Metaverse – We hear this term every day – some people mistake it for AR/VR, while others don’t understand the difference with a game. Most people only know Meta – a metaverse that was created by what we used as Facebook – as an example. Let’s define the Metaverse and give you some examples of our favorite metaverses.
New entrepreneurs might be a bit confused by the rise of social media and digitization.
“Why is there a need for an IRL store when e-commerce, digital marketing and other methods can do the trick?”
However, a more experienced brand builder will be able to see the potential in a new entrepreneur. Brand presence is the obvious answer.
Future customers and potential customers learn more about your brand when they visit your store in person, rather than searching online. Brands with a physical location have a greater sense of authenticity and “physicality”.
3 Most Popular Metaverses
The Sandbox – Gamification in the Metaverse
The Sandbox is also known as the Minecraft of the Metaverse. This speaks volumes about Sandbox’s reputation. Did you know that the Sandbox was not originally a metaverse?
Origins
The Sandbox, a pixelated game for mobile devices that was launched in 2012, had more than 40,000,000 downloads worldwide.
The Sandbox was a mobile game that builds worlds, and it had been a huge success from its inception.
In 2018, Animoca Brands bought the Sandbox from Pixowl and pushed it into the crypto sphere. This was the pivot of the game’s evolution from mobile web2 to web3 devices.
Features
While the Sandbox retains its original pixel-graphics feel, characters and in-game objects are now 3-D. This adds a sense of realness to the game.
All activities in the Sandbox take place on one large web3 parcel of land, virtual country. The Sandbox is not like video games that allow you to create your “private worlds,” everyone lives in this metaverse.
The whole plot can be broken down into ESTATES or LANDS that can be sold, bought, and traded on the secondary market. We’ll be looking at some of the brands that already have large plots in the Sandbox.
What can you do in the Sandbox?
The Sandbox, as we mentioned earlier, is all about gaming the metaverse experience.
The metaverse is placing a lot of emphasis on gaming, and the Sandbox is the leader in all aspects.
These are some of the things that users can do in Sandbox:
- Create
- Host
- Trade
- Play
1) Create
Creation is the key. The Sandbox is worthless without creation.
The Sandbox is one of the most important metaverses. It relies on user-generated content to maintain their digital universe. All other things follow.
Since Sandbox users are creating content, it follows that more people will jump on the Sandbox and get involved in the metaverse. This in turn will attract capital and investors!
This is something the Sandbox team knows and has made it simple for players to do.
The Sandbox actually has a page called “Create” that provides tools like their no-code Game Maker and NFT creation tool VoxEdit. It also includes an Avatar customization widget.
2) Host
The Sandbox’s LAND is another important part. Virtual estate investors own plots of land within the Sandbox metaverse. There are many things you can do with your land.
You can also build a house, virtual shop, or host events on your Sandbox plot.
Snoop Dogg and other artists have held virtual concerts and events on his Sandbox land plot, selling tickets (as NFTs obviously) to anyone who would like to visit his land.
3) Trade
We now reach the next point: trade.
Like all crypto, money will be an issue. You can trade plots in Sandbox LAND, avatar skins and wearables on the secondary market, in-game items and many other things.
What is the difference? These tradeables can all be NFTs.
The Sandbox could be considered a P2E creation.
4) Play!
Playing involves interaction, socializing and engaging.
The metaverse works in the same way as social media and chat groups. However, it offers visualisation through 3-D and buildings in game.
Have fun!
Why Brands Need to Get into The Sandbox
We’ve already said enough. Why should your brand join the Sandbox?
The Sandbox’s native coin $SAND, which is based on market capitalization, is 2nd among all metaverse tokens. This is close to Decentraland.
The Sandbox has been invested in by a variety of brands and institutions. Some notable ones are Adidas, Atari Inc. and Hell’s Kitchen. There are many other multi-million-dollar companies.
The Sandbox is a unique and ideal opportunity for brands to explore gaming, crypto and NFTs. All with one investment. Virtual real estate investment could provide a lucrative opportunity for you to create publicity campaigns or generate additional revenue streams.
Decentraland
Decentraland is the largest metaverse in terms of market capital, its native token $MANA having a capitalization exceeding $2.1 billion as of the writing.
What makes Decentraland attractive to investors and users alike? Realistic
In terms of concept and features, Decentraland is very similar to the Sandbox.
The visual style and vibe of Decentraland is much more realistic than the Sandbox’s. It all comes down to the intentions of the metaverse developers.
The Sandbox appeals to Gamers so we adopted a pixel-Minecraft design. Decentraland graphics, on the other hand, is more human-like and comparable to The Sims.
Decentraland also offers excellent tools for building, which allow users to create their avatars and let their imaginations run wild when creating architectures.
The DAO
Decentraland is a strong advocate for their Decentralized Autonomous Organization. Decentralized Autonomous Organization is shorthand for Decentralized Autonomous Organization. It is a group that manages and governs the development in Decentraland.
You can immediately gain entry to the DAO by holding $MANA, Land, or other Decentraland assets. You can then make proposals, vote against/for other proposals, or participate in the governance and management of the metaverse.
Fashion Street
Decentraland is also known for Fashion Street, a strip of land that they have in their metaverse.
Fashion Street in Decentraland has a similarity to NYC in real-life, as that’s where all fashion lives. Two months ago, 70 of the most prestigious fashion brands in the world, including Gucci and Estee Lauder, participated in the Metaverse Fashion Week.
A plot of land on Fashion Street can be a big publicity boost for your brand.
Wilder World
Wilder World is a gaming company that takes a different approach, boasting a futuristic and hyper-realistic outlook to their metaverse.
Wilder World is based on Unreal Engine 5 & ZERO and looks promising as a 3-D metaverse to explore, and play. These are the features that make Wilder World stand out.
Marketplace and Staking
Wilder World is proud to display its marketplace, unlike other games that hide it in a corner. Wilder World has a clean page that allows you to find land, wearables and in-game collectibles in one place.
Wilder World might be moving in the direction Decentraland and Sandbox, but at the moment, development of a game remains in their vision.
Wilder World also has a Liquidity Pool. This allows users and builders to “cash out” or “invest,” in this metaverse under one smart contract. It also provides a useful indicator of the health and well-being of the Wilder World metaverse.
A Game of Adventure
Wilder World has so far provided sneak peeks into their metaverse, including Beast companions and luxury kicks, futuristic automobiles and cars, as well as other NFT-art.
These features can be combined into a hyper-realistic gaming experience, which is in keeping with their goal of creating a “5D” metaverse. We will have to wait and see what this means.
Take a bow
There are many metaverses that your brand can enter. What’s your strategy?
Is it worth entering the Sandbox to get exposure to crypto and build on larger scales? Or is it worth taking the risk of going into smaller metaverses that could offer more runway in the near future?
Your choice. It all depends on your end goal. All the best to you!
