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p>First glimpse of virtual reality Minecraft at Xbox showcase Dave Lee North America technology reporter

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p>1 March 2016

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p>Comments

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p>Minecraft is loved by millions of gamers across the world . Microsoft has shown us how to experience the immersive world looks like in virtual real-world.

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p>Microsoft bought the block-building game in 2014 for $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) which was an enormous sum that left many fans of the game anxious about its future.

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p>The US firm said it would not alter its well-known formula and instead will invest in the development of Minecraft to the next level.

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p>At an event in San Francisco's fashionable Mission District, its Xbox division demonstrated the virtual real-world version of Minecraft for the first time.

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p>Palmer Luckey, creator and designer of Oculus Rift VR headset, said it makes you feel like you are in Minecraft.

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p>Like many VR experiences, it's utterly engaging. For those who are obsessed with Minecraft's addictive build process, it's a huge leap from watching it on a normal screen.

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p>Parents may be worried about $1,500 which is the cost of a game that is a hit with children.

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p>This is the amount they'll need to spend if they want to buy an Oculus Rift headset, as well as an appropriate PC to power it.

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p>That's surely too costly, I suggested to Mr. Luckey.

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p>He replied, "It isn’t."

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p>"I mean, it is expensive compared to everything else out there, but when you think about it compared to a mobile phone or television, you're getting a lot more technology.

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p>"It's not as straightforward hardware and the price is decreasing as time passes."

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p>If it is to be adopted by mainstream audiences it must be eliminated very quickly.

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p>In the meantime, I'd expect a minor resurgence of the arcade game, a place where people go to play top-quality games that they can't feasibly afford to purchase for their homes.

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p>Big titles

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p>Oculus Minecraft was one of many games showcased at Xbox Spring Showcase. This gave journalists (and some YouTube? stars) the chance to play some of tomorrow's blockbusters.

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p>I spent an hour in the enthralling world of Quantum Break. It's a video game in which you take on the role of Jack Joyce, an unwilling action hero who acquires the ability to alter time after an experiment went badly.

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p>It may sound like a similar game scenario However, the game's mechanics are what make it different.

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p>Also look out for Tom Clancy's The Division - set in an exact replica of Manhattan.

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p>A number of the games included on the show were advertised as excellent to run on a PC via Microsoft's Windows 10 operating systems.

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p>"If you take a look at the figures, PC gaming is the fastest growing segment of gaming available," said head of Xbox Phil Spencer.

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p>"It's natural that we'd focus on gaming on Windows."

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p>Virtual plans

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p>When it comes to virtual reality, Microsoft has opted not to make its own headset - although it is working on the augmented reality-focused Hololens but is instead trying to make it compatible with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

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p>On the price debate, Spencer stated that he believes virtual reality will follow the same path that high definition televisions have set. It is a luxury product at first but it becomes difficult to resist once you have been there.

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p>He said, "The early adopters of VR will be there to help propel the industry."

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p>I asked Microsoft whether it would create its own VR headset, considering that Sony's PlayStation? 4 will soon get its own VR headset.

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p>"I definitely think it could be a part of our roadmap," he said. But he stressed the current focus was on creating Windows 10 fully-compatible with high-end VR titles.

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p>'Not hacked'

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p>Of course, the newest games aren't worth anything unless players are able to access the internet to play them. https://telegra.ph/Everything-you-Need-to-Know-about-the-HUGE-Caves-and-Cliffs-Update-09-26 And of late it's been quite a challenge.

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p>The low reliability of Xbox Live, the online gaming platform used by Xbox gamers, has led to thousands of issues.

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p>Snoop Dogg is one of the fans who are disgruntled. He pleaded with Bill Gates to fix the problem, or he would switch to PlayStation?.

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p>Mr Spencer apologized for the problems.

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p>"It's obviously always a regret," he said.

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p>"This outage was a concern. We learned from it. It took us a bit longer to understand the issue but it was evident.

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p>He denied that the company had been the victim of a cyberattack, saying that while its network was constantly under attack, it was not like it was claimed, destroyed by an organized effort to cut gamers off.

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p>The risk of losing Snoop Dogg: "Snoop's been a long-time gamer and long-time fan of Xbox.

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p>"I can understand when people are angry. I view it as an indication of the love and commitment people have for what we offer as a gaming platform."

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p>Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook.

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p>Orangutans try gaming in Australian zoo

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p>15 February 2016

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p>Microsoft tests an underwater data center

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p>2 February 2016

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p>VR gaming: What do we know so far?

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p>Oculus VR headset on sale for $599

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p>7 January 2016

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p>View comments

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p>Microsoft Xbox

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