Advertising in the Metaverse
The Metaverse is a virtual universe that goes beyond the physical world, and users can interact with each other through avatars, go to concerts, activities, go shopping, or work. Albornoz gives Fortnite as an example, a video game that has become popular in recent years. Users can talk to each other through their avatars, go to concerts by famous artists, or buy clothes or (virtual) weapons for games.
Currently, the Metaverse is limited to the devices through which it could be accessed.
Implications for Advertising
Where an individual game may be a loss-leader, but Network LTV still exceeds the CAC, publishers with large content fortresses will frequently finance customer acquisition. This has far-reaching implications:
- Single-game developers with in-house publishing and customer acquisition will find it more difficult to compete (due to unit economics, many will never be able to bid on advertising at scale)
- Overall, advertising-based CACs have the potential to rise.
- Possibility of shady publishing deals in which a popular game unwittingly funds a publisher\’s cross-selling network at the expense of the game\’s developer.
We believe that advertising is here to stay; it is often the most effective way to scale a game with the right metric — the best way to mitigate advertising-dependent strategies is to consider community as a more genuine alternative to the CAC LTV treadmill.
What is the Metaverse?
You can enter a virtual space using an avatar, allowing you to play games or interact with other players or avatars. You can enter this virtual space using any computer screen, mobile phone, or virtual reality glasses.
What is it about the Metaverse that is attracting so much interest right now? The early stages of any emerging technology, like any other, are when there are more opportunities to make money, which naturally attracts people.
The most obvious way to make money in the Metaverse is to buy virtual land, which you can customize by advertising your company, displaying collections of NTFs, and even renting. There are even companies that are dedicated to the commercialization of virtual plots, such as real estate in the digital world such as https://metaverse.properties/
The analogy we could make is if these virtual spaces will be like the current domains in the 90s www.xyz.com. Let us remember that there have been purchases of domains for very significant amounts.
With that being said, we would like to highlight the three metaverse projects with the highest market capitalization as of today:
SANDBOX
It\’s a virtual open world built on the Ethereum blockchain that lets users create, play, own, and monetize virtual gaming experiences and ideas. https://www.sandbox.game/en/
It was created in 2018 by Pixowl, an American video game development company, based on the concept of two previous video games with the same name: The Sandbox (2011) and The Sandbox Evolution.
Interestingly enough, both games were successful and together generated 40 million downloads across iOS and Android gaming platforms. Considering the above, its creators decided to take The Sandbox metaverse to another level: blockchain technology.
DECENTRALAND
It is an Ethereum-based virtual reality platform. Users can purchase land parcels in this virtual world, then walk around, build on them, and monetize them. Users have no restrictions on what they can do. It\’s the first digital platform that\’s entirely owned by the people who use it. https://decentraland.org/
BLOCKTOPIA
It will allow users, i.e., blocktopians, to earn passive income through renting the NFT spaces they own to use as advertising space, real estate ownership, games to win, network building, etc. https://www.bloktopia.com/
Today\’s tangible examples are brands buying digital plots and advertising their products and services. Some examples that we can give you, and you will see below, are:
Examples of advertising in the Metaverse
Nike
In the Metaverse, the brand has taken its first steps. This week, the Oregon-based company applied for various virtual model registrations, indicating its intention to sell Nike-branded virtual sneakers and apparel. Nike filed trademark applications on October 27 for \”Nike,\” the famous brand slogan \”Just Do It,\” and the swoosh logo, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office. Two more applications for the \”Air Jordan\” and \”Jumpman\” logos were filed the next day. Seven different applications have been submitted in total. This is the first step toward seeing avatars dressed in your brand\’s clothing, all thanks to NFTs. This scenario depicts what would be the pinnacle of blockchain technology application, combining NFTs with marketing and gamification. This isn\’t the first time the company has ventured into the virtual realm. The Jordan brand partnered with Fortnite in May 2019, with characters wearing Nike-branded sneakers.
Adidas
Adidas has announced its alliance with Sandbox, a metaverse supported by the ethereum network, and partnering with Coinbase. Unfortunately, details are still scarce, and Adidas has not stated why it has chosen to form these strategic alliances. The crypto community on Twitter, on the other hand, immediately speculated about possible NFTs linked to the brand.
