DOCTOR WHO COMES TO MINECRAFT ON XBOX

BBC Worldwide are delighted to announce a deal with Microsoft Studios and Mojang which will bring Doctor Who - the world’s longest running science fiction drama – to ‘Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition’.

From September 2014, Minecraft players will have access to a range of Doctor Who assets which will allow them to change their avatar to resemble their favourite characters from the show. The first pack will include a character inspired by the Twelfth Doctor as well as five other Doctors, each of their on-screen companions and some of the Doctor’s most well known adverseries including his arch-nemeses, the Daleks.


Rikesh Desai, Digital Entertainment and Games Director at BBC Worldwide says:
The deal will bring more packs as time goes on, introducing many of the most recognisable characters from the past 50 years of Doctor Who. Each skin pack will feature at least six Doctors and will be released regularly following the broadcast of the first episode.

Minecraft is one of the fastest selling Xbox game of all time with over 13 million sales to date. The deal to bring Doctor Who to Minecraft builds on BBC Worldwide’s successful partnership with Microsoft, which has seen Microsoft publish Forza racing games complete with Top Gear themed challenges and features.

Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew, players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things.

It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a blocky ocean. It’s pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether, which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit a land of mushrooms if it sounds more like your cup of tea.

Available on over 84 million Xbox devices worldwide.

Seoul

The Korean fans came out in full force as we stepped off the plane with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman reaching veritable rock star status.

More than 1,000 people attended the screening - tickets sold out in two minutes - and gave Peter and Jenna treats such as ornamental silk fans, luxury boxes of ginseng and, as expected, heaps of fan-made art. In return, Peter and Jenna greeted their audience in Korean on stage, while the media hung on their every word, frantically typing on their mind-boggling keyboards.

Sydney

Our photo call at the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge attracted fans and paparazzi alike with many of the national newspapers running picture stories the following day.

It's odd to think that most British people go to Australia for the holiday of a lifetime, yet our team was there for 48 hours. We had little time to soak up the city and the jet lag was starting to creep in. But most of us got selfies with the Opera House.

New York

The American screening took place at the iconic Ziegfeld Theatre in midtown Manhattan. A vintage yellow taxi brought the cast to the venue where photographers snapped them on a Tardis-Blue carpet. As the event began, the crowd raised their sonic screwdrivers and cheered. One fan even screamed The first Italian Doctor!

After the press rounds, we eventually made it to the Top of the Rock - the Rockefeller Centre - where we did a photo shoot against the iconic New York skyline.

Mexico City

On arrival at the airport, dozens of fans greeted us with sombreros, singing made-up DW-related songs in Spanish. We could feel the warmth, physically and emotionally, of Latin America. Of all the events we put together for the world tour, the crowd in Mexico were, in my opinion, the most receptive and loudest. It was also the biggest event of the tour with more than 3,000 fans.

The morning after our arrival, a group of fans congregated outside our hotel. As I stood outside watching them, one of them actually came up to me and said "I follow you on Twitter - thank you so much for coming to Mexico". At that point, I really started to feel that we as a group - cast and crew - were connecting with fans whom we previously had little idea about. They were so immensely grateful for our visit that we couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian press had already been warmed up earlier in the year by a visit from Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss, so their appetites were whetted and ready for Peter, Jenna and Steven's arrival.

Following a successful press conference, the final screening was attended by 2,000 Brazilian fans, with Peter high-fiving people as he walked past. The morning of our departure was probably one of the most surreal of the trip - our team visited the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio.

Don’t miss the latest issue as we’ve got an amazing competition. We’re giving away life-size TARDIS to one lucky reader for their school classroom or playground. It’s a perfect replica of the Doctor’s amazing time machine – and although, sadly, it isn’t actually bigger on the inside, it’s a massive prize to win!