Microsoft bought Minecraft and Mojang from Markus Persson some years ago. Nonetheless, Persson, who goes by the online handle “Notch”, has been referenced and credited as the creator of the game very prominently until now. That changed with the newest update for the game, which was pushed out yesterday.

This update removes and scrubs all references to Persson from the game’s splash screen and the like; in fact, the only place where he is still credited is in the actual credits, which I believe may be out of sheer legal obligation at this point. As for why Persson’s name has been removed, he has been under fire of late for openly broadcasting objectionable and bigoted views, and it is likely that Microsoft has decided that it does not want Minecraft, a brand so popular with children, associated with him. They presumably want to prevent exposure to Notch’s toxic views via Minecraft to the largest extent possible.

Right now, the update is just for the java version of the game, though 4J Studios (the folks behind the console versions) have confirmed they will be rolling it out for the console versions too.

A small update for Minecraft: Console Editions will be rolling out over the next few days to make some changes to splash text.

— 4J Studios (@4JStudios) March 19, 2019

Earlier this year, Mojang announced that it would be terminating ongoing support for the last generation versions of Minecraft. These would be the PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, and Wii U versions. Now, those versions of the game have received their last update at last, as developers 4J Studios noted on their Twitter account.

That update is the one that adds the “Nightmare Before Christmas” mash-up pack to the game. And that’s it. Going forward, these games will get no more updates (though obviously you can still continue playing Minecraft on these consoles for the foreseeable future).

Between the “Better Together” initiative, which consolidates the codebases across the various versions of the game, and this, you have to assume Microsoft is trying to streamline the rather sprawled out development pipelines for Minecraft a bit. You can’t blame them either, given that there were so many different versions they would otherwise have had to maintain. The game is available on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Kindle, and Android.

https://twitter.com/4jstudios/status/1074974965525635073?s=21

The final update for Minecraft Console Editions on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Wii U will be out today/tomorrow, adding The Nightmare Before Christmas Mash-up Pack.
Thank you to all the players on these editions for your support over the years 🙂

— 4J Studios (@4JStudios) December 18, 2018

4J Studios’ Minecraft: PS Vita Edition has finally passed certification and will be releasing on October 15th in Europe.

The developer tweeted today that, “#MinecraftPSVita passed final test and will be released on 15th October in Europe!” and released the above trailer above for your consumption. As of now, a North American release date is still to be confirmed.

Minecraft has been on the radar for quite some time following Microsoft’s recent acquisition of the IP and development studio Mojang. Despite Microsoft now owning the IP, it doesn’t seem to affect the release of the game on other consoles like the PlayStation 4. The North American release is likely to be announced in the coming days and will likely arrive before the European release so stay tuned for more information.

What are your thoughts on the above trailer? Let us know in the comments below what you think and whether you’ll be picking it up.

Sharpen your pickaxe and polish your shiniest armour because theirs an upcoming patch for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 builds of the game. 4J studios announced the updates via Twitter, saying “There’s a bug fix update for #MinecraftXbox1 in test at the moment…” and “There’s a bug fix update for #MinecraftPS4 in test at the moment…”

They also tweeted “We’re now working on an update for all Minecraft console editions to move up to the equivalent of Java 1.6.4 version. It may take some time!” That may suggest that their trying to bring the game on par with its original PC counterpart.

The fix list for the upcoming patches is quite large and include:

• Enable hiding mashup-pack worlds from the saves list, and re-enabling them all from the options menu.
• Changed 3D sound attenuation to have linear fall-off, with special cases for thunder, Enderdragon & Ghast sounds. (Sound volumes incorrect bug)
• Fix for entities being duplicated (every save/load cycle) for transferred worlds (Multiple Enderdragons bug).

[Source]

The acquisition of Minecraft and Mojang along with the departure of creator/founder Markus Persson is one of the bigger stories of the year, especially considering that Microsoft now owns one of the most popular franchises in the entire world. Given that Microsoft owns the Xbox One, it was assumed that would make Minecraft exclusive to the console.

Even if it does, 4J Studios is still bringing Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition to Sony’s handheld. It revealed in a recent tweet that, “We’ve handed Minecraft: PlayStation®Vita Edition over to Sony for final test!”

