If you guys have played Minecraft on your Android or iOS devices, you will, without any doubt, fall in love with the new version of it. Microsoft has just revealed a new Minecraft Earth for iOS and Android which can be played entirely in Augmented Reality.
AR on smartphones these days can be utilized in many ways. Considering games, you might have played Pokemon Go on your smartphone. It was the killer app of AR. One can see Pokemon on their street in their smartphone. Now, out of the gaming world, there are hardly some shopping and educational applications exist on the Play Store allows you to view in AR. Microsoft believes they have invented ‘killer app’ of augmented reality.
With the new Minecraft Earth, players will be able to construct buildings in augmented reality in their living room. Let’s say on their desk or on the floor. And once the construction is done, the player can go outside and place them on the street in full size. The game can be played in solo or in collaboration with other partners. A player can collect the mobs and different necessary resources around them to use them in his/her build and then fight them in the real-size version of the build.
Earlier at the E3 gaming conference, Microsoft has shown a demo of this AR Minecraft game. However, it was shown using Microsoft’s Hololens platform. For folks, who don’t know, Hololens is Microsoft’s new AR glasses allows to learn, communicate and collaborate with more quickly using AR world. Hololens platform is still in works, although as announced, Microsoft won’t make their Hololens for general consumers to use. It is made for professional users like doctors, engineers, etc.
Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar got some hands-on with this game and according to him the game “relies on Open Street Maps for basic mapping data, as well as Azure Spatial Anchors to keep track of all the players.”
Well, the game isn’t gone public yet. But, a ‘limited beta’ will begin shortly this summer. Although, Right Brothers has no information about the location as well. A public beta would become available in some selected countries. We will surely give an update as we get it.