The sandbox game Minecraft, with its humongous and loyal following, has taken the gaming world by storm. Minecraft gives us the creative freedom and ability to build, and explore like no other game has before. It’s this popularity that sparked the idea for the Gameband + Minecraft from Now Computing. They saw how gamers move around a lot and have access to various computers, so they wanted to create an easy and fun way for players of all ages to take Minecraft wherever they go.
Introducing the Gameband + Minecraft wearable device only available at Best Buy Canada
Gameband + Minecraft is specifically designed for the Minecraft lover who not only wants to take the entire Minecraft experience wherever they go, but wants to show their love for Minecraft in the form of wearable technology. In its simplest form, Gameband + Minecraft is a wristband with a built-in USB plug that will let you connect to any computer, any place, and immediately start building your own Minecraft worlds. Built for comfort, fashion and durability, the Gameband contains some cutting edge technology that you will love.
For starters, it contains 8GB of internal flash storage that can be used to store your custom Minecraft worlds. This isn’t just any type of flash storage; the Gameband uses a multi-level cell (MLC) technology that extends the lifecycle of standard storage devices by ten times. This technology will ensure that your Gameband will perform, trouble-free for years to come.
In addition, the Gameband includes a digital 140-LED display that can be customized to display notifications, and alerts. This is done by using the built-in software on the Gameband, called PixelFurnace. On the LED, you can display things like the date and time, available storage space on the device, scrolling messages, and even unique animations. It also contains a dedicated battery for running the LED display that will last approximately 20 days.
Adding to the superb Gameband design is the tough and long-lasting silicon that the band is made from. Plus, the Gameband is also splash-proof—an essential design element for kid-friendly devices.
How does Gameband + Minecraft work?
Getting started with Gameband is so easy because the set-up is very user friendly. All the files and applications are already stored on the device. To begin, all you do is open the clasp of the Gameband and it reveals a hidden, integrated USB port. Just plug this USB into any available slot on your laptop or desktop and voila, you’re ready to go. Your Gameband will work on any computer system—PC, Mac, or Linux.
Once you’re all plugged in, the Gameband folder will appear on your desktop, just click on the Gameband icon, following the on-screen instructions you will be asked to register your device. Any software updates will download, and install automatically to your Gameband. If you already have Minecraft installed in your computer, you can import all of your worlds, texture packs, and IP addresses to your Gameband. Minecraft fans will be happy to know that the Gameband comes pre-loaded with maps from Minecraft legends Sethbling, Hypixel, and Dragonz.
If you are new to Minecraft you will have to sign up for a Mojang account, and purchase the Minecraft software license. It’s really easy, and the entire setup process took me less than 5 minutes. All the necessary files are initialized on your Gameband, and both on device and cloud based backup systems are enabled.
When you’re done playing Minecraft, a backup will run automatically upon exiting the software. Depending on the amount of building you have done the backup may take several minutes. Just remember that your data is being backed up both locally to the Gameband and to the cloud for safe keeping.
Hack your band
The Gameband has a nice bright LED display. It is activated by a red square-shaped button not far from the clasp (see the above image for a view of the red button). Pressing the button once will display the time, another press and the date displayed, a third time and a custom animation plays across the screen. Adding more animations will require additional button presses to view them.
With the Gameband’s included PixelFurnace App you can customize what appears on the LED display. From the Gameband main menu click on PixelFurnace, and it will instantly load up the application. From within the application you can control all of your animations, including editing, disabling, reordering, and even adding transitions between them.
There is even an online community, right on Gameband’s website that you can upload and download designs to and from. Here you will find pretty much any type of animation imaginable, from a pixel giant Mario to an exploding Creeper.
Gameband + Minecraft in the real world
To accommodate wrists of all sizes, the Gameband comes in small (15.7cm), and large (17.3cm) sizes. I have the large version and it fit perfectly around my wrist, I rarely noticed that I even had it on. My normal daily tasks such as typing, and rooting around the inside of desktop PCs were completely unobstructed by the Gameband.
In the same token my son, who is in Grade 6, wore the Gameband daily non-stop for the past week without any problems at all. He took it everywhere with him, school, shopping, friends’ houses, and even wore it while playing road hockey. The best thing about it is, the Gameband still looks exactly like it did out of the box.
Let me tell you, the PixelFurnace app is almost as addictive as Minecraft itself! While I was mostly content with downloading animations from the PixelFurnace website, my son had a hoot with the PixelFurnace app. He picked up on it quickly, he was so proud of what he had made, he ran down the street to show Grandma his creations.
The true test came when my son took the Gameband over to his friend’s house for a sleep over, he was worried that all the hours he had put into Minecraft would be lost. You know what? He had the biggest smile on his face when he came home the next day because his files saved perfectly and he was able to continue building his worlds. From there, he used the Gameband on several different computers with absolutely no problems at all.
Final thoughts
If you love or know someone that absolutely adores Minecraft, then Gameband + Minecraft is a perfect fit. Built tough to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use, the ability to customize your LED display, coupled with the easy to use PixelFurnace software, this wearable device will provide endless hours of enjoyment.
The Gameband + Minecraft is only available at Best Buy Canada and comes in both small and large sizes.
OVERALL
Performance: 5/5
Features: 4/5
Design: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall Rating 4.5/5 (90%)
