7 ms·

>or up to four can play together in a split-screen view on the TV from a single console I didn't even expect that, honestly. Also I wonder if minecraft still

>or up to four can play together in a split-screen view on the TV from a single console I didn't even expect that, honestly. Also I wonder if minecraft still runs java underneath - probably yes, but you never know.

gramstrong 9y ago
I believe Microsoft re-wrote it in not-java.
ShakataGaNai 9y ago
The PC version is still Java, but the rest of the platforms run under various different code bases. They keep them the same but sometimes the non-PC platforms have actually gotten features before PC has.
minimaxir 9y ago
Minecraft was rewritten in C++ (EDIT: see replies for clarity) when it was acquired by Microsoft, mostly for this very reason. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-gamers-are-worried-about-minecraft-windows-10-edition https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-gamers-are-wo...
- skybrian 9y ago
  The pocket edition was already pretty far along before the Microsoft aquisition. It seems they invested in improving that rather than the original codebase.
- UnfalseDesign 9y ago
  Saying "Minecraft was rewritten" is a little misleading. The Pocket Edition was ported to Windows 10. It wasn't rewritten. Also, the main edition that one can purchase for Mac, Windows, or Linux is still in Java. The Pocket Edition, which was built long before Microsoft's acquisition, was not written in Java.
ungzd 9y ago
Why Java doesn't work on Nintendo Switch? Only for political reasons (forbidden by Nintendo)? They fear JIT or GC?
- webkike 9y ago
  GC is the killer of hard real time constraints
  - BoorishBears 9y ago
    GC doesn't kill constraints for games. Unity3D games have been dealing with the GC for ages now, it's not that bad. Cautious use of memory allocations and calling the GC at convenient times go a long way. But on the other hand Java doesn't have value types, which is pretty terrible.
    - Thaxll 9y ago
      Yes it kills it, there is no big AAA game running on Unity, try to do a Battlefield like game with a GC language where every ms count.
      - BoorishBears 9y ago
        That's actually exactly my point, "kills real time constraints" is very strong language, you end up having to look at AAA games the size of Battlefield to see where it falls short. Minecraft-like games with similar voxel rendering can, and have been, done in Unity. In fact on the internal Nintendo Wii U dev forums I recall a Minecraft-clone was deep in development in Unity, but I think a lack of demand on the platform killed it
        ferongr 9y ago
        A "demo" (with all the limitations and corner-cutting that demos usually employ) is one thing, a complete product is a different beast.
    - 9y ago
LeifCarrotson 9y ago
This is almost certainly not the PC version of the game, which does run Java. The Switch would probably not be capable of running 4 instances of the at 720p 60fps. There's a Windows 10 edition of the game, written in C++, a from-scratch rewrite of the original Java. There's Minecraft Pocket for Android/iOS. And there's Console Edition, which runs on XBox 360 and WiiU, and now Switch Edition. They are aiming for feature parity between the various versions. The Pocket/10/Console versions are all intercompatible - you can log in on a server with one platform simultaneously playing with someone on another platform. I don't know how much code they share. But the original Java edition is still where all the YouTubers, mod authors, wiki activity, and really the core user base is at. Pocket and console are more used by the younger and more casual users. Feature parity like world generation is possible, but it won't be possible to make various Redstone (programmable machine) contraptions, build aesthetics, and farms compatible. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
- pythonaut_16 9y ago
  If they can put out a stable mod API and reach feature parity (but not necessarily compatibility) the C++ version will quickly replace the Java IMO. The biggest things holding back the game today are poor performance and lack of a mod API and the Windows 10 version already does great things for performance.
  - Gaelan 9y ago
    I don't think a C++ API will ever be as flexible as the PATCH EVERYTHING that is possible with Java.
    - beamatronic 9y ago
      I would worry more that any of their C/C++ components would have ridiculous dependencies, such as Cortana being up and running
      - bobsam 9y ago

gramstrong 9y ago

I believe Microsoft re-wrote it in not-java.

ShakataGaNai 9y ago

The PC version is still Java, but the rest of the platforms run under various different code bases. They keep them the same but sometimes the non-PC platforms have actually gotten features before PC has.

minimaxir 9y ago

Minecraft was rewritten in C++ (EDIT: see replies for clarity) when it was acquired by Microsoft, mostly for this very reason. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-gamers-are-worried-about-minecraft-windows-10-edition https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-gamers-are-wo...

skybrian 9y ago
The pocket edition was already pretty far along before the Microsoft aquisition. It seems they invested in improving that rather than the original codebase.
UnfalseDesign 9y ago
Saying "Minecraft was rewritten" is a little misleading. The Pocket Edition was ported to Windows 10. It wasn't rewritten. Also, the main edition that one can purchase for Mac, Windows, or Linux is still in Java. The Pocket Edition, which was built long before Microsoft's acquisition, was not written in Java.

ungzd 9y ago

Why Java doesn't work on Nintendo Switch? Only for political reasons (forbidden by Nintendo)? They fear JIT or GC?

webkike 9y ago
GC is the killer of hard real time constraints
- BoorishBears 9y ago
  GC doesn't kill constraints for games. Unity3D games have been dealing with the GC for ages now, it's not that bad. Cautious use of memory allocations and calling the GC at convenient times go a long way. But on the other hand Java doesn't have value types, which is pretty terrible.
  - Thaxll 9y ago
    Yes it kills it, there is no big AAA game running on Unity, try to do a Battlefield like game with a GC language where every ms count.
    - BoorishBears 9y ago
      That's actually exactly my point, "kills real time constraints" is very strong language, you end up having to look at AAA games the size of Battlefield to see where it falls short. Minecraft-like games with similar voxel rendering can, and have been, done in Unity. In fact on the internal Nintendo Wii U dev forums I recall a Minecraft-clone was deep in development in Unity, but I think a lack of demand on the platform killed it
      - ferongr 9y ago
        A "demo" (with all the limitations and corner-cutting that demos usually employ) is one thing, a complete product is a different beast.
  - 9y ago

LeifCarrotson 9y ago

This is almost certainly not the PC version of the game, which does run Java. The Switch would probably not be capable of running 4 instances of the at 720p 60fps. There's a Windows 10 edition of the game, written in C++, a from-scratch rewrite of the original Java. There's Minecraft Pocket for Android/iOS. And there's Console Edition, which runs on XBox 360 and WiiU, and now Switch Edition. They are aiming for feature parity between the various versions. The Pocket/10/Console versions are all intercompatible - you can log in on a server with one platform simultaneously playing with someone on another platform. I don't know how much code they share. But the original Java edition is still where all the YouTubers, mod authors, wiki activity, and really the core user base is at. Pocket and console are more used by the younger and more casual users. Feature parity like world generation is possible, but it won't be possible to make various Redstone (programmable machine) contraptions, build aesthetics, and farms compatible. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

pythonaut_16 9y ago
If they can put out a stable mod API and reach feature parity (but not necessarily compatibility) the C++ version will quickly replace the Java IMO. The biggest things holding back the game today are poor performance and lack of a mod API and the Windows 10 version already does great things for performance.
- Gaelan 9y ago
  I don't think a C++ API will ever be as flexible as the PATCH EVERYTHING that is possible with Java.
  - beamatronic 9y ago
    I would worry more that any of their C/C++ components would have ridiculous dependencies, such as Cortana being up and running
    - bobsam 9y ago