p>First glimpse of virtual reality Minecraft at Xbox showcase Dave Lee North America technology reporter
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p>1 March 2016
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p>Millions of gamers enjoy Minecraft. Microsoft now shows us how virtual reality can be developed.
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p>Microsoft purchased the block-building phenomenon in 2014 for $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) which was a huge deal that had players concerned about its future.
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p>The US firm promised not to alter its well-known formula and instead would invest in taking Minecraft to the next level.
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p>The Xbox division launched the first virtual reality version Minecraft at an event in San Francisco event.
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p>"It makes you feel as if you're in the world of Minecraft," said Palmer Luckey who invented the Oculus Rift VR headset.
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p>As with many VR experiences, it's completely absorbing. It is a great way to experience Minecraft's thrilling construction process on a virtual screen.
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p>However, for a game that is played by youngsters, there's a price that could be a concern for parents 1500 dollars.
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p>This is the amount to purchase an Oculus headset and a powerful computer to power it.
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p>That's surely too expensive, and I suggested to Mr Luckey.
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p>"It isn't," he said.
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p>"I mean, it's expensive relative to everything else out in the world however, if you look at it compared to a mobile phone or television you'll get a lot more technology.
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p>"It's not as if this is a simple piece of hardware and the cost is going to fall over time."
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p>If it is to be accepted by mainstream audiences it will have to come down very quickly.
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p>As of now, I'd like to see an occasional revival of the arcade game that is a place where players go to play top-quality games that they are unable to afford to purchase for their homes.
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p>Big titles
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p>Minecraft on Oculus was one of the many games displayed at Xbox's Spring Showcase, a chance for journalists - as well as a few influential YouTube? gamers, naturally - to be involved with the latest blockbusters.
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p>Quantum Break was a fascinating world that has me shivering for an hour. It's a video game where you play Jack Joyce, an uncooperative action hero who gains the ability to alter time following an experiment gone wrong.
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p>If that sounds like yet another typical scenario for an online game, you're right - but the title's mechanics (think "bullet time", only better) create something unique.
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p>Also, be sure to read Tom Clancy's The Division -- set in a meticulously faithful-to-life Manhattan.
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p>A lot of the titles that were included on the show were also advertised as excellent to run on a PC using Microsoft's Windows 10 operating systems.
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p>"If you look at the numbers, PC gaming has the fastest growing segment of gaming," stated Phil Spencer who is the director of Xbox.
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p>"It's only natural that we would concentrate on gaming on Windows."
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p>Virtual plans
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p>Microsoft has decided to not create its own headset for virtual reality. However it is still working on the Hololens-focused Hololens. Instead it is working to make it compatible with the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
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p>In the debate over price on the price, Mr. Spencer declared that he believed virtual reality would follow the same path of high definition TVs - a luxury item to start with, but hard to resist once experienced.
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p>He said, "The early adopters of VR will be there to spur the industry."
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p>Given the fact that Sony's PlayStation? 4 will soon get its own VR headset, I asked whether Microsoft might consider creating its own equipment.
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p>He said, "I believe it could be something we'll be able to incorporate into our roadmap." https://www.pearltrees.com/slicedragon11/item467955243 But he said that the focus is now on creating Windows 10 fully-compatible with high-end VR games.
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p>'Not hacked'
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p>The new games aren't worth anything if gamers can't play them online. And of late it's been a bit of an issue.
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p>The poor reliability of Xbox Live - the service Xbox gamers use to play each other on the internet - has stressed out thousands.
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p>Disgruntled fans include rapper Snoop Dogg, who - in a video too profane to include here demanded Bill Gates to fix the problem or he'd defect to PlayStation?.
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p>Mr Spencer apologized for the issues.
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p>He added, "It's evidently always regretful."
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p>"This last outage was a concern that we learned from. We were able to pinpoint exactly what was causing the issue and it just took us some time than we would like."
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p>He denied that the company was a victim of hacking, and said that even though its network was constantly under attack it wasn't, like claimed destroyed as a result of a coordinated effort for gamers to be cut off. https://dencker-mckee-2.technetbloggers.de/the-smart-trick-of-minecraft-servers-that-nobody-is-discussing </p>
p>Snoop Dogg is at risk of becoming lost: "Snoop has been a long-time Xbox player and a supporter for quite a long time.
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p>"I can understand when people become angry. It's a sign that people are passionate and committed to our mission as a gaming platform. http://valuedragon02.jigsy.com/entries/general/Press-Freedom-Group-Stores-Censored-Articles-in-Minecraft-Library </p>
p>Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook.
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p>Orangutans try gaming in Australian zoo
/p>
p>15 February 2016
/p>
p>Microsoft tests underwater data centre
/p>
p>2 February 2016
/p>
p>VR gaming: What do we know so far
/p>
p>Oculus VR headset for sale at $599
/p>
p>7 January 2016
/p>
p>Microsoft Xbox
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