Yuga Labs, the company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), will release its long-awaited Metaverse project called Otherside next month.
The company shared this news during its ApeFest event in Las Vegas, reviving the BAYC brand beyond non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In 2022, Yuga Labs raised $450 million to build Otherside, but remained silent for more than two years. The Otherside Metaverse will finally be available next month on November 12th.
Otherside competes with Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft
Otherside combines gaming and social interaction, but with blockchain integration. Users can play just like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. You can create an account using email or connect to your cryptocurrency wallet.
Users can also talk to friends through text messages and voice notes. However, there is also an option to purchase NFTs. That’s what makes BAYC’s Otherside stand out from Fortnite and Roblox.
Yuga Labs aims to create experiences with low barriers to entry. of chief product officer Michael Figge, (CPO) of Yuga Labs; said We need to make it easy for people to join Otherside and discover its meaning later. Really Owning an NFT.
he said. The Verge“This is one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in this area, and it is finally starting to take shape.”
Otherside has multiple virtual zones. The first playable area for users to explore is called “The Swamp,” paying homage to BAYC’s original theme. The second virtual zone is called Nexus and acts as the central hub. The Metaverse also includes community-built games, such as a zombie survival game called. bathroom blitz and Outbreak on the other side.
BAYC’s Metaverse brings a variety of features and social tools. Users can join audio-based rooms called Bubbles, similar to X Spaces and Clubhouse. It also integrates NFTs as avatars, so anyone who owns NFTs from supported collections can use them as 3D characters. Other users can create new avatars using Voyager, a tool created by Yuga Labs.
Yuga Labs to launch NFT avatars with Amazon
Yuga Labs launches co-branded collection with Amazon. we put in the box. Amazon avatars made of virtual shipping boxes will be available through Amazon’s website on Thursday. The company is also launching another avatar-based collection with digital artist Daniel Arsham.
Otherside avatars and items are blockchain-based assets. Unlike other games, users can buy, sell, and trade these assets outside of the platform. Figge likened this model to buying skins in a game like Fortnite, but with the added benefit of ownership. Pricing details for these avatars are not yet clear, but Yuga Labs says they will be “reasonable and affordable.”
Yuuga Lab too want to build be creator based ecosystem. Developers and users will be able to design their own worlds, games, and experiences. The goal is to attract I was irritated Developers with limited monetization options in traditional games like Roblox and Minecraft.
During the Las Vegas event, Fige shared information about the Otherside Development Kit (ODK). He said, “ODK is a set of tools that can incorporate Unreal Engine to create next-generation blockchain experiences.” He added that the vision is for developers to be able to drag and drop, upload, and go live. “This is a huge opportunity,” Fidge said.
CPO believes user-generated experiences on Otherside could be a reality soon. compete with Roblox and Minecraft. Web2-based games have tens of millions of daily users; not confused Over the years.
Figge believes Otherside can provide a better option for developers tired of the economics of the Web2 model. “Web3’s creator-first differentiated approach has the potential to reach massive scale,” he said.
opposite side hosted IRL (real world) livestream from HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. The event drew more than 22,000 viewers. OpenSea along with other partners promoted the event and helped bring the Metaverse experience to the arena.