Edit: Given the confusion that the original title caused, we've altered it slightly and are currently seeking clarification from Telltale regarding the game engine that Story Mode will run in.
Original Story: Minecraft: Story Mode has been confirmed for release on Wii U, and marks the first time that the amazingly successful brand has been on a Nintendo system.
While Story Mode is sure to be a wonderful title - it's coming from the talented chaps at Telltale Games, after all - many would have hoped that Mojang's popular build 'em up would have been released in full on the Wii U by this point. It's available on pretty much every other format known to man - even the PS Vita, which is in the unenviable position of having sold less units than Nintendo's underappreciated home console.
Although Story Mode might not be the full version of Minecraft many had hoped for, it does give some hope for long-suffering Nintendo fans as Telltale's Director of Creative Communications Job Stauffer has revealed to Family Gamer TV that the game uses the actual Minecraft game engine, which hypothetically means the engine would have to be ported to the Wii U to facilitate a release:
The sets and the environments and everything that looks like Minecraft is actually built in Minecraft and that gets shifted over to all the different platforms.
If the engine is ported to the Wii U then surely there's little reason to hold off releasing the full Minecraft experience? Cross those fingers and toes, Nintendo fans.
Stauffer also reconfirmed that the Wii U version is coming later than the others, presumably due to the additional development time required. Minecraft is already available on all of the other systems that Story Mode is launching on, so the game engine is already in place.
Family Gamer TV has a long and detailed look at the game, along with more comments from Stauffer, which is well worth a watch.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 37
I have never played Minecraft on anything ever, so I am quite looking forward to this. This and "Kerbal Space Program" were big surprises showing up on Wii U eShop lineup, so I will also keep my fingers crossed some sort of "Rocket League" lands on Nintendo hardware eventually.
This is pretty surprising. You'd have thought Telltale would be using their own engine.
Also I'm pretty sure the Vita has outsold the Wii U, and the gap would have been bigger a year ago when Minecraft was actually released on it.
It doesn't mean the engine is going to be ported. They build in Minecraft, export the world as a 3D object with all its textures and import it to their own engine. People have been doing that for their Minecraft animations forever.
I think they've looked at sales of Mario Maker and Disney Infinity and realised Minecraft could probably would sell well on Wii U, this is a toe in the water
But if you ask me the real target is the amiibo market
That's not… actually… what they meant… They said that the environments are built in Minecraft, and then ported those environments to their engine. That means that Story Mode runs on the usual Telltale Games engine that powers their other games. I don't know anyone could possibly assume otherwise.
@Peach64 It's sold 4 million units in Japan, the region in which it is most popular, but global sales have been dismal. I doubt it has even sold another 4 million globally, and even then that would still put it behind the Wii U.
The game would have to be pretty cheap for me to consider buying it on Wii U. I've already got it on Xbox, so no need for me. I'd love for it to be released though, just to see the Gamepad's integration.
I wish it were on 3DS.
@Damo But the Wii U has struggled in every market. It's only sold 2.6m in Japan and I'm sure it's behind in Europe top. 600,000 Vitas were sold in Spain compared to around 170,00 for Wii U.
I've not seen any other website report Wii U is ahead of Vita other than Nintendolife.
Well that is nice. If they make a decent interface with the gamepad I could see this being a big hit for minecraft players. (not my thing personally) So hopefully this portends good news down the line.
@Peach64 Back in 2013 it had sold 4 million worldwide (according to Sony), but since then the company has been understandably reluctant to give solid figures. It's totally dead in the water in the west.
The Wii U passed the 10 million mark in June this year.
I see that @spikain and @SheepyTina alrady said what I meant to - they never said that they are porting the engine, and nothing here is any proof that they do. It would be great to do some research before posting a "hype article"... ;/
Other than that - I believe Minecraft has long lost it's relevance on Wii U. If anyone was interested, they played it already on their laptop, tablet, smartphone or other console they own. And considering how it is written in Java - porting it to Wii U would be nigh impossible without rewriting it all from scratch. I don't think it's happening. Ever.
It's a shame, after reading the comments section...I feel that amiibos would've done Minecraft a favor, and whether big or small it would've at least been exclusive to the Wii U/3DS.
In any case:
"The sets and the environments and everything that looks like Minecraft is actually built in Minecraft and that gets shifted over to all the different platforms."
I don't see any mention of switching from one engine to another. Just that the game is built in Minecraft's engine itself and then ported.
@kensredemption It's the exact opposite to what you are saying. The environments are built in Minecraft, but the game runs on Telltales own engine. It would make absolutely no sense to run Minecraft engine just to render the terrain. Based on the same logic you presented, I could say that 3DStudio is ported to Wii U, because assets for, let's say, Mass Effect 3 were built using that. You mistake creation of assets and using the same engine - shifting assets over is not porting!
