock would unfold on it.)

Of course, the Vita wasn't the only thing to draw from the wells of excitement I have for this hobby of mine.  Konami started everything strong by announcing three different collections that are assured to make a lot of people happy.  And while I'm excited for MGS collection, I'm more excited for the Zone of the Enders Collection, if just for the fact that it's a sign that they're still acknowledging the series exists.  It's hard to say that I'm a super fan of the series, since it's been a long, long time since I touched either game, but to say that I don't have a special connection would be a fallacy.  As with quite a few games in the PS2 era, a demo disk turned me onto the series with Zone of the Enders 2's demo and a quick trip to the neat little brick-and-mortar game store nearby let me find a copy of the original.

But while I was checking out, the lady at the register, who knew me since I'd been in so often, asked if I'd be interested in having a little something extra.  Interested, I asked just what she meant, and she went into the back and came out with two promo boxes, one big, one small, for Zone of the Enders 2, proudly displaying the box art to a T, even going so far as to keep all the text on the back as well.  She said they got a few extra and didn't really have much to do with them so if I wanted them it was no charge.  Of course, free things being free rule, so I took them.  I still have them too; I'll try to get a picture of them sometime.

Despite my annoyances with Nntendo's conference leaving so many questions about the Wii U, I still have to say, the idea of having a HD Wii to play Wii games on is appealing, and the controller, while fairly unwieldy looking, is interesting to say the least.  Hopefully the coming months will give us something more concrete to base our concerns and/or our excitements on, but for now, I'm cautiously optimistic.  There's little doubt that I'll end up with one, at the very least, but how happy I'll be to have one has yet to be determined.

Things I Didn't Like:

-Kobe Bryant trying to play video games. 
-No Valkyria Chronicles 3 Localization announcement. 
-No Yakuza announcements.  (Seriously Sega, what the hell.) 
-All the questions about Nintendo's next console. 
-No real surprises beyond the Ken Levine thing and ZoE HD.  (I -guess- Luigi's Mansion 2, but I haven't played the first, so I'm merely interested)  I guess Cole being in Street Fighter X Tekken counts here as well but...eh.  You all know I love me some gatdamn inFamous, but I can't really be bothered to care about a fighting game just for his inclusion.  Everything in Microsoft's conference was leaked, save for the Minecraft announcement, I believe.  Speaking of which.

-Minecraft exclusively for 360/Kinect.  (While this stings, I'm waiting to see just how advanced a version they get.  Suffice to say with the disparity between Minecraft and Minecraft "Pocket", I'm none too sure on what the non-PC version will have.)  And this isn't a fanboy thing, it's just me being frustrated that a game I want to play is growing to be on every platform I can't play without shelling out cash I don't have for.
-I read somewhere the night before E3 started that a Devil May Cry Collection for the anniversary was in the works.  No announcement though.
-Was Final Fantasy Versus XIII spoken of/shown off?  I don't think so.
-Speaking of missing games, where's Grand Theft Auto 5?
-And another God of War, for that matter.
-Seriously, Sega, goddamnit, localize your games and I will buy all of them.

Things I Didn't Care About:

Pretty much the entirety of Microsoft's conference aside from what I mentioned above.  I never liked Halo, I've never tried Kinect yet, and even then, I'm not really too up on the Kinect stuff shown.  Except the Mass Effect 3 stuff.  While I'm skeptical on how well that will work, it -looks- neat, which is sort of what Kinect has had going for it day one.  Sure, it might not work exactly like it should, but it can make some things look really neat.  Two things that weren't even announced in the conference, as far as I remember, were more interesting than what was in it, even:  Cloud Saving/Storage for 360 and the Gears of War 3 Limited Edition bundle.  To the former, why would you not say this?  Were they too afraid of bringing up 'the cloud'?  Like someone in the front row was going to roll his eyes and go "Psh.  'cloud'."?  To the latter, while 85% of people will look at it and say "tacky", I am part of the 15% that say "I would buy that.".  I don't give one bit of shit for Gears of War as a series, but, provided I had cash to burn, I'd pick that 360 up in a heartbeat.

So, a lot of ups, some downs, but overall, this was a good year for E3.  For me, personally, Sony won it with announcing everything for the Vita, where Nintendo could have taken the conference if they'd announced the Wii U's price and it was reasonable.  In fact, they likely should have, because Sony showed they're stepping right up to the plate with the Vita.  Although, realistically, it's entirely possible that Nintendo -doesn't- have a price for the Wii U just yet.  Let's just hope when it is priced, they don't publicly announce a price that is actually kind of unreasonable and then say, "It's mostly because the people at E3 liked it." again.