Minecraft: Pocket Edition is the mobile version of Minecraft developed by Mojang AB. It was initially launched exclusively for the Xperia PLAY on Google Play[10] for US$6.99 on August 16, 2011. It was later released for other Android devices on the 7th of October 2011.[11] Minecraft Pocket Edition for iOS devices was released on Thursday, the 17th of November 2011[12] on the iOS App Store. On September 13, 2012, the Pocket Edition was made available for purchase on the Amazon Appstore. On April 2, 2014, the Pocket Edition was released for the Amazon Fire TV, with support for the Fire TV's controller.[13] A demo/lite version of the game, which was essentially version 0.2.1 without world save functionality, was available until October 21, 2013. On December 10, 2014, the Windows Phone version was released on the Windows Store.[14] On July 29, 2015, Minecraft Pocket Edition was released on Windows 10 as Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta.[15]
Gameplay
The objective of the game remains the same as its more developed PC and Console Edition counterparts, where players can build virtual realities in a sandbox-like environment. Like its counterparts, Pocket Edition also has survival elements present in other versions of the game such as brewing, hunger, and dimensions like the nether but doesn't include any bosses in this game. The multiplayer mode is cross-platform compatible between all touch-screen devices capable of running Pocket Edition.[16]
The HUD and other elements are adapted to mobile standards of gameplay. Interactions are made via touchscreen (both the iOS and Android versions of Pocket Edition have the same gameplay[17]). To comply with the disadvantages of touchscreen gameplay, several features were revised. For instance, the crafting system uses the MATTIS system and items are disposed by long-tapping their icon on the hotbar. For better visibility on mobile screens, blocks being aimed at are highlighted rather than outlined. Unlike mobile's crafting menu, Windows 10 edition's crafting menu is similar to PC and Console crafting menu. The game was released with graphics akin to that of Minecraft Alpha (bright green grass blocks, old cobblestone texture, etc.), but as of Alpha 0.8.0, graphics have become equivalent, and arguably better, than the PC version with light tinting and shading affected by the Sun's position. Differences from the PC edition include:
- Each mob has some sort of difference from their PC counterparts. See the Mobs section below.
- Multiplayer allows for 3 ways of player connection:
- Through a LAN, allowing for 5 players to be on a single server
- Through Pocket Realms (as of Alpha 0.7.1) Pocket Realms was closed in Alpha 0.7.6
- Through a user-created external server (as of version Alpha 0.7.4)
Diversity
Pocket Edition differs from the PC version in a variety of ways, such as more vibrant graphics, revised terrain and exclusive items. The development team stated that once Pocket Edition is up to date with PC, it will start making its own diverse progress.[18]
Content
Blocks
Icon | Name | Note |
---|---|---|
Air | ||
Stone | ||
File:Granite Block.png | Granite | Can be used to craft stone slabs |
Polished granite | Can be used to craft stone slabs and stone bricks | |
Diorite | Can be used to craft stone slabs | |
Polished diorite | Can be used to craft stone slabs and stone bricks | |
Andesite | Can be used to craft stone slabs | |
Polished andesite | Can be used to craft stone slabs and stone bricks | |
Grass block | ||
Grass path | Generates in villages as the paths; Does not block light; Can be obtained using Silk Touch | |
Mycelium | ||
Dirt | DV 1 is still grassless, as opposed to coarse dirt | |
Podzol | ||
Cobblestone | ||
File:Moss Stone.png | Moss stone | |
Cobblestone wall | Different inventory appearance | |
Mossy cobblestone wall | Different inventory appearence | |
Coal Ore | ||
Iron Ore | ||
Redstone Ore | Glowing form still available in inventory though editing | |
Gold Ore | Spawns at any level in mesa biomes | |
Lapis lazuli ore | ||
Diamond ore | ||
Emerald ore | ||
Nether Quartz Ore | ||
File:Oak Wood Planks.png | Wood planks | |
Sapling | Does not support gravity blocks | |
Bedrock | ||
Invisible Bedrock | Generates in Old type worlds; Shares many features with Barrier | |
Water | Old animation used; Flowing texture when next to transparent blocks; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Lava | Brighter appearance; Old texture; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
File:Cracked Stone Brick.png | Monster egg | Behaves differently to Silk Touch |
File:Monster Spawner.gif | Monster spawner | Available in Creative inventory |
File:Enchantment Table.png | Enchantment Table | Book on table glows |
Anvil | ||
Brewing Stand | Block form can be obtained using Silk Touch | |
End Portal Frame | Not functional; Only the empty variant is available in the creative inventory | |