Gucci
Gucci Garden Experience is a small metaverse created by the Roblox project in which you can take a virtual tour through a random series of themed rooms, each of which is inspired by Gucci\’s advertising campaigns, design history, and muses.
People enjoy collecting things, and the Metaverse is another place where you can display your passions. You can replicate the experience in the Metaverse by releasing limited-edition assets or items that are only available in the Metaverse.
The Collector\’s Room, for example, is part of the Gucci Garden experience in Roblox, which allows people to collect limited Gucci items in the Metaverse. From its initial sales of the collectible items, Gucci collected 286,000,000 in-game Robux, a virtual token that can only be used for Roblox games.
NASCAR
NASCAR will launch a multi-year plan to showcase its brand to young gamers on the popular Roblox platform. For starters, NASCAR is launching a digital car on the platform\’s Jailbreak game and selling clothing for player avatars. As part of a fan contest, players will be able to design their own NASCAR uniforms, with the game\’s developers acting as influencers to promote the game on social media.
Jack Myers, the founder of MediaVillage, projects that video game ad spend will grow from $1.9 billion in 2016 to $2.3 billion in 2020. According to SuperData, there is now a larger audience for video games than the combined audiences of HBO, Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu.
But this conversation isn\’t about putting your brand on a video game, it\’s about thinking differently. Advertising has evolved since billboards and banner ads, and brands are constantly evolving to offer less noise and more value.
Consumers are willing to trade their time and attention for meaningful things and experiences. In a Metaverse where anything is possible, brands will need to shift the conversation from what is to what could be.
In the end, everything will depend on where the consumer\’s attention is. Those metaverses and projects that offer a better user experience and greater entertainment will be the winners and will end up being awarded by the brands.
This has been all; if you want your brand to start having a presence in the Metaverse, do not hesitate to schedule a call with us so that we can advise you in the best way when it comes to maximizing your visibility.
Metaverse and Marketing: Now!
While obstacles are being overcome, we can consider marketing strategies in today\’s Metaverse. As specialists in digital marketing, I would start by asking ourselves about our goal to get into a mess. And here are some answers:
- Take advantage of current options to connect with generation Z mostly.
- Experiment with the possibilities of new technologies: RA or VR to improve our eCommerce conversion.
- Generate media visibility as a leading company in the adoption of new technologies.
- Prepare our brand for the future: new services, products, etc.
All these purposes can make sense, and indeed there are more that escape me. If one (or several) of us gets married, it\’s time to start planning.
Effective advertising in the Metaverse: 4 factors to consider
Of course, before jumping into the pool, here are a few considerations that can come in handy:
- Documentation.
The Metaverse is not an easy topic, and we must document ourselves to understand how it works and what options we have as a brand to take advantage of it. Who says read, says listen to a podcast, joins a Discord group, or watches a video on YouTube? The important thing is not the medium, but the sources are adequate.
For digital marketers, we could start with this article by Lisa Buyer that she published in SEJ. It is a good intro and one of the few that adds the \”search\” component to the cocktail.
From there, perhaps a good bet is to choose two or three referents and read what they have already published and everything they publish from now on.
Therefore, I have compiled a shortlist of Metaverse influencers:
Cathy Hackl: Nicknamed \”the godmother of the Metaverse,\” she has become one of the most experienced people in augmented reality, virtual reality, and virtual worlds (check out her profile picture on Linkedin).
Matthew Ball: An early essayist, he is considered a scholar of the Metaverse today.
Theo Priestley: Defines himself as a technology futurist, best-selling author, and consultant to the Metaverse. Theo is another of the prominent personalities on the subject at hand.
It is also interesting to look at the list of companies building the Metaverse. CBInsights has collected 90 of them and breaks them down into sectors, helping us understand the dimensions involved in creating such a massive shift:
- SWOT analysis
This idea is from Brandon Faris; it is about analyzing the impact of a virtual universe on our business model.
Let\’s prepare the quadrant and answer the classic questions of this marketing analysis: What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of our brand in a virtual world?
