Microsoft says Minecraft Earth will be discontinued. The game’s team made the announcement earlier today, saying the title will continue to work until June 30, 2021. While that sucks for users, it is hardly a major surprise. That augmented realty phase really was just that… a phase. Pokémon Go rose and fell quickly and Minecraft Earth never became a massive success despite Microsoft’s efforts. In fact, it is arguable the game arrived too late, landing three years after Pokémon Go’s initial success. Let’s be clear, it’s obvious that augmented reality will play a major role in the future of gaming, but right now it remains a fad.
No Growth
Minecraft Earth is Microsoft’s first AR title. Developed in the same division as Microsoft’s next Halo game for Xbox, the new Minecraft experience will be available for free on iOS and Android. ”Minecraft Earth proposes to completely break the dogma that has lived with us in computing since the beginning: this idea of a single person that holds a single device to create a single experience,” said HoloLens chief Alex Kipman at the time. “With Minecraft Earth, that’s no longer the case. The content is in the real world.” Kipman’s enthusiasm for the game was not matched by users. As Microsoft prepares to send Minecraft Earth into the sunset, the title is receiving one last update. Version 0.33.0 allows users to level up much quicker than before. Furthermore, it takes much less time to craft and smelt, while drop rates are now more frequent. This update looks like Microsoft has opened the floodgates and is allowing players to get the most out of the game before its gone for good.
Full Changelog
New Stuff:
Super Season Reduced build plate store costs Reduced crafting times Reduced smelting Times Increased rare item drops in Tappables and Adventures This will be the final scheduled update for Minecraft Earth
New Mobs and Variants:
Fuzzy Sheep Cream Cow Sooty Pig Freckled Rabbit Long Nose Sheep Gold Crested Chicken Dairy Cow Mottled Pig Umbra Cow
Bug Fixes:
Various bug fixes
Tip of the day: Fast startup (a.k.a hiberboot, hybrid boot, hybrid shutdown) is a power setting that adjusts the OS’ behavior when it starts up and shuts down. Though it is unlikely fast startup will seriously harm your computer, there are a few reasons you might want to disable it following our tutorial.
