Microsoft has formally announced Minecraft Earth, the AR game that was hinted at a couple of weeks ago in a teaser trailer. The game will follow the well-worn path of Pokemon Go by mixing the world of Minecraft with our own real world. The game will be coming to both Android and iOS and is due for beta release this summer.
The game does plan on bringing some very interesting mechanics, rather than just copying what others have done with the AR space. Players will be able to create personal build areas which they can then place in the real world for others to find. The app will use Open Street Maps for all its location data, and players will be able to experience small slices of Minecraft in areas called Adventure Pockets.
Players will be able to sign up for the beta, but there is a large chance that the beta will limited to just a few real-world locations, so keep that in mind before you get your hopes up.
Minecraft Earth really does sound like a lot of fun, as players can collect mobs, from the ones we are all familiar with to new ones that will be released into the game. You will be able to gather resources, take on challenges, and play with others. People will be able to create builds together, and the game will even have survival elements just like the Minecraft we all know and love.
Frankly, I’m excited. I shouldn’t be, because I should be too old for excitement, but Augmented Reality is an exciting aspect of games that I simply never imagined being real when I was a kid. Thanks to technological advancements like smartphones, and the incredible work of the developers who work on these games, we can now play all sorts of exciting games in the world we live in. It is an exciting time for gamers, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Minecraft Earth.
