Minecraft released for android.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe

by xd • 15 years ago

127 86 15 years ago

market.android.com

mwill3• 15 years ago

For prosperity:

Right now its Xperia Play only, Mojang have said it'll be available on other devices in a month or two.

Some people have already thrown the .apk on other devices, and gotten in game, however it's unplayable without the physical inputs on the Xperia Play. (http://imgur.com/a/bknX7)

They've committed to further updates following a similar model to the desktop version. The current version is actually 0.1.

sspencer• 15 years ago

Unless you are making a point I can't understand, I think you mean "posterity" instead of "prosperity."

mwill3• 15 years ago

You're right, thanks. My bad. : P

TillE• 15 years ago

"This item is not compatible with your device."

Curious. I'm trying to think of which restriction would exclude my device.

Or...could it be that I'm running CM7, when the Motorola Milestone is only officially on 2.2?

pieter• 15 years ago

It's Xperia Play only for now: http://mojang.com/2011/08/16/say-hello-to-minecraft-pocket-e...

fredoliveira• 15 years ago

Sadly it does read "Xperia PLAY optimized" on the market. If it's Xperia Play only, thats what it should stay instead :-/

starwed3• 15 years ago

It could be the Milestone simply doesn't have enough RAM.

nabilt• 15 years ago

Doesn't work on the Samsung tab 10.1 either, which is an awesome gaming device if you don't mind virtual controls.

klausa• 15 years ago

So far, it only works on one phone - Xperia Play, also known as Playstation Phone, although notch said that they are working on bringing it as 'regular' Market release.

TamDenholm• 15 years ago

My main problem with this is i've bought minecraft already, why must i pay again if i already have a legitimate license?

MonkeyCrumpets• 15 years ago

When you buy a game for the Wii, do you expect to get the 3DS version free?

risratorn• 15 years ago

Exactly! Imo it's nothing more than normal you'd have to pay for the mobile versions too.

njharman• 15 years ago

Yes, just like shifting music or movies from CD/DVD player to mp3/Computer. When I buy "content" or a license to "play" I expect to be able to transfer it amongst all the devices I own.

I know software requires manual translation. But, the above behavior is what I expect.

gcb2• 15 years ago

when you buy a game for the wii is it incomplete?

jff• 15 years ago

I would expect to get, as you put it, the 3DS VERSION for free, if when I purchased the game for the Wii it specifically said that I will receive all future updates and new versions for free.

If it shows up for my phone, I might shell out $7 for it anyway.

jmilloy• 15 years ago

Why downvotes? Maybe for many of you, the answer is obvious, but I think this can be an interesting question.

Certainly, some additional work goes into each separate version and you shouldn't just get that for free. But to pay full price for both versions seems wrong too. Might there be a base cost, with an additional cost for each system? That's as simple as giving Tam a discount for the mobile version after entering a legitimate license.

watty5• 15 years ago

It's just not how the gaming business works and Mojang would lose money. It's a different game on a different system and probably required a huge effort to optimize code and trim it down to work on a mobile device. They could do a promotion at some point to give discounts but this will never be the norm.

Game_Ender• 15 years ago

The issue here is that this is not a port, it's a completely new mobile code base with a new internal developer behind it. It doesn't benefit directly from any of the work done on the Java version. It might make business sense to give some discounts to existing players, but I think the logistics of that would be difficult.

ugh4• 15 years ago

Just think about all the trouble: Mojang doesn’t use one payment processor, they use two and they would have to find some way to let customers prove to one payment processor that they used the other one.

That’s not all that problematic on their side (though still a lot of work), maybe they could find some sort of (semi-)automatic way to get a discount on the desktop version of Minecraft with a receipt or a code the Android app displays. (I would guess that at the volumes Minecraft sells something like this has to generate a lot of support requests, though.)

The much, much more common case (existing buyers of Minecraft for the desktop buy the mobile edition) is also much harder. I don’t think the Android Market has a built-in mechanism for entering codes to get discounts or something like that. (Maybe it has, I don’t know. I have never heard of something like that, though.) They would have to create a way for buyers to, I don’t know, maybe enter a code the Android app displays on their website to get a discount. That would again be work but at least it’s possible.

But how is Mojang going to get $2, $3 or something like that to the customers? Is there a way to easily do that? I don’t think so and even if the fees would be horrendous.

All of this is work and would also probably be a customer support nightmare.

It’s easier to just have one price point, especially if it is so low anyway. Hardly anyone will buy the mobile edition and not the desktop edition, how would it be worth it to create an additional price point for this tiny minority? It just doesn’t make any business sense.

beaumartinez• 15 years ago

For those unaware, when you bought Minecraft in Alpha you were promised you would get all future versions for free.

Hence you should get this for free if you bought it in Alpha—this image[1] explains it nicely.

