The Met meets Roblox

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This week we are covering…

🏛️ The Met meets Roblox: Inside the art-filled gaming metaverse space

⚡️ Yuga Labs acquires Roar Studios in meeting lofty Otherside metaverse ambitions

🤝 Gala Games and Elixir Games partner for broader web3 game distribution

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The Met meets Roblox: Inside the art-filled gaming metaverse space [Link]

The Metropolitan Museum, popularly known as The Met, has mounted its 1st-ever metaverse gaming experience on Roblox, bringing new, art-inspired wearables into the metaverse.

Starting Aug 3, the world-renowned art institution has invited users to “run around in Van Gogh’s straw hat from the painting Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat or maybe try out Hatshepsut’s regal headcloth” - all that’s needed is a phone and its new Replica app.

To scan works of art on view or digitally “acquire” replicas of the objects into one’s Roblox inventory, simply follow these steps:

1. Download the Replica app for free.

2. Visit The Met and follow the in-app map and clues to guide you to artwork locations.

3. Scan each artwork to unlock replicas. Pro-tip: Some have more than one item to collect!

4. Using a code provided by the app, transfer the replicas you acquired on site into Roblox.

5. Access your Replicas in your Roblox inventory and sport your favorite Replica items on your avatar!

Why this is big: The Met’s 2M sq. ft. space in New York City has just become accessible to art lovers and enthusiasts worldwide with Roblox’s immersive virtual world, enabling thrilling interactions including playing with one’s avatar outfits and accessories, and sharing them on social media.

Yuga Labs acquires Roar Studios in meeting lofty Otherside metaverse ambitions [Link]

In fast-tracking its metaverse vision mainly through its Otherside metaverse, crypto tech powerhouse and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creator Yuga Labs has strategically acquired gaming and music firm Roar Studios.

The finer details of the acquisition:

• Roar founder Eric Reid, saying his team’s ethos matches Yuga Labs’ web3 approach, joins the latter as Otherside’s general manager, working closely with its executive team to lead the platform’s ongoing evolution. Roar raised $7M in 2021 and has been developing a music metaverse enabling players to play music through their virtual avatars.

• Yuga Labs CEO Daniel Alegre notes the acquisition will accelerate their plans for bold, community-steered metaverse experiences.

• Roar brings 20+ years of experience creating virtual worlds, while Yuga Labs packs the partnership with assets like BAYC, CryptoPunks, and a war chest that includes a $450M funding round.

Yuga Labs also banks on Roar’s deep tech and AI expertise, which will be key to developing its ambitions for Otherside.

Gala Games and Elixir Games partner for broader web3 game distribution [Link]

Gala Games expands the reach of its portfolio of blockchain-based games by partnering with distribution platform Elixir Games Launcher.

The collaboration involves the launch of popular Gala Games titles on the Elixir platform, including immersive town building and farming simulator Town Star and PvP brawler Spider Tanks. More web3 gaming titles are in the works to be added to the platform soon.

In addition, Elixir will also host weekly gaming nights offering exclusive prizes and special appearances from the company, while it has also mounted a program supporting content creators and streamers.

Why the partnership matters: This strategic tie-up follows a stream of recent industry movements seeking to unify and enhance web3 gaming accessibility, in hopes of bringing the tech to the masses of players worldwide.

Roundup: New web3 game releases

• nWay, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is launching Wreck League, a web3-powered multi-platform fighting game. Players can build, own, and battle mechs, compete in tournaments, and earn revenue from mech sales. The game has 1.5 quadrillion customizable mech combinations, on-chain prizes, and a narrative incorporating Yuga Lab's characters.

• Mystic Moose has partnered with Amazon Prime Gaming to deliver Mojo Melee, a web3 deck-building and autochess hybrid game, to Prime members for six months. Players will receive monthly drops of in-game items and digital collectibles, such as NFTs, with access to 3D items. Designed by industry veterans, the game offers a new direction for autochess games.

• UFO Gaming is emerging as a web3 gaming studio with the goal of revolutionizing gaming on the blockchain. Three intergalactic titles with play-to-earn modes are available on its portal, including Horizon Apex, which has the potential to become a major esports title in 2023. The studio also offers staking with a high APY on their native token.