End Stone | Creative mode exclusive; Cannot craft end stone bricks | |
Mob head | Old inventory textures; Not wearable, Does not create Wither | |
Sand | ||
Red Sand | Cannot craft red sandstone | |
Gravel | Cannot be used to craft coarse dirt | |
File:Hardened Clay.png | Hardened clay | |
File:White Stained Clay.png | Stained clay | |
File:Wood.png | Wood | |
File:Leaves.png | Leaves | Jungle is opaque regardless of graphics settings; Has frost covered texture in snowy biomes |
Glass | Not dyeable | |
Lapis lazuli block | ||
Sandstone | 3 out of 6 types (all yellow, no red) | |
File:Bed.png | Bed | Block form can be obtained using Silk Touch |
Wool | ||
Carpet | Solid | |
Grass | Generates in different sizes | |
Fern | Can be grown from grass with bone meal | |
Lily pad | ||
File:Vine.png | Vines | Generates on dying trees |
File:Cocoa Plant.gif | Cocoa pod | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
Dead bush | ||
Dandelion | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Poppy | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Blue orchid | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Allium | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Azure Bluet | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Tulip | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Oxeye daisy | Cannot support gravity affected blocks | |
Sunflower | Cannot support gravity affected blocks; Top half can be replaced by other blocks; Cannot be duplicated with bone meal; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Lilac | Cannot support gravity affected blocks; Top half can be replaced by other blocks; Cannot be duplicated with bone meal; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Rose bush | Cannot support gravity affected blocks; Top half can be replaced by other blocks; Cannot be duplicated with bone meal; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Peony | Cannot support gravity affected blocks; Top half can be replaced by other blocks; Cannot be duplicated with bone meal; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Brown mushroom | ||
Red mushroom | Can be smelted to make Red dye | |
File:Huge Mushrooms.gif | Huge mushroom | Available in creative inventory, 4 placeable variants (red, brown, stalk, pores) |
Block of Redstone | Not registered as transparent | |
Block of Gold | ||
Block of Iron | ||
Block of Coal | ||
Soul Sand | Does not create Wither | |
Stone slab | Does not block light | |
File:Oak-Wood Slab.png | Wooden slab | Old stone type slabs are tagged as Wooden Slab and drop oak slabs, Does not block light |
Sandstone slab | Does not block light | |
Cobblestone slab | Does not block light | |
File:Bricks Slab.png | Brick slab | Does not block light |
Quartz Slab | Uses the texture from the bottom of quartz block, Does not block light | |
File:Stone Bricks Slab.png | Stone brick slab | Does not block light |
Nether brick slab | Does not block light | |
File:Brick (Block).png | Bricks | |
TNT | ||
Bookshelf | ||
Obsidian | ||
Glowing obsidian | Exclusive block; Unobtainable in inventory without editing | |
Torch | Old rendering | |
File:Redstone (Torch, Inactive).png | Redstone Torch | Burned-out block obtainable in inventory through editing |
Fire | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
File:Wooden Stairs.png | Wooden stairs | Does not block light |
Chest | Must face the same direction as an adjacent chest to make a Large Chest, otherwise it creates two adjacent chests Breaking particles concur with texture; Texture remains default on Christmas Day; Old texture in inventory | |
Trapped Chest | ||
Block of diamond | ||
Block of emerald | ||
Crafting table | ||
File:StoneCutter.png | Stonecutter | Exclusive block; Creative mode exclusive |
File:Crops.png | Wheat Crop | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
Hay bale | ||
Farmland | Does not block light | |
Furnace | Smelting progress speed persists when out of fuel | |
File:Sign.png | Sign | Block form can be obtained using Silk Touch; Flammable |
File:Wooden Door.png | Wooden door | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
Iron door | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
Ladder | ||
Cobblestone stairs | Does not block light | |
Snow layer | Stacks in snowy weather, Can occupy the same block as small plants, Affected by gravity, Melts in sunlight if not in a snow biome | |
Ice | Permanently opaque regardless of graphics settings | |
Packed ice | ||
File:Snow (Block).png | Snow | Old sounds |
Cacti | Inventory rendering glitch | |
Clay | ||
Sugar canes | Can be grown with bone meal; Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
File:Fence.png | Fence | |
Netherrack | ||
Glowstone | ||
Cake | ||
File:Trapdoor.png | Trapdoor | Requires supporting block |
Button | ||
Pressure plate | ||
File:Daylight Sensor.png | Daylight sensor | |
Redstone lamp | Powered lamp obtainable in inventory through editing | |
File:Weighted Pressure Plate (Heavy).png | Weighted pressure plate | |
