Skip to main content

This is not The End: Update 8 for Minecraft XBLA kills bugs and does little else

Minecraft XBLA
Image used with permission by copyright holder

On December 10, we published a story detailing the contents of the then-upcoming Update 7 for 4J Studios’ Xbox Live version of beloved sandbox title Minecraft. That update was supposed to add animal breeding (among other new features) to the game, and when it was released on December 19 it did just that. That’s de rigueur for 4J Studios’ updates for Minecraft, and we expected this trend to continue with Update 8. Our piece on Update 7 specifically mentions that 4J Studios planned to include The End – an area that effectively serves as Minecraft’s final challenge – in the next update, but this morning the company issued a list of additions and changes included in the imminent Update 8, and neither The End nor any new content is included.

Have a look at the full list:

– Fix for random crash on Kick Player.
– Fix for a random crash on loading the tutorial.
– Fix for freeze when writing on a sign as an autosave starts.
– Fix for crash when attempting to enter an online enabled game session after losing connection to the Xbox LIVE service.
– Performance improvement for the Enchantment interface.
– Fix to display a message when monsters are nearby on trying to sleep in a bed.
– Fix for an issue causing blocks to reappear after being destroyed when the server is busy.
– Fix for Experience Orbs being invisible for a period of time when created.
– Fix to force a Nether Fortress, Blaze Spawner and Nether Wart to always be present in the Nether for a newly created world.
– Fix for autosave not working when the host has gone into an idle state.
– Fix to increase the spawn rate for Mooshrooms.
– Change to make Blazes drop Glowstone Dust as well as Blaze Rods.
– Fix to player experience level display in two player vertical splitscreen mode.
– Fix for Quick Move not being possible while holding something in the cursor.
– Fix for armor position on Bad Santa when sat down.
– Changed “Download Content” menu to “Minecraft Store”.
– New photo frames for avatar items in the Minecraft Store.
– Fix for Magma Cube hit boxes.
– Added an Awkward Potion to the Potions page in the Creative Menu.
– Fix to show the aura of enchanted items for other players in an online game.
– Fix for tools enchanted with Unbreaking occasionally repairing themselves.
– Changes to improve breeding – Love Mode status is now network synchronised, and animals react more correctly if spawn limits are reached when breeding.
– Fix for issue with “Take Half” in the Brewing Stand interface.
– Fix to allow the map to be displayed when the player has turned off Display Hand.
– Fix for potion effects being removed after using the Nether Portal.
– Fix to stop the item in hand being changed when traveling to/from the Nether.
– Fix for Compass not pointing to the original spawn point after having been in The Nether.
– Fix to allow players to be able to eat food even if they are not allowed to build and mine.
– Fix to allow client players to toggle Custom Skin Animation.
– Fix for player gamertag border color being wrong after a respawn/dimension change.
– Fix for issue in splitscreen where it was possible to craft items without a player having the resources required.
– Fix to remove the Love Mode tooltip when animals are unable to enter Love Mode.
– Change to moderator option description in the Host and Player Options.
– Fix for the submerged edge of the world emitting a faint light.
– Fix for lighting issue with mobs in water.
– Fix to stop food being removed when feeding animals in Creative Mode.
– Fix to stop Bones being removed when taming wolves in Creative Mode.
– Change to make baby wolves tame when born.
– Fix for Blaze Rods not being identified as fuel for a furnace.
– Fix for issue with sky lighting values making bedrock layer fully lit.

Though we’re as happy to see bug fixes as anyone else, it’s a bit disappointing that 4J Studios released this massive update without anything novel to show for it. The PC/Mac version of Minecraft still includes reams of content not seen in the Xbox Live game, and yet this update doesn’t close the gap between the two platforms. We contacted 4J Studios and received a polite apology along with news that The End would still be coming to the XBLA Minecraft, only that it had been delayed until Update 9. 4J Studios’ Twitter account claims that the developer hopes to have Update 8 available by the end of January, so barring catastrophe we expect to see Update 9 either toward the end of February or the beginning of March. We’ll bring you more on the status of Minecraft and its periodic updates as 4J Studios makes things public.

Editors' Recommendations

Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
Three classic Grand Theft Auto games are coming to Netflix next month
Key art for GTA: The Trilogy on Netflix

Netflix and Rockstar Games revealed that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition will come to the services game catalog in December.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is a package that features remasters of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It was first released for PC and consoles in late 2021. Although the ports were derided for having a plethora of technical problems at launch, they have improved since then. Now, Netflix is making a major play by bringing these remastered GTA games to the service around the same time a Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer is expected to drop.

Read more
Nintendo Switch vs. PlayStation Portal: which portable device is best?
playstation portal review remote player vs switch oled

Handheld gaming has come back in a big way this past generation. Nintendo formerly held the crown as the king of the dedicated handheld market with its unfathomably successful DS line, which would eventually combine into a home console with the equally impressive Switch. PlayStation attempted to get into this market with the PSP and PS Vita but appeared to bow out of that competition when the latter failed to achieve much success. However, the new PlayStation Portal device could provide players with an alternative to Nintendo's aging system.

If you're debating between the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Portal, here's a full breakdown of how the two devices stack up.
Nintendo Switch Vs. PlayStation Portal specs
When it comes to specs, let's start with the easy comparisons.

Read more
Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more
best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

One of the best places to shop for almost anything involving electronics says so right in its name: Best Buy. The retail giant has a ton of departments with some of today’s most popular devices, components, and appliances for sale. It also offers a lot of these at a discount, which is certainly what we’re seeing right now. Some of the best TV deals, best tablet deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals can currently be found at Best Buy, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve tracked down all of the best deals you can shop at Best Buy right now, so read onward for some gift ideas for yourself or a loved one and for some great ways to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.

Read more