WAGMI Games appoints gaming veterans [Link]

WAGMI Games has enlisted industry veterans in its team to utilize new tech in its web3 gameplan.

The notable appointments:

• Esteban Gil: Former leader of Garena Free Fire, Gil brings a wealth of expertise in the mobile gaming space. His experience in Lean Portfolio Management at Respawn and Apex Legends positions him to drive business strategy development at WAGMI, with a focus on consumer-centric products.

• Brent Pease: As former Director of Operations at Electronic Arts (EA), Pease maintains a strong track record in the gaming industry. He assumes a dual role as COO/GM at WAGMI, overseeing operations and executing key growth strategies.

WAGMI Games is on a mission to attract a broader audience by making web3 games accessible and engaging to the 3B players actively participating in gaming. Its strategy involves addressing entry barriers, such as onboarding complexity and crypto wallet requirements, to bring immersive and captivating games to the mass market.

🏃‍♂️Quick Hits

• What’s up with Neopets NFTs? (Link)

• Game introduces South Africa’s 1st local user-generated content (UGC) merch on Roblox, shaping virtual fashion and retail. (Link)

• Despite women making up 48% of all gamers, less than 6% of games feature a female protagonist - Shero Comics wants to change this and more. (Link)

• Meta’s Super Rumble may not be the most impressive but it’s the best thing going in Horizon Worlds, a gamer notes on The Verge. (Link)

• VR is part of a larger spectrum called extended reality (XR), which includes AR (overlays digital displays on the physical world) and MR (merges the physical and virtual using projections like holograms). (Link)

• AI-driven cloud gaming platform The Game Company appoints Sam Huber, CEO of LandVault, as board advisor. (Link)

• EA announces Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. (Link)

• A week old, New Bitcoin City currently offers casual games, board games, and strategy games on both web and mobile running on Bitcoin. (Link)

• Bandai Namco offers a modern take on the classic Tamagotchi with the AI virtual pet NFT game RYUZO. (Link)

• YouTuber Jordi “Kwebbelkop” Van Den Bussche, with 15M+ subscribers on the platform, seeks to create his own AI replacement. (Link)

• Conductive AI’s new platform hits the scene for improved developer-player engagement. (Link)

• Lenovo leaps into gaming with the new Ultimate handheld gaming device. (Link)

• Web3 game Mojo Melee enters Amazon Prime Gaming with an epic launch. (Link)

• VR sensation: Local teens craft an extraordinary gaming experience. (Link)

• Minecraft brings Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to The Sandbox - just in time for their return to the big screen. (Link)

• Samsung Australia launches its gaming hub, granting exclusive access to a vast selection of games for smart TV without the need for console or PC. (Link)

• Aston Martin enters the open-world battle royale genre in PUBG: Battlegrounds with DBX707 SUV and V12 Vantage convertible. (Link)

• The world’s first pro gamer who once competed against a teenage Elon Musk now employs AI to detect toxic players. (Link)

• Online content providers are now under I&B for improved digital regulation. (Link)

• Here’s cutting-edge reactive lighting for big-screen TVs to enhance the gaming experience. (Link)

• GST Council contemplates blocking non-compliant online gaming services amid money laundering and tax evasion concerns. (Link)

• Hisplayer and Pallycon collaborate to enable DRM protected video streaming in Unity and Unreal games and metaverses. (Link)

• Pokemon Go trainers express concerns over reduced poke ball rewards from gifts and urge Niantic for reversal. (Link)

• Pixelworks debuts the IRX gaming experience brand, catering to smartphone users with cutting-edge visual processing and game-tuning services. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Inworld AI raises $50M round at a $500M valuation for AI game characters. (Link)

• A16z Games commits $75M to the Speedrun startup accelerator. (Link)

• Exitlag announces collaboration with Archeworld for enhanced gaming performance. (Link)

• Gaming chair company Secretlab collaborates with Jujutsu Kaisen anime for new chair release. (Link)

• 7777 gaming partners with Kaizen Gaming and successfully launches in Betano Bulgaria. (Link)

All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

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If you are a startup building in the metaverse / web3 ecosystem and are raising capital, please reach out to Sfermion. Sfermion is an investment firm focused on accelerating the emergence of the metaverse.

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