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p>First look at 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>Millions of gamers love Minecraft. Microsoft now shows us how virtual reality can be created.

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p>Microsoft bought the block-building game in 2014 at $2.5bn (PS1.8bn), which was a massive purchase that left many lovers of the game anxious about its future.

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p>The US firm promised not to ruin its popular formula and instead would invest in taking Minecraft to the next level.

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p>In a special event held in San Francisco's fashionable Mission District, its Xbox division showcased 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 that it makes you feel as if you are in Minecraft.

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p>It's like other VR experiences. It's completely absorbing. It's a great opportunity to experience the engaging building process on a VR screen.

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p>But for a game popular with children, there's one figure that parents might be concerned about that is $1,500.

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p>This is the amount they should spend to purchase an Oculus headset and a powerful computer to power it.

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

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p>"It isn't," he said.

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p>"I mean, it is expensive relative to everything else in the world however, if you look at it in comparison to television or a mobile phone, you're getting a lot more technology. https://site-8926171-4626-7781.mystrikingly.com/blog/minecraft-steve-has-a-beard-again </p>

p>"It's not like it's a piece of hardware that's simple, and the price is expected to fall in time."

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p>If it is to be accepted 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 games which is a place where people go to play games of a high-end quality that they are unable to afford to buy for their homes.

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p>Big titles

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p>Minecraft on Oculus was one of the many games displayed at Xbox's Spring Showcase, a chance for journalists - and a few influential YouTube? gamers naturally - to get hands-on with tomorrow's blockbusters.

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p>Quantum Break was a fascinating world that made me lose an hour. It's a game in which you take on the role of Jack Joyce, an unwilling action hero who gains the ability to manipulate time following an experiment gone badly.

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p>If that sounds like yet another typical scenario for an online game, you're right - but the title's mechanics (think "bullet time", only better) make it something special.

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p>Also, be sure to read Tom Clancy's The Division -- set in a highly accurate and authentic Manhattan.

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p>A number of the titles featured on the show were also promoted as great to play on a PC, using Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.

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p>"If you look at the numbers, PC gaming is the fastest-growing gaming segment out there," said head of Xbox Phil Spencer.

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p>"It's only normal 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 develop its own headset - although it is working on the augmented reality-focused Hololens however, it is working to make itself compatible with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

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p>In the debate over price, Mr Spencer stated that he believed that virtual reality will follow the model of high-definition TVs which are a luxury item to start with, but hard to resist once you've experienced it.

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

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p>In light of the fact that Sony's PlayStation? 4 will soon get its own VR headset I asked if Microsoft might also consider making its own VR headset.

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p>"I definitely think it could be a in our roadmap," he said. But he said the focus now was entirely on making Windows 10 fully-compatible with high-end VR games.

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p>'Not hacked'

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p>Of course, new games mean nothing unless gamers can connect to the internet to play them. In recent times it's been quite an issue.

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p>The poor reliability of Xbox Live - the service Xbox gamers utilize to play against each other over the internet has resulted in the stressing of thousands.

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

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p>Mr Spencer apologized for the issue.

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p>He said, "It's evidently always regretful."

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p>"This last outage was a worry, we learned from it. It took us a little longer to understand the issue however, it was apparent.

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p>He denied that the company was the victim of a hack, saying that although its network was under constant attack, it was not as claimed, wiped out by an organized attempt to block gamers.

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p>And on the risk of losing Snoop Dogg: "Snoop's been an avid player for a long time, and a loyal supporter of Xbox.

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p>"I am able to understand when people are upset. I take it as a sign of the love and commitment people have for the things we do as a game 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>Microsoft Xbox

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