The success of Pokemon GO opened up a new mobile gaming market that many want to cash in on. But as the reception of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite proved, not even developer Niantic Labs itself is always able to replicate that success. Many have tried to use that same collection and location-based formula and almost all have failed. Microsoft-owned Mojang is now also trying to get its and your feet wet with Minecraft Earth and it is now making its unique spin available in nine more locations around the world.
Just like any location-based AR game, Minecraft Earth takes the core elements of a computer game and tries to apply it to the real world. There are, for example, resources to be collected known as Tappables, and places where the virtual and real meet, at least on your phone’s screen only.
But as the video below tries to show, Minecraft Earth is more than just Pokemon GO in a blocky pixelated world. While games like that focus on a collection and competition mechanic, Minecraft Earth is trying to do what it does best, letting players combine and create, sometimes cooperatively even.
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Of course, that’s the aim of the game but it’s pretty much in its early status. Right now, you are already able to to build an interactive diorama if you have a buildplate and the right materials and tools to make those. Most importantly, you also need to be in one of the few select countries where Early Access is currently available. That includes nine new ones such as:
– United Kingdom
– Canada
– South Korea
– Philippines
– Sweden
– Mexico
– Australia
– New Zealand
– Iceland
As an AR game, Minecraft Earth is also subject to the same real-world risks and accidents that Pokemon GO players have become notorious for. As such, the game’s developers have made a rather entertaining clip above to remind gamers of what not to do while playing the game, even in those limited locations.