The result will be a diagnosis that will help us choose the following strategy in the coming months. It may not be the time to do anything.
Of course, regardless of this, let\’s set a time frame and once finished, repeat this process.
- Marketing actions in an incipient Metaverse
Suppose we have it clear, and we want to be early adopters. Who tells us that advertising in the Metaverse of 2022 is not taking advantage of an opportunity, indeed at lower costs than in a few years? In any case, and for sure, we will at least accumulate expertise for the future.
Current advertising formats
The current possibilities revolve around the following formats: billboards, videos, interactive and personalized experiences.
Admix is based in London and has been dedicated since 2018 to connecting game developers and companies, including advertising within virtual games in a non-intrusive way (in-gaming ads) and, sometimes, via product placement. The devices where they are played are of all kinds: mobile phones, traditional computers (flat monitors), game consoles, or virtual reality glasses.
Its clientele exceeds a thousand: National Geographic, Uber, Amazon, Gillette, Spotify, Red Bull, Cisco, or Unilever are some of them. The size of these giants makes it doubtful whether there is room for small or medium-sized brands.
Campaign Ideas
When it comes time to devise our first campaign, in an article by Hal Koss, I have found several recommendations for neophyte advertisers of the Metaverse, among which I highlight three:
Replicate what we do outside of the Metaverse:
In other words, if, for example, we regularly sponsor music concerts, the idea is to find a way to do the same thing in a virtual world. We know the subject in-depth, and in addition, the public associates our brand with this type of content. A success story is that of Stella Artois beer, sponsoring virtual horse races, just as it does in the physical world. One of the keys to success is that the brand has gone further by creating unique virtual horses (thanks to NFTs) and associating itself with a brand native to this field. A campaign that has earned him hundreds of mentions in the media.
Merchandising/ Virtual Fashion:
If it makes sense for your brand, another good idea is to bet on what already works: Virtual fashion and merchandising in the Metaverse already generate millions. The people who participate in these early versions of the Metaverse constantly change their avatars, just like we change our hairstyle or clothes in the physical world, or just like we spend x amount of money on some clothes just because we like their style or we identify with the brand. People replicate this behavior in virtual worlds, and therefore the possibilities are very attractive.
About this point, Hal speaks of two approaches (compatible with each other). The first would be to reproduce in virtual what you already sell physically, while the second would be to design exclusive collections for the Metaverse, where you can play with designs that are not reproducible in the physical world.
Partner with those who know:
The third recommendation is my favorite. Just as working with influencers on networks has opened the doors of these platforms to brands, the same thing happens in these universes. Contacting those who develop or generate content in these spaces is crucial. They are the oracle of knowledge; they know how it works. We will save ourselves more than one suffering. Amnesia Ibiza, the famous nightclub, is another example, teaming up with Decentral Games for its « virtual launch party » (in Decentraland).
I don\’t know anyone directly who works to build the Metaverse. Still, thanks to social networks, I have been able to speak with Samuel Hamilton, Community and Events Lead at Decentraland, so he could tell us what brands can do in the virtual universe he worked for more than three years ago.
The key is to create interactive experiences:
\”It is a way to connect with generation Z, and many brands already see it as the future of advertising. NFT (blockchain) technology can be used to monetize experiences or to build long-term relationships with your online community.\”
He is convinced that a new economy is being forged for brands and confirms that it is the fashion brands that have come forward, but that:
\”…other leaders such as Coca Cola and Sotheby\’s have already created experiences in Decentraland.\”
Indeed, Sotheby\’s, a famous auction house, bought a small piece of land in the Decentraland art district and built a replica of its London galleries, where it has already held several events.
- Competition monitoring.
We have talked about documentation about the Metaverse, but we must also do specific monitoring of the brands in our sector. Let us know any information on how our competitors are approaching this change. Also, new companies that may arise in this environment are related to our business model.
Today the battle is in sectors such as fashion or cosmetics. Some brands like Gucci (which created the Gucci Garden with virtual clothing on Roblox in mid-2021) have already launched campaigns that have gone viral.
Beware, though; other areas are moving fast too. Influencer marketing platform Post for Rent has built a headquarters in the Decentraland metaverse to bridge influencers\’ physical and virtual worlds.
