Minecraft News

• The first Update Aquatic snapshot, 18W07A, was released this week, bringing with it our experience of Turtles, Phantoms, Tridents, a new swimming ability and much more.
• That’s not all though! Dinnerbone tweets, “p.s. this isn’t everything aquatic. There’s at least one or two more things to come in future snapshots. Maybe three.”.
• The Minecraft: Java Edition development team give a behind the scenes look into the Update Aquatic. Learn about turtle behaviour and the dangers of The Phantom — “[…] Jens stresses just how dangerous a risk that is. “They are really nasty to fight, really hard to hit – they fly up and then swoop down again. They sound really scary too. Samuel Åberg did some really scary sound effects for them”.
• Minecraft (Bedrock) is coming to the Nintendo Switch, and this week Mojang shared a preview of the game on their livestream. You can catch up on that livestream below!

Watch Terrific Tuesdays: Bedrock on Switch SNEAK PEEK! from Minecraft on www.twitch.tv

If you follow the conversation about Bungie closely, you might have heard the one about the new Community Manager we were looking to hire. Whenever Bungie seeks a player to lead the community they call home, it sparks obvious curiosity. Conspiracy theories immediately pointed to my imminent departure, but the rumors of my pending death have been greatly exaggerated. This was a bid for reinforcement, not replacement.

After an extensive search and many conversations, we realized that what we were looking for was right under our noses the whole time – and he was already kicking ass. It is my pleasure to introduce Dylan Gafner as the newest addition to the community team. This may be confusing, since he has been doing the job for months. Today, we’re making it official. This is no longer a temporary title. He’s partners with Cozmo, now.

The idea of a “Community Manager” means many things to many people. They can be equal parts court jester, combat correspondent, best friend, first responder, security guard, detective, nation builder, case worker, and air traffic controller. Each person who accepts the mission weaves those strands together to create their own unique specialty. In Dylan, we see a problem solver who tackles player reports and works with his peers to drive toward solutions. He’s been a tireless translator on the border between players and developers.

Here are some words from the man himself about what this new gig means to him.

Dylan: Hey, all. This isn’t the first time I’ve introduced myself, but I’d like to say hello again.

Since joining Bungie.net in 2004, this has been a career that I’ve dreamed about. It’s fun to think that my path here began with a simple desire to earn a cool emblem in a Bungie game by creating an account on the website. From there, I joined my first Clan (The WorkPLace) and attended my first of many PAX events in 2011. Eventually, I threw all of my stuff into a ’97 Ford Explorer to drive from San Diego to Seattle to start a job on the Destiny Player Support team in 2015. Since then, I’ve kept my nose to the grindstone in communicating known issues, preparing support documentation for Destiny releases, and volunteering my thumbs for various Twitch reveals.

I’m extremely grateful that this new opportunity as Community Manager is a chance for me to give back to a community that I’ve known through fourteen years of gameplay, friendship, laughter, and ridiculous fun. We’ve recently promised an increase in communication surrounding Destiny 2, our future plans, and even issues that we’re tracking. My goal in joining the community team is to give a pulse to the status of development, investigations in process, or setting expectations for upcoming features. We have a roadmap to follow, and I’m excited to keep you informed along the way.

With that said, let’s get down to business. You can find me responding to threads on the Bungie.net forums, jumping into conversations as @a_dmg04 on Twitter, and providing content for the Bungie Blog. I will continue to work with the Destiny Player Support team in communicating about known issues or upcoming maintenance windows, which can be found on Help.bungie.net, and @BungieHelp on Twitter.

Thanks for playing, and thank you for your passion. It’s truly an inspiration each day.

Cheers,

-dmg04

A group of developers from Eugen Systems are on strike after citing labor law violations. Known for the Wargame franchise, the French studio has confirmed that 21 out of its 44 employees walked out yesterday in protest over management. 

In an open letter published to Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (Union of Video Game Workers), the post alleges how Eugen neglected to compensate developers for overtime, refused to acknowledge contracts with some of its employees, and has ignored minimum wage laws. 

“It has now been nearly fifteen months since we have been discussing with management serious violations of our rights,” the letter explains. “In front of the wall that was opposed to us during the first six months of negotiations, we were forced to call on a lawyer to remind the law of our employer.” 

Eugen Systems came out with a statement acknowledging an issue with its recent payslips going out late, but attributed them to a delay in complications caused by legislative reforms.

The strike comes a day after Eugen Systems released Back to Hell, an expansion of Steel Divison: Normandy 44.

Bayonetta blasts onto the Nintendo Switch system with two stylish games

Time to check your style and hone your reflexes. Both the original Bayonetta™ and the Bayonetta 2™ games are now available for the Nintendo Switch™ system. The deadly witch is back and ready to dispatch her enemies in creatively devastating ways.

