Microsoft launches Minecraft AR mobile game

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Microsoft unveiled a mobile AR version of its existing Minecraft video game: Minecraft Earth last week, according to The edge. Minecraft Earth was originally teased earlier this month at the company’s Build 2019 developer conference, and the company plans to launch a beta of the game for gamers this summer.

Here’s what it means: Minecraft Earth is on the verge of widespread adoption.

• Minecraft already has a strong brand awareness. Not only does Minecraft have a large and engaged user base, but it continues to grow: last week the game sold over 176 million copies, up almost 13% from 156 million. September 2018. In addition, Minecraft has 91 million monthly active users. .
• AR adds a new layer of immersion. For example, AR allows consumers to cut down fake trees in real environments like their garden or local park.
• Technology increases the social nature of the game. Although it is currently limited to a single player, Microsoft strives to create a shared environment where users can play together, which can promote real-world dating. Real-world dating has been a popular component of mobile AR games: Pokémon Go hosts an annual gamer meet in Chicago that has attracted 21,000 players in 2018, for example.
• Microsoft’s expertise in the AR space will help it create a high-quality AR game that will prove appealing to consumers. Microsoft has already cemented itself in the AR space in 2016 with the launch of its business orientation HoloLens AR headsets and support platform, for which he created a content portfolio.

The overview: Minecraft Earth is expected to be the next great augmented reality game, which will help catalyze the mass adoption of mobile augmented reality.

While new mobile AR games are regularly released to the App Store and Google Play Store, the market still lacks a revolutionary app that is captivating enough to push mobile AR into mainstream audiences, just like Pokémon Go has done. in 2016: the AR game was downloaded more than 7.5 million times on iOS and Android in the first week and 750 million times in its first year.

Minecraft Earth is poised to be the market’s failing AR app; its enduring popularity should inspire its fans to try AR, thereby attracting more users into the mobile AR ecosystem.

And in the long run, it presents a major opportunity for AR headset manufacturers by serving as the initial point of contact for AR experiences. This could have major implications for AR headset vendors like Magic Leap, Lenovo and even Apple – which plans to enter the AR headset market in the coming year.

Minecraft could also facilitate the explosive growth of consumer AR headset shipments, which are expected to increase by 733% between 2019 and 2023 to reach 2.5 million units, according to Business Insider Intelligence.

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