Another example is Republic Realm, which calls itself a \”digital real estate company\” and made that clear in its bid to buy 259 parcels in Decentraland for more than $900,000 in exchange.
What implications will it have for advertising?
As can be seen, the implications for advertising will be many in terms of opportunities. The Metaverse tries to change the way people interact radically. And why not, between people and brands. They already say that the Metaverse will change the way of selling and how brands relate to the user. Will we see virtual billboards? Virtual bus shelters with ads? Who knows?
The first examples of metaverses, closely related to gaming, already show that brands can join these digital worlds and build engagement with a highly loyal audience.
These are some of the first to take the plunge. But they will not be the only ones. Brands must be aware that the physical and virtual barriers have disappeared, and they should integrate both worlds into their strategies. In the Metaverse, interaction takes on a broader meaning: creating communities that help build the brand in an increasingly collaborative way.
Building in the Metaverse
Layer 1: Infrastructure | Network, and chips
The Metaverse will be built on the provision of persistent real-time connections, high bandwidth, and decentralized data transmission by backbone providers, networks, clearinghouses, and the services that connect them, as well as those managing \”last mile\” data to consumers. 5G networks will significantly increase bandwidth while lowering network contention and latency, while 6G networks will boost speeds by an order of magnitude.
Network: Entirely new technologies, lines of business, and services are being developed to meet the growing need for real-time bandwidth applications.
Players: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Jio, Subspace (low network pathfinding), Fastly (\’Infrastructure-as-code\’ based CDN optimized for low latency apps, rather than delivery reliability and bandwidth)
Hardware: Increasingly powerful and smaller hardware will be required to enable the high performance and miniaturization needed by the next generation of mobile devices, smart glasses, and wearables: semiconductors dropping to nanoscale processes, tiny sensors, and long-life batteries.
Players: NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, Intel, Atomica (MEMS solutions in cloud computing, autonomous vehicles, cell therapy, molecular diagnostics, genomics, 5G)
Layer 2: virtualization engine
This building block is the computing, programming, and platform engine of the Metaverse – encompassing computing, programming engines, virtual platforms, and asset creation.
Virtualization | Computing: The Metaverse will have the most remarkable ongoing computational demands in human history. The availability and development of computing power will limit and define its various phases of development. The ever-increasing need for computing power and its scarcity will need to be addressed by a combination of all of the following:
Cloud computing: simulation processing in the cloud, rather than local computing devices. For example, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna
On-premises computing: to improve low-latency data delivery
- Edge Computing
- blockchain computing
Virtualization | Programming Engines: Developer-focused engines that allow users to create 3D games or worlds, among other virtual products. AI-driven 3D engines make it possible to generate game content (interactions with game characters, objects, or environments, among others) in real-time to enable an infinite number of scenarios and make games more interactive.
- 3D engines to display geometry and animation
- Mapping and interpreting the inner and outer world — geospatial mapping
- Speech and gesture recognition
- Integration of device data and biometrics
- Next-generation user interfaces to support simultaneous information flows and analysis
Virtualization | Virtual platforms: Users and businesses can explore, create, socialize, and participate in a wide variety of experiences and economic activity in immersive and often 3D simulations, environments, and digital worlds. Virtual platforms will be distinguished by the presence of a large ecosystem of developers and content creators who produce the majority of the content and collect the majority of the platform\’s revenue.
Players: Epic Games, Roblox (gaming platform), VRChat (social world), Immersed (workspaces), and Wave are all examples of games (online concert platforms)
Virtualization | Asset Creation: Content and virtual asset creation tools, including synthetic media, holograms, AR content, and NFTs.
Gravity Sketch (provides tools for drawing in 3D using augmented reality), Marxent (assists brands and retailers in visualizing product catalogs in 3D), Threekit, Cappasity, and 8i are among the players (Volumetric Holograms)
Virtualization | Avatars: avatar technology for users to represent themselves
Players: Geniuses, CryptoAvatars, Replika, Uneeq, Crucible
Layer 3: Interface and access | Equipment
Simply put, it\’s the layer that helps us access the Metaverse, from mobile devices to virtual reality headsets to future technologies like advanced haptics and smart glasses.
