Reporting bugs in Minecraft has always been an adventure.  With so many different places to post bugs, it's often difficult for Mojang to collate them all in a timely fashion.  So, what to do?  How about an official bug tracker!

Warren "EvilSeph" Loo, Mojang coder extraordinaire, brings us a new solution to bug tracking, in the form of  Mojira!  Although this new Minecraft bug tracker will mostly be community organized and run, it will be the official location to report bugs in Minecraft that Mojang will use. Please note, this bug-tracker will, at present, only be used for reporting bugs on 1.4.1 and later.  As 1.4 will release tomorrow, this means most of us won't be affected by older bug reporting, since everyone will be on the new update anyway!

EvilSeph had the following to say on the founding of Mojira:

EvilSeph said:

So, how can YOU help out with bug tracking?  We have included links below, so get to tracking those bugs!


Mojira Bug Tracking:  Click here

Guide to good Bug Report Making (a must-read!): Click here

If you want to help with bug tracking on all Minecraft platforms, including MCX360 and Pocket Edition, be sure to check out the list of official Mojang bug trackers - Click here!

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1.4.2 Pre-Release...Released

The 1.4 Pre-Release is now on version 1.4.2, now with even more bug-fixes, tweaks, and assorted goodies!  Links for the client and server are below!

• Fixed a severe memory leak in the server
  
• Corrected rendering of fences and cobblestone walls

Client:  Download

Server:  Download Back to Top

The 1.4 Very Scary Update releases tomorrow, and we are all very excited about it!  Many of us have already played the pre-release for excessive amounts of time, but what if you wanted more?  Turns out Mojang is having a contest around the update!

"Contest, you say?"  Indeed I do, and here's how it goes:

• Make a scary screenshot in Minecraft. It has to be a screenshot, not a piece of fan art.
  
• Make it the the scariest screenshot you’ve ever taken. One influenced by fear, impending danger, pain, anxiety; that kind of thing. You can wait for tomorrow’s update if you like, or submit it right away if you already have something in mind.
  
• Submit the screenshot to the Hej Mojang page before the end of October 30th, CEST.
  
• Wait for us to judge the submitted screenshots.
  
• Cross your fingers and hope you win!

Contests are awesome, but what about prizes?  We're glad you asked!  Mojang has a nice, real-life foam pickaxe, signed by the entire Mojang team, up for grabs as a prize!  That's pretty sweet, and not something easily come by, so definitely participate!

Minecraft is filled with plenty of scary moments, so get to taking those screenshots, and good luck to everyone! Back to Top

Block by Block; Better Building IRL

You may remember Mojang's project, "Mina Kvarter" (My Blocks) - a project that allows people to envision redevelopment of areas where they work and play, by using Minecraft as an architectural template.  Well, the project has been such a resounding success so far, that the UN is now taking an interest in it; Mojang is now collaborating with the UN, in a project called "Block by Block"!  Just like the formerly Swedish-only project, “Block by Block” aims to involve youth in the planning process in urban areas, by giving them the opportunity to show planners and decision makers how they would like to see their cities in the future.  Minecraft has turned out to be the perfect tool to see their vision come to life.  The three-year partnership will support UN-Habitat’s Sustainable Urban Development Network, to upgrade 300 public spaces by 2016!  The first pilot project in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s informal settlements, is already in the planning phase.

Mojang will be the main financial sponsor for Block by Block, and they will work closely with the UN to help reach the target goals. Lydia has been attending the World Urban Forum, announcing Block by Block together with UN Habitat. Lydia will also be working with our fantastic Minecraft community to support the project in various ways.  Mojang expects to have a site for Block by Block ready soon - keep an eye out!

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J!NX Swag on Sale?

Curse Premium is a pretty sweet deal - early (or even exclusive) access to giveaways, contests, and other promotions, not to mention the network-wide benefits provided.  Still, what if there was something else - something like, for example, massive discounts on J!NX swag?