Bayonetta
See how the saga started! Bayonetta has lost her memory after being asleep at the bottom of a lake for 500 years. The Umbran Witch must now summon Infernal Demons, dodge enemy attacks to slow down time, and defend against the armies of Paradiso as she uncovers the truth of her long-lost past. Deftly change weapons to take out your foes in the most stylish way possible!

Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta sets on a quest to save her friend’s soul, and it will take all the pistols, whips, hammers, flamethrowers, and poison bows at her disposal to do it. This sequel takes the original game’s stylized action and massive scale and amplifies them to ridiculous levels. You’ll also be able to team up with other Umbra Witches in a two-player cooperative mode that can be played via local wireless* or online.**

Purchasing Info:
There are a few ways to purchase both games for one low price. Buying the retail version of the Bayonetta 2 game will also grant you a download code for the original Bayonetta game. Or, if you decide to buy digitally, buying the digital version of one game will automatically grant you a discount on the other game.

Please visit the official site (http://bayonetta2.nintendo.com ) for more details!

*Additional games and systems required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately

** Nintendo Account required. Online services and features, including online gameplay, are free until the paid Nintendo Switch Online Service launches in September 2018.

Game Rated:

Blood and Gore
Intense Violence
Partial Nudity
Strong Language
Suggestive Themes

It was the end of October 2014. After a great Starpoint Gemini 2 launch, we at LGM were contemplating what we would do next. There was really promising potential in the Starpoint Gemini franchise, so we in the office regarding the possibility of making another game. We let our thoughts settle down a bit for a few days before more serious talks. So we did just that. The whole gang went AWOL for several days, and got back in the office reinvigorated, with fresh ideas and new outlooks on the company future.

The cornerstone and the main reason for LGM’s success is the community, fantastic feedback, and great support. So, as November 2014 was nearing we had finally decided to put all ideas on the table. Actually, the main ideas for the next game were from the community wish list. We put everything to that one big piece of paper and started the process of elimination.

And yeah, we were still located in that legendary kitchen office. But as the team grew and more members came on, we decided to move to a real office, where we could arrange the crew into separate teams. So, for the first time, we actually had a programming department, an art department, a 3D department, and so on. The work on Starpoint Gemini Warlords could finally begin.

How Warlords Became a Strategy Game

When Starpoint Gemini Warlords was in the first phases of production, it actually wasn’t planned to be a strategy game at all. We were seriously thinking about an official sequel to Starpoint Gemini 2. But, when our team looked at the sheer scope of the possibilities and new ideas, we realized that this type of content is an ideal way to introduce a spin-off title. An experiment, if you will.

So, the first step of the production was to beef-up the Whale Engine. Basically, Starpoint Gemini 2’s engine and Starpoint Gemini Warlords’ engine are almost completely different entities. In order to make Warlords work, we had to apply a myriad of modifications to the engine:

• Render system was completely reworked
• New script system
• Sound system uses FMOD
• Major database optimizations
• Streaming engine optimizations
• New GUI system
• Major graphics code modifications
• The engine now uses PBR (physics-based rendering) shader
• And a lot more

Once those modifications and improvements were applied, we finally had more room to apply loads of new features that the community and the team wanted. So in the game, there are over 60 different factions, the ability to build and upgrade your own personal headquarters, the ability to build structures, the Warmaster gameplay system (which basically brings the whole strategy part of the game to life), and loads of other new features.

All of that led to the fact that Starpoint Gemini Warlords became a “lite” 4X strategy game which, in the end, is around nine times larger in contrast to Starpoint Gemini 2.

Easily Expandable

One of the major advancements in the Whale Engine happened in the database management system which rendered Starpoint Gemini Warlords easily expandable in terms of new content. In that sense, we were able to precisely plan post-launch content with downloadable expansions and free content updates.

The upgraded database system also granted the ability to implement core mechanics from the expansions into the main game. That basically meant that the mechanics found in the DLC could be easily implemented into the vanilla game. So if one doesn’t wish to purchase the expansion at a certain time, the game offers the ability to “test drive” the DLC gameplay mechanics, completely for free.

Built with an Xbox One Controller in Mind

Even though Starpoint Gemini Warlords is a complex title that combines space exploration, RPG, action, and strategy, the game has been built with a game controller in mind from day one. Thanks to previous experiences with the development for the Xbox One platform, we have decided to take it up a notch and make the controls feel even more natural while using an Xbox One game controller.

In order to make that possible, we have taken the best from Starpoint Gemini 2 (manual targeting) and combined it with a completely new HUD system built specifically for an Xbox One controller.

Visit us at Starpoint Gemini Warlords Game Hub, Social Network Channels and Discord Channel

Stay in the loop with the latest news by visiting the Starpoint Gemini Warlords Game Hub on Xbox One and Windows 10. Additionally, we are ever-present on Facebook, Twitter and Discord! See you there!

It’s the end of another week, so that can only mean one thing! Another weapon variant for Splatoon 2! This time around, it’s the turn of the bulky and mortar-like Sloshing Machine, which will now be available as the Sloshing Machine Neo, complete with a snazzy new look.