@Kifa Admittedly we're going on what was said in the interview, but seeing that Minecraft's engine exists on all of the other systems it's coming to, it's a reasonable assumption to make that it will be ported directly to the game engine. In that case, the Wii U - which lacks both any game in the Minecraft engine or Telltale's own game engine - would need additional work.
@Damo That's just backwards reasoning... That is the same as saying "They are going to port Windows 10 to PlayStation 4, because all platforms Tomb Raider Rising launches on have Windows 10."
@Snader Tomb Raider was built using nothing but Windows 10? Amazing!
@Damo The game runs on Telltale Tool engine. So the assets, like characters and levels are made using the MineCraft engine, that has nothing to do with the game running or needing the MineCraft engine when running on Wii U.
So the MineCraft engine is as seperate to TellTale's MineCraft: Story Mode as Windows 10 is to Tomb Raider Rising.
Meanwhile, developers of all the "me too" Minecraft games begin sweating as they realize that their reign could soon end.
@Yorumi Yes, the two games seem almost nothing alike. It's probably more of an attempt to cash in on Minecraft than to capture the Minecraft experience.
@BarryDunne Don't forget the upcoming UCraft.......that still doesn't have a release date.
Just play it on PC guys, don't wait around for it to come to a console where the experience will be inferior anyway.
I see a lot of quicktime events here.....
@yaryah21 Quick-time events... on a TellTale game? Get out!
The reason Minecraft is on Vita is down to Sony and their tireless efforts to support their fanbase.
Nintendo, or should I say Miyamoto is too jealous to entertain the idea of getting Minecraft on a Nintendo system.
@Peach64 Vita hasn't a patch on Wii U sales. Sony made it happen.
@Peach64 It's still not even close to the Wii U.
As cool as this is I'm gonna get this on PC as it's gonna be the best way to play it!
Who cares. Terraria is infinitely better.
@liveswired Please tell me that's sarcasm. The reason is Wii U and Vita have **** sales and 4J felt that the Vita was more unique.
@SanderEvers nope, watched a friend play it and was bored beyond comprehension. Could do the same thing with Lego and it would probably be more fun.
@Kifa Microsoft is in the process of unifying the Minecraft codebase going forward using C++. Minecraft proper for PCs is still Java but the Windows 10 version and the pocket edition for tablets and phones are all one codebase in C++ that is rapidly catching up missing features — light speed compared to the usual Minecraft development.
All that said, if Microsoft wants MC to be a sort of platform unto itself, and I think it does at the moment, it will use that new codebase to port it everywhere. Like others have suggested it's probably a bit late for Wii U, but NX hardware may already be in the plans.
This article is misleading in a couple ways:
1. The meaning of the quote is that the graphics were built in Minecraft to maintain authenticity. No engine porting was mentioned or could be inferred — not to mention makes any sense.
2. Because the article suggests a port of the engine it seems some commenters take that to mean there is some amount of gameplay and functionality that matches the original game. Not the case.
This is a story based adventure in an interpretation of the MC world. All of the freedom to create, explore, build, and choose your method of survival and even goals in a procedurally generated world is absent.
Not saying it won't be fun just that it's not the same engine, and it's also not just an alternate mode layered onto the original game.
@Moon I'm still holding out for Minecraft 3DS! Although, Cube Creator 3D almost does acts as a good stand-in, it's not quite the full experience.
If we were to get minecraft on 3ds I have a horrible feeling it would be the pocket edition but hey any minecraft would be welcome!
@Tuiridh I hear Cube Creator is pretty cool, but I took the plunge with Battleminer and promised myself not to let it happen again! At least Battleminer has online multiplayer. But gosh darnit, is it bland.
Minecraft on 3DS would be awesome!
But of course, it would be torn apart, and we'd be given half a game, much like Terraria 3DS.
@Peach64 - Who's going to report sales number of Wii U vs. Vita? Nobody is interested in that and it's not something that often comes up. It's not even a question that Vita has sold much, much less. It's frankly astonishing to see someone try to argue otherwise, not just because it's absurd to claim Vita has outsold anything besides Virtual Boy, but because: who really cares?
@Moon Agreed. Cube Creator would be a good basis to start Minecraft as far as how big John saved space. If Cube Creator 3D had half the sprites and items Minecraft does, it would be just near perfect!
@Damo Yeah Nintendo sells systems/games people should know this by know ha... The Wii U wasn't as wildly successful as the Wii. They still are keeping up on sales because of their cheaper system formula. I Just bought one for the younger kid and spent 500 dollars. I have so many games,controllers,etc. He will be happy. Mine craft would just top it though!
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