ancient Rome Archives

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

New Minecraft edition has students restore St. Peter’s Basilica

Vatican City launched an educational edition of Minecraft titled “Peter Is Here: AI for Cultural Heritage” on March 18, 2025, in collaboration with Microsoft. The game allows students aged 8 to 18 to explore a digital version of St. Peter’s Basilica, engaging in restoration tasks and learning about its art and history. Players earn golden papal key tokens by completing tasks, and the game features two modes: “Restoration Mode” and “Exploration Mode.” The initiative aims to enhance cultural heritage understanding through interactive gaming. The game is available in the Minecraft Education lesson library for licensed users, with a free trial version accessible through Office 365 or Microsoft 365 Education accounts.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

‘A massive, massive moment of wow.’ Microsoft CEO predicts AI-generated games are a ‘CGI moment’ for the industry

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed the company's plans for artificial intelligence and quantum computing, particularly focusing on their AI-powered game generation platform, Muse. He compared Muse's potential impact on gaming to the influence of CGI in the film industry, despite its current limitations of generating games at a resolution of 300 by 180 pixels. Nadella envisions a future where users can request unique gaming experiences, indicating that the integration of AI into gaming is imminent. He also highlighted the broader implications of AI on economic growth, cautioning against the hype surrounding artificial general intelligence (AGI) and emphasizing the importance of AI's impact on GDP growth. Nadella believes in a collaborative future for AI development, suggesting that the market can support multiple successful players. The timeline for when gamers can fully engage with Muse remains uncertain, with some experts cautioning that its capabilities may be overstated.

AppWizard

December 13, 2024

Making Minecraft all their own

Students at Skidmore College engaged in a project where they took on roles of ancient Romans, such as bakers, farmers, and miners, to explore daily life in ancient Rome. Assistant Professor Amy Oh emphasized the importance of everyday individuals in Roman society, who made up 99% of the population. In collaboration with environmental studies major Kate Manor, Oh utilized the educational version of Minecraft for her course, "The Romans in Their Environment," to create a fictional town named 'Skidrome.' Students researched Roman urban planning and geography to construct the town and developed backstories for their characters. They hosted a festival to showcase their work, which included political engagement and a simulated natural disaster. Oh noted that the immersive gameplay fostered collaboration and allowed students to express their creativity and engage more freely than in a traditional classroom setting. She highlighted the potential of using Minecraft as a teaching tool across various disciplines.