Miners' strike!
Sometimes
it seems like the whole world is playing Minecraft, that online world
of blocks, mining, and weird little green blokes who try to eat your
pigs. Minecraft is so addictive and immersive that for some people it
can become a way of life; a hobby and passion they take with them
everywhere they go. But.... with so much time and effort spent in
creating these blocky worlds, how can you be sure that your hard work
won't be lost the next time your computer crashes, or if your laptop
gets stolen? Easy, just make sure you've backed everything up to your
Gameband, that way it will all be waiting for you on your wrist.
Simply
put, Gameband is a wearable. But unlike all the other pieces of
wearable technology that we have reviewed in the past, Gameband
couldn't care less about how many steps you've taken that day, or how
many calories you've burnt. That is because Gameband is all about
having fun – the fun you have while playing Minecraft. Think of it
as a storage device that you wear, ensuring that no matter where you
are, or what computer you are using, you'll be able to plug it in and
pick up where you left off, and then make sure everything is saved
once you're done.
The
product is a nicely weighted wrist band that pop opens to reveal a
full-sized USB connector. Other than the soft-touch smooth plastic,
the flexible, rubbery band that allows you to stretch it open, and
the hand-painted steel section into which the USB slots, you'll also
find a tiny button. The creators of Gameband really want Minecrafters
young and old to wear it at all times, and so have added a few fun
features thanks to the LED display. A bank of red (or green if you
get the Diamond version) LEDs sit just under the Gameband's surface,
and with the tap of that button you can scroll through the time,
date, a text message, a brief animation, and also small simple
pictures.
All
these options, as well as your saved Minecraft data, is accessible
via the pre-installed Gameband app that lives inside the Gameband
itself. Therefore there is no need to install a new programme each
time you access the info on a new computer. You just plug it in,
select the Gameband icon, and everything is there. As well as
choosing to continue with your Minecraft worlds, you can also select
something called Pixel Furnace, a fun application that allows you to
customise the LED display.
— The Test Pit (@thetestpit) September 22, 2015
To
be honest we got wrapped up in this feature even before we tried
saving any Minecraft data to the Gameband, as programming it with rude
messages and crazy animations (there's a tonne of them to choose from
already installed, with others available online from the Pixel
Furnace dedicated site) was something of a fun distraction. What
is great is that you can have as many or as few things happening on
the Gameband, so if you want to use the display purely as a clock,
you can – you simply disable all the other fun stuff. The brief
animations – of creepers and landscapes and weapons that Minecraft
users will instantly recognise – can also be edited within Pixel
Furnace, allowing you to create your own unique sequences of
randomness.
In
terms of actually backing up your worlds (y'know, the reason you'll
actually buy this thing) there isn't a great deal to say. That is
because it just happens automatically, backing up the info to both
the Gameband itself (there's just over 7 GB of space in there) and
the Gandband servers. That means that should you lose or damage your
band, the info will still be available from Gameband once you get
another. If you think this sounds more like the level of protection
and security a bank might use, and a little overkill for what is
'just a game', you've clearly never lost any Minecraft data. So much
time... so many beautiful things crafted...
Gameband
is an awesome idea that has been executed perfectly. This so easily
could have been a dull flash drive on a lanyard, but by making it
wrap around the wrist, and by adding the customisable elements,
Gameband is attractive to Minecraft players of all ages and genders.
Hell, even if you don't play, this is still a fun watch and wearable
gadget. Now lets kick some Creeper arse!
£64.99