Evolution of the Smartphone: Smartphones are only going to get more powerful. As miniaturization, sensors, embedded AI, and low-latency access to powerful edge computing systems improve, they will absorb an increasing number of applications and experiences from the Metaverse. The evolution of smartphones has gone through distinct phases – from the ubiquity of the Blackberry to the new era of the iPhone to the dominance of Android operating systems over iOS. There is no doubt that we are approaching another inflection point, making the industry ripe for new waves of disruption(s) and \”category creation.\”
Players: Apple, OnePlus, Google, Samsung
VR/AR and haptics technology: Consumer and enterprise-focused hardware to make virtual worlds more immersive and realistic, such as VR/AR headsets and haptic sensors or devices
Players: Oculus VR (VR headsets, games, and gear), Leap Magic (Focuses on enterprise mixed reality apps), Niantic (Pokémon Go developer) Varjo (Augmented, virtual and mixed reality headsets for professionals), Microsoft Hololens, Neuralink
Displays: Interfaces that allow users to consume 3D content, such as next-generation televisions, phones, and holographic displays
Players: Avegant (develops light field displays that make virtual objects more realistic), 3D Live (designs LED display systems for more realistic holograms for use at live events, concerts, entertainment parks, etc.) \’attractions)
Layer 4: User experience and use cases
The creation, sale, negotiation, storage, payment, and financial management of digital assets, contains all activities and services \”built on top of\” and \”serving\” the Metaverse, and which are not vertically integrated into a virtual platform, including content designed specifically for the Metaverse, independently virtual platforms.
It will come with a robust creator economy, which is everything that helps creators create and monetize things for the Metaverse: design tools, animation systems, monetization technologies, and development of simultaneous 3D ad networks.
Content, Games, Shopping, Movies, Work
Players: Meta, Fortnite, Niantic, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Zoom, Netflix, ByteDance
Asset Markets: Asset Markets provide exchanges for users to buy and sell digital goods, with several focused on non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
Players: OpenSea (NFT marketplace where users can trade virtual goods in categories such as trading cards, CryptoKitties, and artwork), Sorare, Rarible, DMarket
Payments: support for digital payment processes, platforms, and operations, which includes digital currencies and pure financial services, including cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ether, and others blockchain technologies.
Financial services: Financial services adapted to virtual currencies; these companies focus on decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and leverage blockchain technology. This is a huge space and requires a deep dive to place the potential of the DeFi application.
Some Players: Algoran (Smart Contracts Platform), Uniswap (DeFi Apps Marketplace), Metamask (Retail and Institutional Crypto Wallets), Compound
Layer 5: exchange tools and standards
The tools, protocols, formats, services, and engines that enable the creation, operation, and continuous improvement of the Metaverse and serve as basic standards for interoperability. These standards support physics, AI, asset formats, compatibility management, tools, and information management.
Each of these building blocks is a trillion-dollar industry on its own. Interoperability and verticalization between these components will be an important theme, especially among the big players emerging from this phase of innovation. Big players such as Unity Games Roblox currently offer the content environment (games), platform, and programming engine spaces. Additionally, Unity also provides a 3D development platform, fully integrated 3D engine, and design studio for developers, supporting a large ecosystem of plugins and assets. Meta (Facebook) and Microsoft hope to result in virtual platforms powering various content experiences across the social, enterprise, and other use cases.
Metaverse Architect
Metaverse Architects can be found all over the web. Individuals and businesses looking to build in the Metaverse are quickly rebranding 3D designers and studios.
The Metaverse is a new territory full of possibilities for architects and a utopia free of the constraints of the physical world. Architects have complete control over the design and execution of their projects. Those who enjoy collecting one-of-a-kind assets can even create non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are unique art collectibles. Architects can also create digital library assets such as furniture and turn them into full-fledged cities, which they can then sell to virtual worlds, games, and movies multiple times. They can now offer digital products and services across the globe. It may be difficult to find clients who value your design in your region, but it is much easier to find users who value your taste all over the world.