Lever | ||
Tripwire hook | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing | |
File:Stone Brick.png | Stone bricks | Can be used to craft each other |
Glass pane | Old rendering; Single panes still have plus formation | |
Iron bars | Single bars still have plus formation | |
Note block | ||
File:Melon (Block).png | Melon | |
File:Seed Stem.png | Melon stem | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
Pumpkin | Not wearable; Not worn by mobs on Halloween | |
Jack o'lantern | Not worn by mobs on Halloween | |
File:Seed Stem Grown.png | Pumpkin Stem | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
File:Carrot (Block).png | Carrot crop | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
File:Potatoes (Block).png | Potato crop | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
File:Beetroot Seeds.gif | Beetroot crop | Block form obtainable in inventory through editing |
File:Rails.png | Rail | |
File:PoweredRail.gif | Powered rail | |
Detector Rail | ||
Activator Rail | ||
Fence gate | ||
Stone brick stairs | Does not block light | |
Brick stairs | Does not block light | |
Nether brick | ||
Nether brick stairs | Does not block light | |
Sandstone stairs | Does not block light | |
Block of quartz | ||
Quartz stairs | Does not block light | |
File:Sponge (Indev).png | Sponge | Creative mode exclusive; Not functional; Old texture; Flammable |
File:Reactor Block.png | Nether reactor core | Exclusive block; Drops 6 iron ingots and 3 diamonds; Unobtainable in inventory without editing or having it previously |
Items
Mobs
Icon | Name | Note |
---|---|---|
Bat | ||
Blaze | Old AI | |
Cave Spider | ||
Chicken | ||
Chicken Jockey | ||
Creeper | Has a smaller explosion | |
Cow | ||
Enderman | Does not drop ender pearls; Gets provoked when looked at on its waist rather than face; Has an exclusive attack animation | |
Ghast | ||
Iron Golem | ||
Magma Cube | ||
Mooshroom | ||
Ocelot | ||
Pig | ||
Rabbit | Only spawns in forests; Eats all crop types; Flees from the player (no longer exclusive from PC 1.9) | |
Sheep | Has color overlay around its face and when dyed; Does not drop mutton | |
Silverfish | Slightly different texture | |
Skeleton | Old animation holding bows | |
Slime | ||
Snow Golem | The pumpkin can be removed using shears, revealing the face of the snow golem (no longer exclusive from PC 1.9) | |
Spider | ||
Spider Jockey | May spawn with cave spiders | |
Squid | Spawns version exclusive baby squid; Produces ink particles when attacked | |
Villager | Cannot trade | |
Wither Skeleton | Old animation holding stone swords | |
Wolf | Puppies may spawn naturally | |
Zombie | Drops 0-2 rotten flesh and/or 1 feather | |
Zombie Pigman | Slower speed | |
Zombie Villager |
Development
Release
A video of an early prototype was released on Twitter, showing the game on the Xperia PLAY. The alpha version was recently released, and became no longer exclusive to the Xperia PLAY on the 7th of October 2011. The non-exclusive version was going to be released on September 29th for Android[19] but there were several severe bugs that needed to be fixed; the release was delayed until the 7th of October.
A version for iOS devices was confirmed to be released before 2012 in an interview with Mojang[20] and was subsequently released on the 17th of November 2011.
Alpha
After the initial releases for iOS and Android, updates were released in parallel, with the same features being added for both platforms. During the Alpha stage, various aspects of gameplay were introduced into Pocket Edition including: crafting, smelting, more blocks, items, mobs and more game modes to bring it closer to the PC version. As the Minecraft Pocket Edition development team works closely, often blocks released on the computer version are released around the same time for the Pocket Edition.
Snapshots
Starting on November 22, 2013,[21] Mojang began to publicly release testing versions of full updates to Android users who opt into the beta program, in order to get major feedback, especially for bug reporting. This enabled the official updates to be considerably more stable.
Versions from 0.8.0 to 0.12.1 required opting into a Google+ group to receive development builds. Players would then see updates development updates appear as normal updates in the Play Store. On July 17, 2015, the Google+ group was removed due to the amount of spam and advertisements that the group attracted."[22][23][24] On November 3, 2015, the PE Beta team published a dedicated blog[25] which was subsequently used for users to opt into the 0.13.0 beta program and to display changelogs for these development builds.
Success
As of December 2013, Pocket Edition had sold 16.5 million copies, while in the same time, PC had sold 13 million. These calculations came out after the 0.8.0 update.[26]
On January 9, 2015, Jeb announced that Pocket Edition had sold over 30 million copies[27] (at the time, PC had sold over 18 million).