That's right, in addition to the massive list of goodies on offer for Premium (up to and including easy texture pack management, an ad-free Minecraft Forum experience, special access to a Premium Only section of the forum, and much more), all Premium members get their own personal 15% discount* to all J!NX merchandise!  Get that creeper you always wanted!  Stock up on sweet Minecraft shirts!

As luck would have it, we are also giving away a decked out Origin PC (topped off with a sweet A40 Astro gaming headset)!  Want in on this sweepstakes?  Give Premium a try!

*Code currently only valid in North America; we are looking into some sweet goodies for our EU members, so keep an eye out!  DISCOUNTS FOR EVERYONE! Back to Top

Notch Interview at PAX

During PAX, there was an hour-long panel with Mojang on the topic of Minecraft - its past, present, and future.  Meanwhile, Minecraft founder Markus "Notch" Persson was being interviewed on his views on Minecraft, a brief look at the trademark fedora, his still-in-development title "0x10c" - and some of the exciting directions it is going in - and much more!  Want to see the full interview?  Click the image above, or this link.

An example question asked of Markus by PAX Senior Editor, Ben Kuchera, was: at what point did Notch feel Minecraft had gone from "just a game" to a complete success story?

Notch said:

Check out the full interview right here!

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Minecraft - Pocket Edition Updates Tomorrow!

Don't forget, Minecraft - Pocket Edition has an update going live TOMORROW (September 6th, 2012)!  Keep an eye out, as we reveal the full change log soon!  While we won't reveal every change coming just yet, there is one thing you can definitely expect to see on your hand-held Minecraft tomorrow...

ssssssss...

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If you weren't able to make it to PAX this year, we have a special treat for you!  The above video is Mojang's panel during the convention (over an hour of footage!), featuring the Director of Fun, Lydia "MinecraftChick" Winters, as well as developers Nathan "Dinnerbone" Adams, Erik "Grum" Broes, and Warren "EvilSeph" Loo.  They cover a wide variety of topics, and with the panel weighing in at over an hour, a lot of ground gets covered - check it out! Back to Top

Mojang at PAX!

Mojang has been busy at PAX all weekend, and we have been bringing you some pretty awesome updates on all things Minecraft going on there.  So, what's going on today, you ask?  EvilSeph has reminded us that there is a Minecraft Panel going on today, at 4:30 pm, PST!  Be sure to check out the panel - if you're not at PAX today, you can watch it live, on the PAX Twitch channel - click here to check it out!

Not enough Minecraft to whet your appetite?  How about this: Notch has announced that Minecraft's "Adventure Update" will be playable on the show floor!  The expansion, which is currently heavily in development, will add more than 40 new features in the sandbox blockbuster, such as NPC villages, additional farming activities, and randomly-generated dungeons!

Keep an eye out for more updates to Minecraft, PAX and more, right here!

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Notch's Beard is At Stake!

Speaking of awesome things related to Penny Arcade; a few weeks ago, QubeTubers hosted a popular charity event, which was frequented by nearly every major Minecraft personality in existence, including a number of Mojangsters!  The drive is still going on through today, and has cleared an impressive $70,000 in donations for the Child's Play charity!  However, there is an extra prize for clearing that $75,000 mark:

Notch will shave his beard.

That's right - if the QubeTuber's Charity Event clears $75,000 before the event ends, Notch will shave his beard off.

So, if you want to help out the most awesome children's charity ever AND see Notch sans beard, be sure to head over to the QubeTuber's Child's Play Charity Event - there's less than $5,000 to go for a beardless Notch, and countless children will see the benefit of your generosity.  Check it out! Back to Top

That's right, the PC version of Minecraft has surpassed 7 million sales!  In addition to blowing the lid off of XBLA sales records, and continuing to set incredible landmarks in the handheld market, Minecraft also has over 37 million registered users!

