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[Saty]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-13-minecrafts-better-together-update-is-a-mess-on-console

Microsoft never did a great job of communicating the fact its Better Together Update is not actually an update for console owners. It's a completely different game - one which is almost identical to Minecraft's previous Pocket Edition for mobiles.

The new version of Minecraft has ditched the console version's user interface completely. Your inventory and crafting are now organised using a different UI - shown above - from the mobile version of the game designed for a touchscreen, or for a mouse and keyboard.

Redstone (Minecraft's equivalent of electrical wiring) has different systems on different platforms. The old console version was different to the Pocket Edition version - so imported worlds from Minecraft: Xbox One Edition now need redstone to be rewired to work.

On console, players have always been able to see their position on an X/Y/Z axis by holding any map item. On Pocket Edition, you could not do this. So, since this new version of Minecraft is based on the Pocket Edition, console players have been left without this option.

And then there's the in-game store. Minecraft's store is front and center when you load the game, the option to buy a world the first you need to scroll past before being able to dismiss the game's latest patch notes.

Finally, there are the bugs. I've found it incredibly difficult to transfer my world over from the previous Xbox One version of the game. I've tried this a couple of times, with mixed success. It's a slow process, but that's fine - give your world 15 minutes or so and it should be downloaded and converted to play instantly from now on.

"Should be" is the key here, however. I had to try three times on my home console before it actually worked and didn't time out. I tried twice here in the office and both times failed, the last time hard crashing the whole console. Each time, I was waiting to play for more than half an hour in total. Not a great start. When my world did finally load, I couldn't eat.

 

[WillyFive]

I'm not a fan of the console and mobile editions of the game, but the amount of work it took to literally make an all new game that was mostly compatible with various different versions of different games is really impressive.

 

[nynt9]

Sony vindicated! They protected their platform!

Spoiler

/s

Seriously, how did Mojang fuck up so badly? I guess it's mildly unsurprising that an update that brings all the platforms together brought them to the lowest common denominator instead of elevating the lower ones.

 

[dracula_x]

Sony dodged a bullet?

 

[DorkyMohr]

Wow, the old version was completely replaced? Sounds like PS users actually won out in this.

edit: I re-read the paragraph and I can't tell what they mean by this:

This change has already occurred on Xbox One, with the old Minecraft: Xbox One Edition replaced in the console's store with a separate game client, just named "Minecraft".

Is there now only 1 minecraft client on the xbox now? Or two?

 

[Kolx]

Sony wanted to protect the children from this mess! now it all make sense.

 

[Darth Smurf X]

Sony saved the children after all.

Real question though: Did this affect the X360 version or is that not a part of the Better Together universe?

 

[RichiRamjag]

I’m glad someone said it. The new version is a downgrade imo. It doesn’t run as well and it looks worst. I was very disappointed with it. My son and his little friends all went back to Xbox edition.

Sucks that the interface isn’t great on consoles but they had to unify the platform based on something and the pocket version is the most popular one so it makes sense.

Hopefully they improve the interface. From now one it should be smoother.

It’s disappointing and feels like a backwards step sadly. It feels very sloppy for a franchise of this size.

 

[kiguel182]

Sucks that the interface isn’t great on consoles but they had to unify the platform based on something and the pocket version is the most popular one so it makes sense.

Hopefully they improve the interface. From now one it should be smoother.

 

[Wagram]

The Children have been Saved!

 

[Marcel]

Worse Together

 

[Jawbreaker]

Sony was just trying to keep the good version of the game for their valued customers.

 

[Lom1lo]

Still cant import my old world, it always crashes at 30 percent -.-

 

[Ploid 3.0]

That sucks for people that like the old console version. I still haven't been able to update my nephew's PC version, or just install the pc version and replace the old version's desktop link to see if he will notice the difference.

I think he's fine on the old version though and it might not be worth the experiment. His friends play on the old version anyway.

But seriously, the stinking mobile version for consoles? What the heck Microsoft? Please post Phil's comments, this is crazy.

 

[FIREKNIGHT2029]

Thank you based Sony lol.

 

[brickarts295]

Sony vindicated! They protected their platform!

Spoiler

/s

Sony dodged a bullet?

Sony wanted to protect the children from this mess! now it all make sense.

Sony saved the children after all.

The Children have been Saved!

Sony was just trying to keep the good version of the game for their valued customers.

 

[OdysseusVA]

Sony having the foresight. God bless.

 

[Dunkley]

Sony saved the children after all.

Real question though: Did this affect the X360 version or is that not a part of the Better Together universe?

Last gen platforms aren't part of this, alongside 3DS and PS4.

 

[Justified]

That sucks for people that like the old console version. I still haven't been able to update my nephew's PC version, or just install the pc version and replace the old version's desktop link to see if he will notice the difference.