The rise of the Metaverse is an event for the architecture, and the sky is not the limit when it comes to their designs. With the right tools, such as Blender, 3Ds Max, Maya, Houdini, city engine, Substance Painter, and game engines like Unity and Unreal, one can easily take on the role of spatial environment designer in this new medium. For architects, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Their ability to visualize, combined with their software knowledge, is more than enough to get them started in this new digital world. After all, it\’s the architects and designers who can harness the power of imagination and creativity to create an online environment as rich and complex as the real world.
Nvidia does not want to be left out of this great opportunity that the metaverses represent; in fact, the company can become one of the main protagonists by being the manufacturer of the necessary graphics cards so that all these digital creations offer a good user experience. Thus we see how he commits to creating the Omniverse development platform where creators, designers, researchers, and engineers can connect the main design tools, assets, and 3D projects to collaborate and iterate in a shared virtual space. Furthermore, software developers can easily create and sell extensions, applications, connectors, and microservices on the platform to extend its functionality.
3D Modeling in the Metaverse
The metaverse concept is appealing because it is decentralized and open to participation. Makers, particularly those with 3D modeling and coding skills, will discover a whole new market of potential customers and collaborators.
Let\’s take a look at some hypothetical maker roles. Because there is no metaverse now, these are based solely on common threads in geek fantasies since Snow Crash. This is also just a small sample of what makers could create. We\’d need architects, musicians, and a lot of code in the 1990s fantasy metaverse.
Gamers are connected to their gaming universe by the 3D world in their games. Over time, game developers have continued working on more realistic 3D worlds for gamers, incorporating new technologies such as AI imaging, motion capture, and similar techniques.
Meta has already created some wearables that allow users to immerse themselves in the realism of the Metaverse. The Metaverse\’s atmosphere must also reflect the real world, apart from wearables. The Metaverse\’s 3D world is crucial to ensuring that users are comfortable with it.
Creating a 3D world necessitates many image capture and graphic design. The 3D graphics in most games give the impression that the player is actually in the game. The same idea must be at the heart of the Metaverse as well.
Game development in the Metaverse
While riding high on the tail-end of the pandemic and the accelerated development of mobile-first nations, the gaming industry jumped on the metaverse bandwagon.
With the Metaverse, one of the proposals that have been raised is the interoperability of games, more specifically that the digital assets of the same be interchangeable between different games. For example, the skin I bought for Fornite can be used, if I want, in Minecraft, Counter-Strike, or Phasmophobia. The concept is undoubtedly very attractive, and further development, even more interesting. For a moment, I imagined myself with Doom\’s weapons in Minecraft or Minecraft\’s netherite armor in Call of Duty. The idea is excellent.
Epic Games, the creators of Fornite, continue to move forward to expand their activity in the field of metaverses since they are very clear that it will be a tremendously relevant sector for the future. This is how Tim Sweeney, CEO of the company, has recently expressed it: the Metaverse could be capable of generating several billion dollars to the world economy. All companies aspiring to the Metaverse, such as Epic, Roblox, Microsoft, and Facebook, will need to focus their efforts over the next three years. The term \”metaverse\” is similar to the Internet in that no single company can own it; however, the company that reaches one billion users first in the Metaverse will be able to set the platform\’s standards.\”
Let\’s look at some examples of metaverse games that transform the way we live our lives.
- Decentraland
Decentraland\’s virtual world belongs entirely to its owners, who can buy and sell digital real estate, construct, rent, and advertise on it, among other things as it would be in the real world. This short video goes over it in greater detail.
It has an events page where you can find and participate in ongoing events, including art shows, DJ parties, etc. You can browse as a guest or use one of the crypto wallets like Meta Mask to log in.
Fun fact: The world\’s oldest auction house, Sotheby\’s, has opened a digital version of its London gallery at Decentraland.
- Axie Infinity
While Decentraland wants to create a virtual city that mimics real-world aspects, Axie Infinity takes a play-to-win approach. Inspired by Pokemon, players collect, breed, and raise creatures called Axies and engage in PvP (player versus player) battles with them.
Like any game, there is a point system to level up. Powered by its government token called Axie Infinity Shards or AXS, Axie Infinity is changing how players interact with the game. Players own the creatures they collect and breed and can sell them for native tokens on the market for real profit.
