The latest Minecraft snapshot, 14w03a has been released, bringing with it some bug fixes and some useful commands for map makers in the game.

In the blog post to announce the snapshot release Dinnerbone says that most of the bug fixes were to repair bugs that were introduced in the last snapshot patch 14w02a that introduced 7 new blocks to the game as well as a recipe for mossy stone brick and stackable doors among other notable updates. The post then goes on to list four new commands/command alterations for use with making maps.

• the /tp command now supports rotation arguments
• /fill is a command that will allow you to fill a larger area with all of one block
• /clone command added to allow for the copying of large areas
• commands that target an area can now be made to target cubic areas (“For example: @e[x=0,y=0,z=0,dx=10,dy=10,dz=10] gets all entities between 0,0,0 and 10,10,10 ”)

So far it seems what Minecraft 1.8 will bring us is new blocks to build with, another method of breaking the fall of a player and more ways for map creators to diversify and create their maps for the community. What else is to come in the next few weeks?

Patch notes are here.

EDIT: Along with a b version that fixes a few more bugs, it seems this update also makes a pretty vast change to the player skin template. Three words: Individually. Skinned. Limbs!

At least for now. On Jan 14/2014, three judges in the United States Federal Appeals Court struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet Order. That’s a lot of big words. But what does it really mean?

Basically, the FCC had put into effect a set of rules that prevented Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from blocking or interfering with Web traffic. In essence, this prevented Verizon, Comcast and the like from pushing traffic to their own websites while restricting the bandwidth available to competitors. A different analogy would be to that of telephone companies. The FCC has long prevented these companies from prioritizing certain calls. This prevents them, from giving preferential treatment to companies or individuals with the money to pay them for that treatment. Up until now, ISPs were required to behave the same way.

What does this mean for the future of the internet? Well, as of today the prognosis isn’t good. The suit was brought by Verizon, and the telecommunications giant has openly stated that it would like to set up what amount to tolls going in both directions on the web. In essence, they will block certain websites or charge them for priority access to web users and charging web users for unfettered access to that data. This would mean the death of the free and open internet that we have all come to know and love, instead setting up the ISPs as self-appointed editors for all Internet content. The new internet as envisioned by these companies would be similar to cable TV, with the companies determining what channels are available and how much they cost. Imagine a world where Comcast decides that they want to charge Netflix a premium so that the company can deliver movies in a quickly streaming, high quality format. That is what the Federal Courts decision today does. In fact, it kicks the door wide open for such behaviour.

Even more troubling, this could sound a death knell for independent developers and companies trying to make a name for themselves on the web. In effect, if these entities are unable to pony up the cash for the access and exposure they need, they will suffocate. The internet as we know it is an open forum for the expression of opinions and information worldwide. Allowing large corporations to control access to it, be it the speed at which that data or even ideas is accessed, or the outright blocking – even censoring – of those ideas is not just a bad idea, it is morally wrong. The internet genie is out of the bottle. Yet, during the last few years we have seen SOPA/PIPA and even the NSA’s unchecked spying threatening the ecosystem that so many of us have grown dependent on as large corporations and governments attempt to cubbyhole that genie into something they can control and monetize.

In the end, this process is not done in the courts. It is almost certain that the decision will be appealed to the Supreme Court. However, if the FCC does not revise and revamp its rules and find some ground on which to regulate these corporations the future of the net looks grim. In this writer’s eyes, this is not merely a problem affecting on the US. The ripples of a failure to protect the free flow of information and access on the internet will spread worldwide. We can still save the Internet we love. But time is running out.

The planned changes for the upcoming Starbound patch which is said to be the final patch that will require a complete wipe of all saves have been revealed at last.

In a blog post community manager Mollygos says that the reason this particular update has taken so long is in part due to the team taking some time to relax over the holidays and “Bug fixes. Bug fixes everywhere.” She says that we can expect the patch in about a week’s time and then goes on to list the things the update will bring, split into new features and a list of bug fixes, the latter being a lot longer than the former.

For me the most notable bug fixes are those that stop you re-spawning outside the ship when you die (had this happen a few times to me) and one that will stop characters blinking while sleeping in a bed, something that was one of the first bugs pointed out by most beta testers of the game. The additions bring new decorative hats (“Yay, hats!”), some new weapons including pulse rifles, hand grenades and shivs and the addition of two new game-modes: permadeath and ‘inventory-drop-on-death’ mode (or as I like to think of it: Minecraft mode when you haven’t got ‘keepInventory’ turned on).