I think he's fine on the old version though and it might not be worth the experiment. His friends play on the old version anyway.

So they replace the PC (Java version) With the now Unified Pocket edition/windows 10 edition?

That sucks if its the case

 

[dracula_x]

^ no, thank you

 

[The ๖ۜBronx]

They scrapped the console UI and put the PC one in?

Thank you Sony.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

#ThankYouSony

 

[WillyFive]

So they replace the PC (Java version) With the now Unified Pocket edition/windows 10 edition?

That sucks if its the case

No, the original game is still around. The Better Together version is a Windows 10 app that's separate.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

So they replace the PC (Java version) With the now Unified Pocket edition/windows 10 edition?

That sucks if its the case

No. Java will always be there. Windows 10 Edition is dead and will be replaced with this thing.

Java will always be the superior version of the game with all the mods that you won't have to pay for.

 

[Dunkley]

So they replace the PC (Java version) With the now Unified Pocket edition/windows 10 edition?

That sucks if its the case

No, they will remain seperate versions as they always were. The Windows 10 version is getting updated to Bedrock so you can play with all Better Together platforms while the Java version will remain...the Java version.

 

[GribbleGrunger]

It does make me wonder if Sony knew what this update entailed. Have they played it well? Who knows.

 

[Ahasverus]

^ no, thank you

Disgusting

 

[Bustanen]

Mobile version? Yeah fuck that. Thanks Sony!

 

[JetSetRadio]

That Spencer guy is ruining everything.

 

[nillapuddin]

In my play experience so far

Cons
Ui not as intuitive as before

Pros
All my worlds synced easily
Better performance
More visual options
Infinite worlds

I definitely feel like its an overall sidegrade at best, but the better perf and view distance is very very welcome

 

[Oemenia]

So it was about the children after all.

 

[WrenchNinja]

This is some funny shit

 

[Izuna]

This thread's responses are either a sad truth or a parody of itself. I can't decide which.

 

[MCD250]

Out of curiousity, will the "old" version(s) of the game stop being updated now that this new one is out? I hsven't been following the story on it too much.

 

[commish]

Seems like a trainwreck.

 

[Baroquemantic]

I know (hope) y'all are joking with the Sony stuff, but c'mon, I doubt they knew about these issues in advance.

 

[Dunkley]

It does make me wonder if Sony knew what this update entailed. Have they played it well? Who knows.

To be fair, for one you can still go back to the original Xbox One version that has feature parity with the PS4 versions and the features the Better Together update brings like infinite worlds, cross-platform sync and cross-play are pretty significant. People in the OT seemed to like it.

I know I am swimming against the stream here, but I figured I should mention that for all its worth since besides an unintuitive UI the gameplay features it actually brings are really nice.

 

[True Fire]

Yeah, I find the XB1 “Better Together” UI really frustrating compared to the Switch’s. I’m probably going to migrate my worlds so that I can play them with other people and on my phone, but it’ll be begrudgingly.

 

[zashga]

^ no, thank you

I'm honestly surprised there isn't a £99.99 "best value!" option.

 

[st1nk nuts]

I really like the update, didn’t play it much before and don’t now, but it’s nice to have a realm and my kids can play on the realm from any device they have available.

 

[TURBO1112]

But Xbox has both versions. Why is less better?

 

[jonscrambler]

they will sort it out, people can go back to the old version if they want, it's still there, good decision to make it a separate game/launcher

 

[sangreal]

I'm not sure these gripes are enough to call it a mess, but it is definitely undercooked

 

[CountAntonius]

Been playing it on PC with Gaffers on our realm and been having a blast. I think the only bug I ran into was doors breaking for a bit. Kind of a sensationalist headline. The items shop isn't very intrusive either especially on PC where you can still use custom skins.

 

[ch4fx_]

 

[True Fire]

Been playing it on PC with Gaffers on our realm and been having a blast. I think the only bug I ran into was doors breaking for a bit. Kind of a sensationalist headline. The items shop isn't very intrusive either especially on PC where you can still use custom skins.

Complaints are mostly about consoles I believe

 

[JershJopstin]

Sony vindicated! They protected their platform!

Spoiler

/s

Seriously, how did Mojang fuck up so badly? I guess it's mildly unsurprising that an update that brings all the platforms together brought them to the lowest common denominator instead of elevating the lower ones.

Mobile version? Yeah fuck that. Thanks Sony!

PE passed the console versions in terms of features a while back. Console was brought up to mobile, not the other way around.

 

[EhoaVash]

thats a shame

still

 

[The ๖ۜBronx]

I'm not sure these gripes are enough to call it a mess, but it is definitely undercooked

People having to rewire their redstone and the console UI being removed completely alone make it seem like a mess.

 

[Maximo]

^ no, thank you

Needs Lootboxes.