One virtual world is being reimagined with nonfungible tokens (NFTs) is Neopets, the virtual pet website. The team has announced the launch of their IP on the blockchain to provide new and improved user experiences. For those unfamiliar, Neopets is one of the very first online games to allow users to adopt a pet that they can explore the vast world with. Neopets can be raised, homes could be built, and rare items could be found.
Over the last two decades, millions of people have engaged with Neopets characters in their virtual world of Neopia and shared it with their friends on mobile and desktop. Even those who didn't play have supported the community with a collection of their branded items. With recent innovations involving Web 3.0, the team behind the lovable characters wants to open the door to NFT collectors and the growing cryptocurrency audience, many of whom have played or experienced Neopets in their youth. Launching the brand on Web 3.0 will give such users a chance to experience and join the history of Neopets. While the experiences play off each other, it is important to note that the metaverse will exist independently from the current Neopets website.
In the launch of Neopets Metaverse NFTs, 20,500 algorithmically generated Neopets will be brought to life. Their team shares, "Neopets aims to leapfrog into Web 3.0 with its future development of Neopets Metaverse project on the Solana blockchain."
Each Neopet in the collection is different, being programmatically generated from over seven other traits categories, including character, gender, emotion, skin, background, headgear and bodywear. These pets will be launched on the Neopets Metaverse Collection on Raydium's DropZone.
Revitalizing the brand
Many remember their childhood days to include online websites that could open doors to explore new worlds, take care of the virtual pets their parents wouldn't let them have and develop online friendships with people from anywhere.
Although these virtual worlds have since seen their user base decline over time, NFTs and other blockchain capabilities may have just found a new way to give these worlds a new lease of life. With improvements to technology, virtual worlds are moving closer to reality.
What once seemed far-fetched and unlikely has now become a new reality, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing many to live online lives. And while most of the population is socializing, working and shopping online, the concept of one digital ecosystem that brings these experiences together seems relatively normal. With innovations in blockchain gaming, the metaverse can give users access to a community like those you were fond of in your childhood. Still, they also can be collected, bought and sold for real money by a Neopets player from anywhere around the world.
With the revitalized brand, the team behind Neopets believes they can achieve their long-term vision of creating a single experience where users can engage with the entire Neopets (Neopian) Metaverse. In the Neopian metaverse, it is envisioned that players can participate in experiences, including PvP and PvE gameplay, the selling of in-game assets, social interactions with other players and the progression and leveling up of the Neopets themselves.
In addition to exciting gameplay, the metaverse acts as a bridge from virtual worlds to the real world, giving game utility that extends beyond a user's device. As a result, the Neopian metaverse has been designed to be transferable so users may engage in peer-to-peer sharing. Associated marketplaces will also evolve in alignment with this mission.
A bright future ahead
Following stage one of the team's long-term vision comes the introduction of the play-to-earn economy. With this model, users are rewarded for participating in a game, either with in-game currency or NFTs on the native network. The third pillar, in their three-pillar mission for the future, looks at decentralizing the Neopian Metaverse to gradually make Neopets a community-based initiative.
With a roadmap ahead, the team is in a favorable position to bring gamers' favorite childhood memories alive once again with the help of the blockchain.
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