Following recent launches in the UK, Australia and a handful of other countries, Minecraft Earth has now launched in the US – though note that it’s in early access, so might be a bit buggy.
The app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android, and once you get it up and running you’ll be able to explore the real world through the lens of Minecraft, a bit like how Pokémon Go lets you catch 'em all on your way to work.
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Minecraft Earth has been available in certain regions for a while now, like in the UK and parts of Europe, but it's early access in these locations too. The team behind Minecraft Earth told TechRadar it has plans to constantly expand the game, so a 'full release' could be on the cards in all regions in the near future.
That echoes the development of the original Minecraft game, which took two years to change from early access to full release.
A whole world of construction
Rather than capturing creatures like in Pokemon Go, in Minecraft Earth you’ll be collecting resources found while walking around, and use them to build things that you can see overlaid on the real world when viewed through your phone’s camera. You can even collaborate on construction with other Minecraft Earth players.
There are still many parts of the world that Minecraft Earth isn’t available in yet, but it should launch in lots more places over the coming weeks, so you hopefully won’t have to wait much longer, and then the game can start living up to its name.
Whether Minecraft Earth will capture imaginations in the way Pokémon Go has remains to be seen, but now it’s available in more places it will at least have more opportunity to. And it’s free to play, so if it appeals there’s no reason not to give it a download, get exploring and get mining.
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Via The Verge