Minecraft as a game continues to have a phenomenal level of success, with humble beginnings in the hands of Mojang founding member Markus "Notch" Persson, and growing over a period of years into one of the most successful indie game titles in gaming history.  In addition, the recent changes to Minecraft in 1.3.1 - and future changes planned for 1.4, including Mod API support, more adventure map options, and more - are setting the stage for a whole new generation of game.  In many ways, the upcoming changes will allow people to custom-tailor Minecraft to their liking with minimal effort and hassle, paving the way for the ultimate user-made experience.

Congratulations to Mojang for the amazing sales milestone, and to everyone out there in the Minecraft community for making it what it is today! Back to Top

Ever wanted to ask Notch something? Tomorrow is your chance: he will be hosting an AMA ("Ask Me Anything") on Reddit on Tuesday, July 31st at 2:00 pm (14:00) GMT +1! So, if you have a burning question for the founder of Minecraft, now is the time - get your questions ready, and check out the Notch AMA tomorrow!

Can't get enough Minecrafty goodness? Looking for updates on the upcoming API for Minecraft? Want them in real-time? Look no further than the Minecraft API Bot on Twitter!

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Minecraft in Left 4 Dead?

Minecraft has invaded a number of popular game titles over the last year, and Left 4 Dead is among them. If you happen to have L4D, and want a little more blockiness in your game, check out this awesome map! The video above is a pretty good run-through of the map, if you need a preview. Download links below!

Deathcraft 2 Map: Download

Wait...L4D in Minecraft?

The door is swinging both ways this time, it seems - if you enjoyed Deathcraft 2, then you might appreciate a visit from the L4D characters in your Minecraft world! In the near future, the 4 primary characters from L4D - Louis, Bill, Zoey and Francis - will be available for use in MCX360! Back to Top

To many, the name "Uniloc" doesn't mean much - however, that will likely change in the coming days.  Uniloc is suing Mojang for allegedly infringing on the company's patent.  What patent is allegedly being infringed?

Quote

It is not known at this time what, if anything, this means for Mojang.  Of note, Markus "Notch" Persson has certainly voiced his opinion on the matter, stating that he "will throw piles of money at making sure they don't get a cent".  Little else is known about the lawsuit at this time.

Notch has made the lawsuit PDF available for viewing, which you can see by clicking here.  He has also posted a detailed write-up on his perspective on software patents - you can view it by clicking here.

Uniloc appears to be suing numerous other gaming producers allegedly violating this patent, including Square Enix, Electronic Arts and others.

Any further specifics of the case will be covered as they develop.

UPDATE:  Ric Richardson has posted his views on the situation as well, which you can read by clicking here.  It is important to note that Mr. Richardson has had no direct part in the lawsuit of Uniloc vs. Mojang.

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This week, David and Toby talk about Minecon 2012, Creeper clothes and other awesome Minecraftiness - check it out! Back to Top

MCX360 continues to dominate Xbox Live Arcade, recently surpassing over 3 million sales! Combined with the Pocket Edition (over 2 million sold), and the ever-popular, original PC Minecraft (weighing in at over 6.6 million sales), Minecraft has sold over 12 million copies, worldwide!

If that wasn't enough to be excited about, there's more good news! According to Major Nelson, MCX360 continues to hold the #2 spot for top titles (based on unique users), beating out games like FIFA 12, TES: Skyrim, Battlefield 3, and Halo: Reach, just to name a few. In many ways, this accurately reflects one of the best aspects of Minecraft - the community that brings it alive. With numerous servers, mini-games, amazing architecture and incredible maps, millions of Minecrafters give life to a unique community all their own.

Congratulations to Mojang for the amazing sales milestone, and to everyone out there in the Minecraft community for making it what it is today!

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This week, Pico gives us news about ComicCon, War Z, World of Tanks, Endless Space and more. Be sure to subscribe to stay updated on the latest gaming news from all across the network! Back to Top