This version of the meaty weapon will also come complete with Point Sensors and Splat Bomb Launcher, making it a real game-changer in a round of Turf War. We’ll likely be on this weekend giving this rejigged slosher a go, so let us know in the comments below if you’re planning on painting the town a variety of vibrant colours… 

Bayonetta 2 is all about its combos. If you really want to master the combat system, you’re going to have to learn a few of these, and fast.

There are a few different combo types as well: ground, air, and unique combos that you can only pull off with a particular weapon. It’s worth noting that you can perform all of the default ground and air combos with any weapon type in the game though – so prioritise learning them first.

We want to help you learn all of the combos in the game, so we’ve created a list of them below. You can use this as a resource while playing so pop it in your bookmarks and refer back to it. Enjoy!

Ground Combos

Air Combos

Onyx Roses Weapon Combos

Shuraba Weapon Combos

Kulshedra Weapon Combos

Durga Weapon Combos

Lt. Col. Kilgore Weapon Combos

Odette Weapon Combos

Sai Fung Weapon Combos

Bazillions Weapon Combos

Pillow Talk Weapon Combos

Rodin Weapon Combos

Knockout League – Arcade VR Boxing is Now Available on Steam and is 10% off!*

Welcome to the Knockout League, an arcade style boxing game built from the ground up for VR. Its intuitive gameplay involves moving and dodging with your body and 1:1 punch movement that lets you attack how you want. Fight a crazy cast of characters to become the champion of the Knockout League!

*Offer ends February 20 at 10AM Pacific Time

Today is Valentines Day! We couldn’t think of any better way to show our love for you than to give you a snapshot
full of new things. <3

The full changelog can be found on Minecraft.net.

• Added Phantoms (MineCon voted mob!)
• Added Turtles
• Added new swimming ability (sprint underwater!)
• Added bubble columns
• Added ability to strip logs
• Added new trident weapon
• Squids now shoot ink to defend themselves
• Added new kelp and sea grass blocks
• Items in water now float to the top
• Added new prismarine stairs and slabs

PHANTOMS

You look tired. When’s the last time you got a decent night’s rest? Bad things happen to those who don’t sleep… they start to hallucinate, and see what’s really there.

• Spawns in the overworld and the end
• Attacks players who haven’t slept in a while
• Drops leather, but this may change

TURTLES

The turtle moves.

• Spawns on warm beaches, but this is temporary
• Will lay eggs in their home beach
• You can craft pieces of their old shell into one big shell
  
  • And wear it on your head!
  • Or craft it into a potion!
  • Turtles are known for their strength, not their speed
• Please be kind to turtles. They hold up the world.

KELP AND SEAGRASS

The green in the blue!

• Seagrass generates in all oceans, but this is temporary
• Kelp doesn’t generate in deep oceans, but this is temporary
• Kelp can be smelted to get dry kelp
  
  • A tasty snack for the ocean adventurer!
  • Or a convenient way to fuel more smelting
  • Or just store it away into a dried kelp block

BUBBLE COLUMNS

Blub blub blub blub.

• Doesn’t generate anywhere currently
• Occurs when a magma block is in water
• Watch out, you’ll get sucked under!
• A good way to breath without cheating game mechanics

STRIPPED LOGS

Go ahead, axe us a question.

• You can strip logs by using an axe on them (right-click)
• Stripped logs act like regular logs in furnaces, crafting, etc
• They look neat!

TRIDENTS

Some say that throwing your only weapon away is a bad idea. We disagree.

• Right click to throw the trident
• Left click to melee
• Currently unobtainable in survival, that will change
• Super overpowered, we’ll balance them later
• Has 4 available enchantments
  
  • Loyalty: Your trident will come back to you. Spoil-sport.
  • Impaling: Very useful against creatures of the sea.
  • Riptide: Gotta go fast.
  • Channeling: We’re not sure. It’s pretty spooky.
• UI icon is not yet implemented

FIXED BUGS

• MC-11208 – The big tree generator handles tree height variable incorrectly
• MC-124890 – Can’t insert charcoal into furnace
• MC-124897 – “Balloon oak” tree variant generates upside down, with often only stumps visible on the surface
• MC-124902 – Furnace recipes work in crafting interfaces and interfere with crafting recipes
• MC-124903 – Random crash in snow biomes: java.lang.NullPointerException: Exception ticking world
• MC-124913 – Horses, rabbit, parrot, llamas and sheep generate with default color / variant only
• MC-124916 – Chorus plant generation broken
• MC-124930 – The game crashes when pressing “show craftable” in the furnace recipe book.
• MC-124952 – Large oak trees fail to generate in all biomes with the new generator
• MC-125016 – Debug world does not generate
• MC-125047 – World generator not fully cleaned before making new world

To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 1.13 will have a lot of experimental snapshots that may break everything and smell funny. This may be one of those snapshots. This is what happens when Mojang are changing all the things! 

Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!