- The litter box
Another metaverse game with a play-to-win format, Sandbox allows users to buy land, build on it, and then sell it on NFT marketplaces like Open Sea. You can be a creator building the Metaverse or a player participating in the games created by other players or builders.
As is the norm in the blockchain gaming world, creators own the digital rights to their creations, which are tradable. Its native cryptocurrency is SAND, which drives the economy, facilitating transactions like buying/selling plots of land, characters, etc.
- Render Guild Matches
Rendering Guild Games or YGG makes it possible for a group of players to participate in blockchain games remotely. The profit is not required to be in the same place as in the old days. They can compete for prizes, cash/tokens, and in-game assets.
You can think of YGG as the (Valve) Steam of blockchain gaming, with games like The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and others available.
The goal of YGG is to bring together players from all over the world to win together. Players can vote on important decisions like where money is invested, which NFTs to buy, and which games they want to play to earn rewards because YGG is a DAO.
- Minas of Dalarnia
Mines of Dalarnia is an action-adventure game that will take you deep into the mines. You will find yourself fighting for resources, items, and equipment, all while battling other players who will help you improve your skills and gain a tactical advantage.
While the graphics are nothing to write home about, and the game is in 2D, it looks promising. Maybe adding a couple of new maps and 3D worlds will spice things up.
- Chroma
Chroma is not a game but rather an entire game studio that has made several games, including the Mines mentioned above of Dalarnia. Other metaverse games include My Neighbor Alice, Krystopia, and Chain of Alliance. They are also involved in other side projects and probably won\’t stop there. Expect more game releases in the future as technology improves.
- Gala
Gala is a blockchain game studio like Chromia. The development team has already developed and released several games such as Town star, a simulation game, and SpiderTanks, a PvP game, with a few more in development. There is a shop where you can buy and sell in-game items with the native token, Gala.
Gala Games was co-founded by Eric Schiermeyer, who also founded Zynga. They are currently creating more games and launching a mainnet of their blockchain, GalaChain. Currently, they are implemented on Ethereum.
Find more from some of the big-name game studios like Roblox, Epic Games, and Tencent.
Voxel Artists in the Metaverse
Create NFTs for The Sandbox
One of the game\’s attributes that stands out the most is that you don\’t need to be an expert to be a great artist; with a bit of time and effort, you can create both NFTs and even mini-games.
This is because it uses the VOXEL platform that already gives you many pre-designed assets, and the rest is something like a \”drag and drop\” where you must generate behaviors and edit the attributes of the assets you create.
And in case you were wondering, no, you don\’t need to know how to program or create lines of code to create it.
So let\’s first see the requirements to be able to use VOXEL
Mandatory Requirements:
Processor and a 64-bit operating system
Windows 7 operating system (although it is also available for MAC).
Processor: 2 GHz dual-core
Memory: 4GB RAM
Graphics: 512MB VRAM
DirectX: Version 11 (if you want to know if your Windows computer has DirectX 11, click here).
Storage: 2 GB of available space
Suggested requirements:
Processor and a 64-bit operating system
Windows 10
Processor: Quad-Core 3GHz
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics: 2GB VRAM
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 2 GB of available space
How to start using Voxel?
After that, consider that Voxel has three alternatives for its users:
- The modeler allows you to create anything (objects, clothes, people…) for both beginners and experts to use.
- The Animator is to bring your creations to life through a simple platform.
- The creator of NFT, where 96% of profits go to you.
If your computer meets all the requirements, it\’s time to get to work by following these steps:
Download the Voxel Edit modeler for Windows or MAC; once ready, unzip the program and save it wherever you like.
Open the program, and you will see the main screen with links, including the NFT marketplace.
The \”model\” tab is where the magic starts since there we can create our first designs either from a file you have or a template.
The creation tools are on the left sidebar, and the right are details, very similar to Photoshop or Illustrator design.
Once there, let your imagination play; after generating a model, you can go to a second tab to animate it, and when finished, everything is rendered and ready to sell.
These sales are made in the official in-game currency SAND and take a 5% processing fee, money that goes to the Voxel Creators Foundation to fund emerging artists and mini-game designers to bring The Sandbox to life.
