Games

New features announced for Minecraft: Education Edition

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2017

As part of Microsoft’s event held earlier today, developer Mojang announced that Minecraft: Education Edition is getting new features. The educational version of the popular open-world game designed specifically for classroom use will be gaining a Code Builder feature, Command Blocks and other enhancements via an upcoming update due later this Spring.

Code Builder

With Code Builder, educators and students can explore, create and play in the Minecraft world, all by writing code. Students can connect to popular learn-to-code platforms: ScratchX, Tynker, Code.org and a brand new open source platform, called Microsoft MakeCode.

Check out Code Builder in the video presentation embedded below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rKuSlgqePo

Players start with the familiar Minecraft tools, templates and tutorials, with additional resources at their disposal allowing them to easily engage with computer science concepts as they design and create.

Command Blocks and Classroom Mode

Command Blocks, a new feature, will be part of the upcoming Minecraft: Education Edition version 1.0.1 due later this Spring. That update will also bring out a few other perks, including additional languages, villager trading, adventure mode, concrete/terracotta blocks and llamas.

Lastly, Classroom Mode for Minecraft: Education Edition has been updated with additional toggles to support teaching and learning. The update gives educators additional toggles to manage chat and blocks that cause damage like lava and TNT, weather and mobs.

Availability

Microsoft says classrooms in more than a hundred countries have used the educational edition of Minecraft, with its professional learning community having created 30,000 profiles and hundreds of educator-created lesson plans.

Download Minecraft: Education Edition for Mac/Windows via education.minecraft.net, where you can also join an open beta of Code Builder if you'd like.

The software maker said that a one-year subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition is now included with qualifying purchases of Windows 10 computers and tablets.

The regular edition of Minecraft is gaining a Marketplace feature, basically an in-game store where players can buy Minecraft customizations made by independent developers.

Marketplace is coming via the version 1.1 Discovery Update.

Marvel: Color Your Own, Olli, Boost, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes a coloring book featuring your favorite Marvel characters, a photo editor that can draw you, an app that can help you achieve your goals, and two new games for you to check out.

Super Mario Run gains Game Center achievements, new buildings & other perks

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Nintendo just issued a second major update to Super Mario Run for iPhone following the game's App Store inception in December 2016. Version 2.1 includes several enhancements and perks, such as official support for Game Center achievements (finally!), the ability to use your bespoke Miitomo character as your in-game player icon, new buildings including the 8-bit Bowser Statue, Bullet Bill Statue and Bob-omb Statue, plus additional changes and improvements.

Vanido, Charge Running, Giphy Says, and other apps to check out

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

iDB's Apps of the Week column features new and unique apps and games that we think are worth checking out over the weekend.

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes an app that helps you improve your singing, a fitness app with a new take on running, and a new app from Giphy. And as always, we have two new games for you to check out.

Captiona, Kite, Elk, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Looking for new apps and games this weekend? iDB has you covered. In the latest edition of our Apps of the Week roundup, we have some great selections such as an app for creating unique Instagram captions, a newsletter manager, and a sharp currency converter. And as always, we have two great new games for you to check out.

Lara Croft GO gains new levels and iMessage sticker pack via Mirror of Spirits update

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 13, 2017

Developer Square Enix this morning issued a new content update to its turn-based isometric puzzle mobile game, Lara Croft GO. Bumping version number to 2.1.7, the game now lets you take Lara through a whole new journey in an alternate reality. Specifically, the update brings out a whole new chapter named Mirror of Spirits with 25 new puzzles and three new mechanics. As a bonus, players get a brand new Lara-themed sticker pack for iMessage. The update is available at no additional charge to those who have purchased the game.

Pokémon GO gains Easter-themed Eggstravaganza event

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 13, 2017

Developer Niantic Labs announced Thursday that its popular augmented-reality game Pokémon GO is getting a new in-game event for Easter, aptly named Eggstravaganza. From 1pm PDT on Thursday, April 13, 2017 to 1pm PDT on Thursday, April 20, 2017 a greater variety of Pokémon can now be found in 2 km eggs. Players will also enjoy a few additional perks.

Popular PC strategy title Total War: Warhammer is coming to Mac next week

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2017

Feral Interactive today announced that Total War: Warhammer will be coming to your Mac next week.

Filing as the first game in the trilogy, it was originally developed by Creative Assembly in partnership with Games Workshop and published by SEGA.

Feral has ported Total War: Warhammer to macOS using Apple's low-level Metal graphics framework. The turn-based strategy game is out now on Linux and will launch on Mac App Store next Thursday, April 18.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition gains Chinese Mythology mashup pack & other goodies

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Microsoft announced today that Minecraft: Pocket Edition is gaining a Chinese Mythology mash-up pack along with a few other goodies and improvements, such as a free Redstone Mansion map available via a new Worlds section in the in-game store.

The new features are available at no charge to existing players and require Minecraft: Pocket Edition version 1.0.6, which is rolling today on App Store.

Minecraft’s upcoming update will let creators sell their skins, mini-games, textures & worlds

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2017

Minecraft developers announced on their blog today that a community Marketplace feature is coming soon to the mobile Minecraft: Pocket Edition game via an upcoming Discovery update. Marketplace will let Minecraft players and creators sell their custom skins, mini-games, textures, worlds and more.

At launch, Marketplace will offer content created by well-known community members, including Noxcrew, BlockWorks, Qwertyuiop The Pie, Blockception, Sphax, Eneija Silverleaf, Imagiverse, Polymaps and Razzleberry Fox.

Runtasty, Stormcrow, Hype Type, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

In this week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup, we've got a great selection of apps and games for you to check out this weekend. The picks include a new healthy recipe book, a Twitter client for tweet storms, and a fun app for adding animated text to your photos.

Delta Beta 3: iOS emulator gets an update

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated May 3, 2017

After a considerable hiatus, Riley Testut has returned today with a third beta of his emulator application for iOS, Delta.

A relatively small changelog accompanies this update to the gaming application, a successor to the ever-popular GBA4iOS, and almost three months separate it from the previous release, Beta 2.