[1] http://i.imgur.com/ccckk.png

ugh4• 15 years ago

Really? This kooky theory finds it way to HN from Reddit. Wow. Who would have thought? I’m very disappointed.

The language he uses in a blog post is not relevant. What’s relevant is whether a court would think that “future versions” from the license also includes different games using in some respects the same mechanic, that share some resources but not code. That’s very, very unlikely.

Your first sentence is justified, the second is speculation masked as a factual statement.

(This also reeks of entitlement. Even if Mojang made a mistake when writing their license, asking for all ports to be free is behavior I’m unable to comprehend.)

tom9729• 15 years ago

Disclaimer: I bought it in Alpha.

That image reeks of stupidity. The mobile version (SEE, I said it) is a different game on a different platform. Like most words in any natural language 'version' is ambiguous. The original promise meant that you would get every update to the game for free, not that you would somehow be entitled to every derivative game released later on.

ja2ke• 15 years ago

I've also bought Minecraft, but I haven't bought this new, differently named title, "Minecraft Pocket Edition," so I'm not concerned or confused.

runjake• 15 years ago

Because Minecraft Pocket Edition is different software that required months of work and financing (if you've followed its development) to develop.

You have to pay again in order for the software developer to make those funds back. There would be a lot less incentive to port software or develop future versions if they had to be made free.

pyre• 15 years ago

They wouldn't necessarily need to be for free. Porting it to another platform opens up a new market. There are probably a lot of people that have an Android phone that haven't bought Minecraft for iPhone or PC.

fondue• 15 years ago

No multiplayer? Not worth it to me.

mwill3• 15 years ago

There is local wireless multiplayer.

bignoggins• 15 years ago

I wonder why they chose android first over iOS, considering paid apps generally do better on iOS.

ghiculescu• 15 years ago

Probably because Minecraft was already written in Java so this wouldn't require as much porting.

exDM694• 15 years ago

This brings me to a point. I was thinking about writing a game (real time 3d graphics, etc) for desktop and mobile, as many platforms as possible. What would be the language or tool of choice to go with?

My conclusion: in 2011 you should write your program in C if you want to reach the widest audience with a single code base.

You'll still have to write some Obj-C for OSX/iOS but it's easier to interop Obj-C with C than any other language. With Android you go with NDK and you might have to write a little Java/Dalvik if the default launcher of NDK is not good enough. On desktop Linux you'll need a little bit of X11 programming.

On iOS, OSX, Android and Linux you can do use Posix system calls pretty liberally but have to keep some portability issues in mind (e.g. epoll vs. kqueue).

Of course then there is Windows, that has almost nothing in common with any other platform out there but it can still be programmed with C.

I've seen products that claim to give you portability across all these platforms but my experiences with that kind of frameworks have always been negative. Some cross platform game engines may be able to deliver a bit better.

Of course then there's the option of simply duplicating the code base for all platforms which seems to be popular with small apps. With a game, where the graphics and game logic are the majority of the code, you probably don't want to duplicate that part. You could also try writing some of the non-speed critical stuff (like game logic) with a scripting language like Lua (if your appstores allow you to do such a thing).

I am slightly disappointed that we still have to write C to write code that's fast and portable, esp. on mobile platforms. Also the lack of any kind of standard library (apart from libc and posix) makes a cross-platform developers job a bit harder.

watty5• 15 years ago

I'm guessing he was able to reuse some of his java code in the mobile version (as opposed to a complete rewrite). He probably spent most of his time optimizing - PC Minecraft can bring gaming machines to their knees.

reidmain• 15 years ago

They actually brought on a developer specifically to work on the Android version. Notch and Jens are the only two developers who work on the PC version of Minecraft.

Everyone else that has been hired at Mojang is working on their next game 'Scrolls'.

windsurfer2• 15 years ago

Probably something to do with Minecraft being coded in Java?

juliano_q• 15 years ago

I think because of Java and because is easier to port Minecraft to the Xperia Play than to pure touch screen phones.

b_disraeli• 15 years ago

I believe it was part of some sort of deal with Sony Ericsson to get an exclusive for the Xperia Play. Mojang has said that they're working on a both a generic Android version as well as one for iOS.

leon_2• 15 years ago

I guess it's the user base. The 4chan/gamer kids usually have android handsets. (Also android is java too ...)

city41• 15 years ago

Based on Notch's G+ updates, I get the impression he's pretty content and not really looking to maximize profit. So he probably went with the platform he prefers for whatever his reasons are.

jokermatt9992• 15 years ago

It's also probably much, much easier to port to an interface that includes some physical controls. Minecraft uses a number of control on the PC (movement including crouching and jumping, interacting with M1/M2, inventory, menu). I can't imagine what a pain it would be to adapt that for purely touchscreen.

I've tried to play console adapted games on touchscreen via emulator, and it just simply doesn't work well. Games with action are horrible (Super Mario World was what I tried), but even turn based games are annoying to control. Having buttons really makes it easier.