This is considered a huge success, having Pocket Edition be more popular than any edition, though considered to be the least developed.
It is also usually in the top 10 and sometimes #1 in the App Store's and Google Play's Paid Apps Section in the Top Charts.[28][29]
Controls
iOS & Others
The iOS and other versions feature a D-pad at the bottom-left corner of the screen, which controls movement. When moving forward, two strafing buttons will appear. The jump button is located on the bottom-right corner, and the sneak is in the center of the D-pad. Sneaking can be achieved by double tapping this button. The location of the jump button and the sneak button can be swapped, in the controls section of the options menu. Note that when moving towards an adjacent block that is one level higher than the player, the player will automatically jump up the block. This can also be disabled in the controls section of the options menu. One can place blocks by tapping the screen in a desired location. Destroying blocks is similar to the PC version's way, but rather than clicking the mouse, the player taps and holds. Split controls can also be used, which allows you to place and break blocks similarly to PC, where a crosshair appears and allows you to place blocks using that. To change to third-person view, go to options > game, and use the slider. To open the inventory screen, tap the triple dotted button on the right of the hot bar. You can touch and hold an item in the hot bar to throw it, and if the hot bar contains a stack of items, it will throw the entire stack. You cannot divide it unless interfacing with a container (chest, furnace).
Xperia PLAY
*Controlled with slide out PlayStation keyboard:
– Open inventory
– Scroll right in hotbar
– Jump (press twice to toggle flying mode in Creative*)
D-Pad: Move
Left Touchpad: Sneak
Right Touchpad: Look/Turn
Select: Open crafting menu (Survival only)
L1: Break Blocks
R1: Place Blocks
Menu: Pause
- * To fly: Quickly press jump twice in a row. To ascend, hold the up on the other side of the screen button and press up on the directional pad. To descend, hold jump and press down. (Creative only)
Tablet features
All devices have an option to enable Split Touch Controls, which may be more suitable for bigger screens. There is a cross hair and the right half of the screen lets the player rotate the camera.
Other than the screen size difference allowing 6 slots in the hotbar (which as of 0.7.0 if the D-pad on other devices is small, you get an extra slot), the tablet version of the game is the same as other versions, hence the ability to play multiplayer cross-platform with other devices.
Windows 10 Edition
Windows 10 Edition has 3 control options:
- Keyboard: Similar controls to PC, although controls for each key cannot be changed.
- Touch Screen: Used with Windows 10 PC's touch screen. The controls are similar to Pocket Edition, with a few changes: The jump button is moved to the right and the sneak button is moved to the middle of the D-pad. The jump and sneak can optionally be swapped.
- Controller: Used with compatible controllers, with a similar button layout to Console Edition's controls. However, these controls can be customized.
System requirements
Android | iOS | Windows Phone | |
---|---|---|---|
Version | Android "3.0" Honeycomb and up (MCPE 0.7.2 & under require Android 2.3.0 and up) | iOS 5.1.1 (MCPE 0.7.2 & under require iOS 4.3.3 and up) | Windows Phone 8.1 or later |
Processor | Any with support of floating-point calculations ("ARM-v7a code") | 600 MHz ARMv7 Cortex CPU 800 MHz Apple A4 CPU |
1.2 GHz or faster |
Graphics | Any with support of OpenGL ES 2.0 | ||
Storage | 12.5 MB (100 MB to 1GB is encouraged for world saving) | 9.5 MB (100 MB to 1GB is encouraged for world saving) | 14.0 MB (100 MB to 1GB is encouraged for world saving) |
Data Connection | Optional (Realms access) | Optional (Realms access) | Optional (Realms access) |
Supported Devices |
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play[30] Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray[31][32] |
iPod Touch (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Generation) iPhone (3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus) iPad (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Generation, Air, Air 2) iPad Mini (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Generation) iPad Pro more |
Windows Phone 8.1
Windows 10 Mobile |
Some devices below these specifications have been known to work fine either with or without custom ROM images, kernels, and overclocking of the CPU. However, the CPU "MSM7227" is not supported due to its lack of the floating-point unit.[33]
Helpful Hints & Tips
- Make sure your battery is charged, and/or plugged in (3D gaming drains the battery quickly).
- Get used to the controls before playing on servers (it is easy to mine the block under a torch by mistake).
- Tap and hold an item in the hotbar to drop it.
- Peer-to-peer networking requires TCP/UDP port 19132
- If you're having trouble with block placement/mining accuracy - turn on split touch controls. This brings up the crosshair from the PC and Console versions to allow more precise placement. Also, you don't have to move your finger around the screen a lot.