However, for now, only these artists can create and sell NFTs because the game is in a beta stage; when this feature is officially released, it will be open to all players, as indicated by The Sandbox\’s statement:
\”At first, only approved Voxel artists will be able to upload their NFTs to the marketplace, such as those who are members of The Sandbox Creators Fund.\” At a later time, other members of the community and artists will be able to upload.\”
So in the meantime, I recommend that you set aside a couple of hours a week to familiarize yourself with Voxel Editor and have everything ready when they open the NFT publishing tool to everyone.
Jobs in the Metaverse
The Metaverse\’s new economic opportunities are benefiting people all over the world. The latest jobs emerging in the Internet\’s next-generation are discussed here.
Naturally, many of the jobs will be in science, engineering, and business, as they will be required to build the entire value chain from semiconductors and basic materials to the enabling software; however, let\’s concentrate on the jobs that will be in the Metaverse rather than those that will be involved in its creation… Because this is the facet of the Metaverse that has the greatest potential to alter the way we all work.
Creators
According to a recent earnings transcript from Unity, the number of artists working on games already outnumber the number of technologists. This has ramifications for the Metaverse\’s future development.
The creator economy includes everyone who contributes to the Metaverse. Still, I\’m specifically referring to the people who create the components that other builders, performers, and participants will embed, mash-up, and otherwise use.
This category includes artists, modelers, dialog writers, motion-capture creators, dialog writers, character designers, composers, videographers, fashion designers, and various other creative types.
Participants and Players
This includes play-to-earn, DAOists (people who participate in the governance of distributed autonomous organizations), customizers, guild leaders, traders, speculators, and modders.
Play-to-earn (P2E) necessitates a little more explanation.
Currently, play-to-earn is similar to the world of \”gold farming\” found in MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft; players level up and collect characters. The difference now is that some games are designed from the ground up with this economic structure in mind, rather than relying on an unauthorized secondary market.
It\’s important to use your imagination when thinking about how play-to-earn will develop: it won\’t just be about Powerleveling. Games will have their creator economies, with opportunities for players to earn money by customizing, experimenting, and exploring.
Performers
This is essentially a different type of creator, but it focuses on jobs that must be completed within a certain amount of time (as opposed to previously-created or recorded). This can be seen in live acting, musicians, guides, streamers, vtubers, educators, leaders, and coaches, to name a few.
Community
One of the benefits of the Metaverse is that it brings creators and performers closer to the people who make up their communities. These jobs entail attracting, supporting, and assisting community members in maintaining moderation and preventing harassment and other toxic behavior.
Community managers and leaders, customer service representatives, moderators, evangelists, influencers, advisors, and curators will all gain new jobs due to this.
Builders
Game designers, experience creators, producers, impresarios, curriculum designers, storytellers, and those who structure generative art will be among those who design and organize experiences.
Virtual architect
Help construct the digital living spaces of the future.
Get an architecture degree or start building homes in games like Ylands.
Bridgers
Remember that the Metaverse isn\’t just somewhere we\’ll visit; it\’ll be all around us. Consider it an alternate plane of existence, some of which will overlay our physical reality… and be influenced by what happens in the real world.
Digital twins, geotaggers, cartographers, naturalists, spatial mappers, historians, traffic analysts, public health and safety experts, data providers, and spatial mappers will all be needed.
Property in the Metaverse: Renting, Buying
How to buy a property in the Metaverse
To purchase a virtual property, you must first create an account on one of the metaverse platforms, such as Decentraland, The Sandbox, or Axie Infinity.
The most important thing is to have a digital wallet with sufficient funds, such as ether or the Metaverse\’s native currencies. In theory, the property can be bought, rented, traded, and sold, and the title of ownership is kept as a non-fungible token (NFT).
Experts advise using a digital wallet that is compatible with the platform for digital properties. Metamask is the most widely used digital wallet currently available, and it works with almost every Metaverse property platform.
The digital terrain of the Metaverse, unlike real-world real estate, will cease to exist if the platform on which it is purchased fails and is disconnected from the Internet, which is a risk to be aware of.