It could be that the handheld version doesn’t come under the new agreement since Minecraft on the PS Vita was in development before the IP was acquired. Whatever the particulars of the deal may be, Vita fans will be able to experience Minecraft on their handhelds fairly soon.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the Minecraft union? Let us know in the comments.

4J Studios’ Minecraft: Xbox One Edition should be available now, depending on where you are in the world, thus bringing the highly successful open world sandbox title fully into the newest generation of consoles (since the PS4 version launched yesterday). Among the new features, you’ll be able to transfer any worlds created on the Xbox 360 Edition into the Xbox One Edition. But how do you go about doing that? Check out the video above.

Other new features for Minecraft: Xbox One Edition include 8 player support over Xbox Live, four player split-screen and worlds that are 36 times larger than the Xbox 360 version. You’ll also be able to transfer all your DLC to the new generation and avail of a discounted price of $4.99 in the process. First time players will need to shell out the regular $19.99 though.

Now all that’s left is for the PS Vita version of Minecraft to release. Stay tuned for more details.

4J Studios just can’t catch a break. After resending Minecraft: PS4 Edition for certification from Sony, announcing a small delay and eventually releasing the game yesterday on the PlayStation Store, it’s run into issues. Consumers are reporting the game not loading properly on the PS Store. Those who can get it to load either can’t download it properly or have their money deducted while not getting it at all.

Sony recognizes these issues and recently stated that, We are aware some users are having issues with pricing, purchasing and downloading Minecraft for the PS4. We are working to resolve the issue ASAP, please try again at a later time.”

It’s a shame really, especially with all the delays and such, but hopefully this will be just one last hurdle before the griefing and Creeping begins. Stay tuned for more information on this issue and in the meantime, avoid downloading Minecraft on the PS4.

4J Studios’ Minecraft: PS4 Editon is now available for players and like the Xbox One version – which will be out tomorrow – an upgrade offer is available for those with the PS3 version.

Those with the PS3 version will be able to upgrade to the PS4 version for 3.99 euros. Those who are picking up the PS4 edition separately will have to 18.99 euros, which is the full price for the game. That’s what you get for not dabbling in Minecraft in the first place.

The PS4 Edition will be similar to the Xbox One Edition in that it supports four player split-screen, 8 players over Xbox Live and worlds larger than the PS3 version’s by 36 times. If you’ve purchased any DLC for the PS3 version or want to shift your saved content over to the PS4, you’ll be able to do that as well.

Will you be partaking in Minecraft for the PS4? Let us know in the comments.

After sending Minecraft: Xbox One Edition to Microsoft for final certification recently, 4J Studios has announced that the open world sandbox title will be releasing for the console on September 5th. Yes, that’s less than three days away. Mark your calendars, Achievement Hunter (assuming they have not yet been marked for months now).

Even better, Xbox 360 owners can upgrade to the Xbox One version for just $4.99. The game will retail at $19.99 for new consumers though. New features include worlds that are larger than the Xbox 360 version by 36 times, 8 player support through Xbox Live and four player split-screen. You’ll also be able to transfer any worlds you’ve created, along with DLC purchased, to the Xbox One version.

The PlayStation 4 Edition of Minecraft will be out tomorrow while the PS Vita version is still in development. Are you looking forward to Minecraft on the Xbox One? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

After delays with the PS4 version, since it had to be resent for the final certification after some bugs had emerged, 4J Studios has revealed that the Xbox One version of Minecraft is now in the final certification phase at Microsoft.

This was revealed by the developer on Twitter. “We’ve handed Minecraft: Xbox One Edition over to Microsoft for final test!” Though the PS4 version was resent, it’s unlikely the same thing will happen to the Xbox One edition. Regardless, it’s still looking to be a while before Minecraft appears on either current gen console (along with the PS Vita version, which still needs more work).

Minecraft: Xbox One Edition, along with the PS4 version, will offer far larger worlds than the previous generation versions. Will it look as stunningly beautiful as Minecraft on PC with mods? We’ll find out in the coming months so stay tuned for more information on a release date.