- If you want to move your old PE world to a computer, see these instructions.
Trivia
- In the demo video, before the game was released, smooth lighting was available. It was taken out due to bugs being produced on a wide range of devices. As of 0.7.0, it is on by default, and since 0.8.0, it cannot be turned off.
- The terrain.png file found in filesystem of the App is nearly identical to that in the PC version, containing textures for items unimplemented in the Pocket Edition (e.g., cauldron). However in 0.8.0, this file was replaced with terrain-atlas.tga, a neater version of the previous file
- The barrier wall in old worlds is also cut by the height limit allowing players to go over it.
- The average placing/destroying block range is 4-6 on the PC version whilst for the iOS/Android is 6-9.
- Due to the auto-jump feature, if one opens the inventory or pause menu at the same time as jumping or swimming, one can go on auto-pilot and the player would jump, walk and/or swim without any commands. Auto-pilot ends once the pause menu or inventory is closed.
Gallery
Notch and the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY
- MCPE Cover (Mobile).jpeg
Cover for mobile devices
- MCPE Cover (Tablet).jpeg
Cover for tablets
- McPeMenu.png
Main menu before 0.7.0 Alpha
- MCPE Screen.png
Main menu from 0.7.3- 0.7.5 Alpha (Animated background)
- 0.7.6Amenuscreen.jpg
Main menu from 0.7.6-0.10.5 Alpha (Omitted Play On Realms Button)
- MCPE Menu Screen 0110.jpg
Main menu from 0.11.0 Alpha-0.13.0 Alpha (Added language settings)
- IPad image 2015-11-17-1450362717010 0.png
Main menu from 0.13.1 Alpha-present (New Skins and Options buttons)
- IPodPocketEditionMultiplayer.PNG
Another multiplayer server.
- World Menu 0.6.1.png
Create World Screen before 0.7.0 Alpha
- World Menu 0.8.1.png
Create World Screen before 0.9.0 Alpha
- World Menu.png
Advanced Create World Screen as of 0.9.0 Alpha
The options screen in the iOS version before 0.7.0 Alpha
- Pe screenshot.jpeg
Another Pocket Edition screenshot
Minecraft Google Play image as seen in the 2014 Google Play Logo Commercial.[34]
- Hotbar (PE).jpg
Hotbar in Pocket Edition
- InventoryPE.png
Pocket Edition Creative inventory
References
- ↑ http://www.twitch.tv/mojang/v/6949826
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jeb_/status/122350670648066049
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/minecraft-pocket-edition/id479516143
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00992CF6W/
- ↑ http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=1a625b44-b542-401b-bdff-52b4357c0573
- ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/games/minecraft-windows-10-edition-beta/9nblggh2jhxj
- ↑ Minecraft: Pocket Edition PEGI Rating
- ↑ Minecraft: Pocket Edition ACB Rating
- ↑ https://play.google.com/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Kappische/status/122246496941899776
- ↑ http://appleinformer.org/2011/11/minecraft-pocket-edition-for-ios-now-available-for-download/
- ↑ http://mashable.com/2014/04/02/amazon-fire-tv-2/
- ↑ http://www.windowscentral.com/minecraft-pocket-edition-comes-windows-phone?utm_source=wpc&utm_medium=twitter
- ↑ https://mojang.com/2015/07/announcing-minecraft-windows-10-edition-beta/
- ↑ http://mojang.com/2011/11/18/minecraft-pocket-edition-on-ios/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Kappische/status/142677729135968256
- ↑ http://www.twitch.tv/jbernhardsson/b/519822083
- ↑ https://youtu.be/rCcsuPH4vJY
- ↑ http://www.unboundgamer.com/_/minecraft-pocket-edition-interview-with-mojang-r393
- ↑ https://mojang.com/2013/11/android-beta-program-for-minecraft-pe/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/missmarzenia/status/621982409140105216
- ↑ https://twitter.com/missmarzenia/status/621984399349948416
- ↑ https://twitter.com/missmarzenia/status/621992330313236480
- ↑ https://twitter.com/missmarzenia/status/661531497527164928
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/17/mojang-minecraft-pocket-edition-apple
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jeb_/status/553645486524350465
- ↑ http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/paid-apps/
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/topselling_paid?hl=en
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jO-y5wzmK4E
- ↑ http://twitpic.com/6wimvs
- ↑ a b https://twitter.com/Kappische/status/122338591966896128
- ↑ wikipedia:MSM7000#MSM7227
- ↑ https://youtu.be/kZPuMUAh5J4
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