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Minecraft Earth

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Not to be confused with MineCon Earth.
Minecraft Earth
Developer(s)Mojang
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseClosed beta: 16 July 2019 Early access: October 2019[1]
Genre(s)Augmented reality, sandbox

Minecraft Earth is an upcoming augmented reality sandbox mobile game developed by Mojang based on the video game Minecraft. It was first announced on 17 May 2019, and will be available as a free to play game on Android and iOS smartphones. A closed beta is currently available for both Android and iOS in select cities.

Gameplay

Similar to the original, Minecraft Earth is centered around building structures, gathering resources, crafting and exploration. Players could build augmented reality structures in collaboration with other players, gather resources through tapping on "tappables" in the in-game map, and access "Adventures" which may be a puzzle or a specific task, or a virtual location with hostile entities to defeat. The adventures reward players with in-game currency.[2] Collaborative construction is done on "build plates", and players can share copies of their completed structures. Minecraft Earth takes into account physical objects such as trees and lakes so there are fewer incidents and interferences with the AR simulation.[3]

Development

Minecraft Earth utilizes information from OpenStreetMap for map information and is built on Microsoft Azure for its augmented reality features.[4] The game is stated to be free-to-play, and supports Android and iOS smartphones.[2][5][5]

During Microsoft Build 2015, Microsoft's HoloLens team unveiled an augmented reality version of Minecraft.[6] On 8 May 2019, a teaser trailer was released which showed some AR mods in the game.[7] On 17 May, Minecraft's 10th anniversary, Minecraft Earth was officially announced.[8] Microsoft has created a website for players to signup for the closed beta that was released during mid-2019, and Microsoft intended to release the game in a gradual rollout.[4] Multiplayer gameplay was showcased at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2019.[9]

Release

The closed beta of Minecraft Earth was released on 16 July 2019 for iOS firstly in Seattle and London,[10] then in Stockholm, Tokyo, and Mexico City over the next two days.[11] On 30 August 2019, Android users in these cities gained access to the closed beta.[12]

Minecraft Earth will release in early access worldwide in October 2019.[1]

Reception

Newshub described the game as "mind-blowing", "hugely ambitious", and "the next big thing".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Rutledge, Daniel (29 September 2019). "Minecraft Earth: Believe the hype, this is the next big thing". Newshub. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b Campbell, Colin (17 May 2019). "Minecraft Earth is Microsoft's wild shot at the next Pokemon Go-style AR blockbuster". Polygon. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Minecraft Earth busts out of the box as a Pokemon Go-inspired mobile AR game". PCWorld. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "'Minecraft Earth' makes the world your augmented reality playground". Engadget. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b Warren, Tom (17 May 2019). "Minecraft Earth goes a step beyond Pokemon Go to cover the world in blocks". The Verge. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  6. ^ Robertson, Adi (17 June 2015). "HoloLens games are too good for HoloLens". The Verge. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Is a new Minecraft AR game coming?". BBC. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Minecraft: AR game Minecraft Earth and Minecon announced on 10th birthday". BBC. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  9. ^ Warren, Tom (3 June 2019). "Microsoft demos Minecraft Earth at Apple's WWDC event". The Verge. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  10. ^ Kumparak, Greg. "Minecraft Earth starts rolling out in beta in Seattle and London". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  11. ^ Porter, Jon (30 August 2019). "Minecraft Earth Android beta launches in five cities". The Verge. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  12. ^ Lawler, Richard (30 August 2019). "'Minecraft Earth' beta is available on Android -- in five cities". Engadget. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minecraft_Earth&oldid=918510203"