The post promises that this is the last time characters and ships will need to be wiped during an update, but does say some updates might wipe the solar maps and planet data in future as some updates might change biomes or the celestial map in some way. Either way, from this point I can see many people joining the realms of beta testers now, having held back until they knew they could make and keep a character.

Blog post is here.

When Simcity was first released a lot of players asked why it was an online-only game, questioning if this was really best for the play experience. EA answered this by saying that the way the game was designed and programmed meant that it wouldn’t work in offline mode. This didn’t stop fans asking for an offline mode though, and when modders proved that EA hadn’t been truthful with their statement about the game not working offline, they were forced to admit it hadn’t been part of the ‘vision’ for Simcity. Then Maxis said back in October that offline play was being considered. Now it’s finally been officially confirmed: Simcity is getting that offline mode that many say should have been there from the beginning.

In a post on the Maxis blog general manager Patrick Buechner reveals that Update 10 will bring offline to the game, a free download that will allow players to keep access to their previously downloaded content without the need for a connection. It will allow for play solo in regions or in a new single player mode with save files being stored locally to be loaded up and continued wherever, whenever the player wants. The leaderboards and global market will still be tied to the online play though.

“We are in the late phases of wrapping up its development and while we want to get it into your hands as soon as possible, our priority is to make sure that it’s as polished as possible before we release it. So, until then… testing, testing and more testing” Buechner writes in the post.

He also promises that a follow-up blog will outline the new update in more detail soon. Let’s hope that the priority to polishing this update means that this will be well received and mercifully free of game-breaking bugs unlike a few past updates to Simcity.

The blog post mentioned in this article is here.

For five years, World Wrestling Entertainment (otherwise known as WWE) has been hard at work developing the “WWE Network” – a TV Network owned by the WWE which would host exclusive content – such as non-wrestling shows made for the network that feature its “Superstar” talent – as well as becoming the official platform by which its Pay-Per-View wrestling shows would be distributed through in the future.

Starting February 24th, 2014, residents of the United States will finally be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour, when the WWE Network launches online. For $9.99 a month, subscribers will get access to the 12 WWE pay-per-view events WWE produces annually, starting with this year’s WrestleMania – WWE’s most popular Pay-Per-View. The Network will also broadcast future episodes of NXT – its wrestling promotion that showcases fresher talent with the aim of turning one or more of them into full WWE Superstars by the end of each season – as live TV shows for the first time; and will also host brand-new shows exclusive to the network and archive footage from the yesteryears of WWE, WWF, WCW and ECW.

A screenshot of the WWE Network Playstation App. The WWE Network will hit PC, Playstation, Xbox and Roku TV Boxes (see below)

Originally, the plan for the WWE Network was for it to be an independent cable network people could sign up to and receive like their existing TV Network, but this was shot down. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon then toyed with the idea of making the network a pay-TV channel like HBO. The idea would have been that existing TV Networks could licence the WWE Network from them and then offer it as an additional channel to their own customers for an additional monthly subscription. McMahon said WWE had deals ready to go with major distributors for a network that would have generated fees of 20 cents per month, per subscriber; but this cost and the terms of the deals being offered by the distributors were “too restrictive”; and he walked away.

“I said, much to the chagrin of my staff, I’m not going to sign it.”
– Vince McMahon

Instead, the WWE looked at how Netflix was able to create an OTT service and became convinced that its own rabid fan base would embrace a similar approach. “Our fans are early adopters of new technologies,” McMahon said, adding that the service will need about a million subscribers to break even. Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer, added, “This gives us control of our destiny and a better user interface … We think this is the future.”

So, the new WWE Network will be an online, “Over The Top” TV Network, which will be available online in your browser, or through specially-made WWE Network apps hitting Playstation, Xbox and Roku TV boxes. United States subscribers will have access to the Network via their chosen device for free between February 24th until March 2nd as a one-week trial to celebrate the Network’s launch, which will include one live NXT Episode.

While WWE are still quiet on when other territories will receive the Network, the company has stated that they plan to expand its reach further “by year’s end”. With the United Kingdom being WWE’s second biggest-selling territory, we highly expect an announcement for a UK launch in the next few months 🙂