On a completely unrelated note, that's why I bought a Droid 1 and then a Droid 2. I really wish more Android phones would include a physical keyboard; they're a much nicer experience than any touchscreen keyboard I've ever used, including the iPhone's.

baconner• 15 years ago

Beyond the Java point I suspect the ease of releasing frequent small updates on android fits the way they do development better.

exDM694• 15 years ago

Is this creative mode ("minecraft classic") only? Or is there a survival mode too? Survival and Multiplayer? All the screenshots and video teasers I've seen have been creative only.

joelhaasnoot• 15 years ago

All the reviews on the marketplace indicate it's creative only. Bummer, survival is lots of fun. Sure that it'll be ported over though, they're working on Xbox versions too...

citricsquid2• 15 years ago

This is the first release, it's creative only for now but they're expanding into survival eventually.

fedorabbit• 15 years ago

Consider Minecraft is entirely coded in Java, I'm surprised it's not been ported to Android platform sooner... But again, although game's size itself is not big, Minecraft is very resource consuming as the world expands.

citricsquid2• 15 years ago

Yes, Minecraft is very resource intensive and a lot of people with powerful computers (relative to smartphones) can't run it, a straight port would not work. It's been rebuilt from the ground up.

brackin• 15 years ago

I would say "How can this work on such a small screen" but when I was younger, Age of Empires for Dell Axium was one of the most exciting games to to play. Felt so futuristic.

dkersten3• 15 years ago

The default applet version of minecraft doesn't have a much higher resolution than a decent smartphone has and its perfectly playable!

PS: yes, Age of Empires did seem futuristic at the time! Try play it now though - the low resolution may just burn your eyes :-)

extension2• 15 years ago

Let me hop on my soapbox for a minute and say that Mojang really seems to be squandering the greatness that they have discovered in this game.

Minecraft's level of success is unheard of for an indie game, by a huge margin, and it's well deserved. My favorite critic quote called it something like "an end to the era of shallow games". I think they've created a new genre, or possibly multiple genres, with more potential than any one developer could realize in a lifetime.

And yet:

They hocked exclusivity rights to a marginal platform. Now they have to develop and promote a game that nobody can buy for some mysterious amount of time. I seriously doubt that whatever amount of cash Sony dumped on them was worth it.

And what they released, and attached the Minecraft name to, is a drastically dumbed down version of the game: 36 blocks, no survival, no mining, no infinite worlds, no online multiplayer. You can see the disappointment reflected in the market reviews.

I'm aware that a straight port is not technically feasible, but I'm confident that they could make something a lot closer to the desktop version if they took advantage of cloud resources and took mobile more seriously.

Notch is a very talented game designer and I think he has great vision, but maybe not enough confidence in his vision. He's still thinking like an indie developer and grasping at opportunities.

windsurfer2• 15 years ago

I think it's fine, personally.

weavejester• 15 years ago

He's still thinking like an indie developer and grasping at opportunities.

Or perhaps he's thinking incrementally. Notch has always been a big proponent of incremental development, rather than keeping a game secret and releasing it only when it's done.

extension2• 15 years ago

They've said as much, but that process works a lot better for obscure indie desktop games than for mobile apps trying to capitalize on fame. A lot of potential new players are going buy it to see what all the fuss is about, not see the point of it, and move on.

If the mobile version is being developed independently of the desktop version, then it's always going to lag way behind and not share the same base of players. It's the t-shirt, not the game.

starwed3• 15 years ago

Regarding the platform: I don't know how relevant it is, but Minecraft was written in Java. Android apps are normally written in Java. Maybe this was simply the path of least resistance?

shinratdr4• 15 years ago

Choosing Android may have been the path of least resistance, choosing the Xperia Play however is the path of "large amounts of cash up front".

rjd2• 15 years ago

What marginal platform are you talking about? you know its available on Macs, PC, Xbox, and Android right?

You seem way off point with your analysis. Seems they are actively moving across every major platform.

darrenkopp• 15 years ago

I'm guessing that he's talking about this being exclusive to the Sony Xperia phone when he's talking about platform there.

shinratdr4• 15 years ago

> What marginal platform are you talking about?

The Xperia Play.

> Minecraft Pocket Edition is now up for grabs -- provided you've got $6.99 to spare, and you're one of the folks who picked up Sony's Xperia Play.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/238162/minecraft_pocket_editi... (This is so clunky, I wish we just had Markdown).

Not only has he limited himself to Android (you notice no other mobile platforms in your list there) he's chosen to take an exclusivity deal from Sony so that it's artificially limited to only the Xperia Play for at least a month or two.

pinchyfingers• 15 years ago

I believe there is good reason for the game being dumbed down for the mobile version. An intense session of Minecraft probably won't translate so well to mobile - UI in particular possess a legit challenge for a game originally designed with a keyboard and mouse in mind.

Minecraft released for android.

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