Minecraft is one of the most popular video games around, and this summer a new version is coming to mobile.
Minecraft Earth is a new augmented reality game that lets you build Minecraft structures in the real world. You can walk around your world and gather building resources using tapables, similar to how Pokéstops work in Pokémon Go, and then you can start building using build plates. You can collaborate on these building with friends, and when you're done, you can share a link to your creation so that other people can check it out.
There are also adventures in Minecraft Earth. According to a report from The Verge, these adventures can vary, with some being peaceful and others being a bit more difficult where you could lose all of your treasure to a monster. You can participate on these adventures with your friends by your side, though, so you don't have to tackle them alone. You can also earn blocks during adventures that are shared with the players that are alongside you.
Other details of Minecraft Earth include the fact that there's a progression system with levels and experience points, and your character never gets reset. Also of note is that the game uses OpenStreetMap for its data.
Minecraft Earth will be a free-to-play game when it launches. It'll be available on Android and iOS in beta this summer, and if you'd like to participate, you can sign up for the chance to join right here. There's no word yet on how Microsoft plans to monetize Minecraft Earth, but the company does promise that there will be no loot boxes.
Pokémon Go took the world by storm when it launched in 2016, getting people out of the house to explore the world and capture Pokémon. This new Minecraft Earth game looks like it could be just as big. Not only is Minecraft one of the biggest entertainment names around, but players can go on adventures together, collect resources, and build structures together, all while getting out and exploring. We'll have to wait and see how the final game and its monetization work, but we're sure that there will be a lot of folks interested in trying Minecraft Earth when it arrives on mobile devices.
What do you think of Minecraft Earth? Are you going to try and get into the beta this summer?
