Mojang will host the Minecraft worlds, which would run the latest builds of the game (not snapshots), and forgo any mod or texture pack support. So, how many bills do they want?
To nab yourself a Minecraft Realms world it will cost you €10/$13/£8 per month, or less if you choose to go for a longer subscription, reveals the FAQ.
Bear in mind this cost could be divided up between those interested in sharing a world, as this is not a MMO subscription like charge for each player - just for a Minecraft Realms world to be reserved at all times for you and your group. Mojang will also let you export your game worlds at any time, ”even for a limited duration after your subscription has expired.”
”To make things easier, we’re creating Minecraft Realms,” said the studio. ”It’s a paid service which lets users quickly create an online world that can be accessed by an approved list of players.”
”Minecraft Realms will always be accessible to players. It doesn’t require any technical knowledge to set things up, and it all happens from within Minecraft. Realms is run by Mojang - creators of Minecraft.”
A selection of admin commands will be available, they reveal. So far Minecraft Realms is only available to a select group of testers as Mojang put their new service through its paces in Sweden.
Easy to use
Once you’re logged into Minecraft, Realms is just a few clicks away. It won’t require you to set up LAN networks, configure IPs, or mess about with ports. We’ve already done that for you. It’s the easiest way to host an infinitely big, personal, and private Minecraft world.
Good value
Only the host of a Realms server needs to pay a subscription fee. They will be available via the Mojang account page or through a link in-game, and will initially come in 1, 3, or 6 month packages. The price is £8/month, but if you choose a bigger package you’ll get a better deal.
Safe and secure
Only invited players can join a Realms server, and the host can add or remove players from their approved list with a few clicks. Worlds gets automatically backed up at regular intervals, and the host can restore their Realm to a previously saved state at any point.
Always available
Realms servers are always online, even if the host isn’t logged in. Up to 20 players can be invited to a Realms server, and up to 10 of them can play at any one time. Inviting players and accepting invitations is a simple process that happens from within your Minecraft client.
For more information visit the Minecraft Realms FAQ.