Animoca Brands adds NASCAR and The Walking Dead to its growing crypto gaming metaverse
Animoca Brands was ranked in the Financial Times’ 2021 list of high growth companies in the Asia Pacific.
In a bid to extend its crypto gaming presence, Animoca Brands has unveiled a flurry of content-boosting partnerships aimed at broadening the scope of its crypto offering to gamers and digital landlords alike.
The news comes hot on the heels of the company being included in the Financial Times Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies in March this year.
To close out last week, Animoca said it teamed up with Skybound Entertainment to bring The Walking Dead series to its Sandbox gaming metaverse, including the development of novel standalone characters and assets which players can use to create original Walking Dead adventures.
“Through the power of The Sandbox, voxel versions of favourite The Walking Dead characters, such as Rick Grimes, Michonne and the iconic walkers, can be combined with a horde of assets to allow users to recreate memorable comic book storylines to play through or to forge their own original adventures,” Animoca said.
As with 160 other partnerships with franchises such as deadmau5, Richie Hawtin, the Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, ZEPETO and CryptoKitties, the Walking Dead series will be integrated into the “Sandbox metaverse” allowing participants to obtain virtual real estate in proximity to official Walking Dead digital content and property, thereby “enabling fans and gamers alike to be as close as ever to their beloved brand and fulfil its vision empowering players to create their own experiences using both original and well-known characters and worlds”.
In addition to the dedicated The Walking Dead experience on The Sandbox map, users will be able to create their own fan-made adventures and stories featuring characters, game items, equipment, wearables and decorative digital assets related to the franchise. Users can also showcase their assets in a digital gallery or museum.
“Bringing The Walking Dead comic book franchise to The Sandbox metaverse will offer fans a ground-breaking opportunity to play, create, socialise, inhabit and interact within a novel multiplayer gaming virtual world,” said Dan Murray, Co-CEO of Skybound Games & Merchandise.
Crypto-powered NASCAR connection
As well as introducing The Walking Dead, Animoca has also signed up NASCAR champion Joey Logano as its global brand ambassador for the REVV Motorsport ecosystem, which currently includes the blockchain games F1 Delta Time, MotoGP Ignition, and upcoming title Formula E: High Voltage.
Nicknamed “Sliced Bread”, Joey Logano is the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion and a 27-time NASCAR Cup winner. He is one of only four drivers to win at least 25 NASCAR Cup Series races before the age of 30 and recently won the centrepiece race of the US motorsport season – the Daytona 500 – in 2015.
The ambassadorship will see the NASCAR driver promoting REVV Motorsports games and their non-fungible tokens (NFTs) via digital content featuring Mr Logano in a REVV-branded driver suit and car, conducting media meet-and-greet sessions, performing virtual live streams and providing autographed products.
REVV is an ERC-20 utility token that serves as the primary currency of purchase, utility, and action across all REVV Motorsport blockchain games by Animoca Brands. As a concept, REVV enables digital ownership of game assets, thereby giving players freedom and control over their NFT in-game items.
As part of the agreement, Animoca will create NFTs based on Mr Logano, including his driver helmet and logo, iconic racing moments and special car liveries.
Welcoming McDull
Last but not least, and as its third major franchise addition so far this month, Animoca has partnered with “McDull” – a Hong Kong-based franchise producing animated figures created by Brian Tse and Alice Mak.
The McDull character has been featured in various comics, TV shows, and films and a maiden animated feature film – My Life as McDull – was released in 2001.
According to its founders, McDull has been a popular favourite with Hong Kong residents for over 20 years and aside from starring in films and TV series, McDull has been described as “an ambassador of cultural education”, a spokesperson of branding activities, and the symbol of cartoon culture in Hong Kong.
“In the Sandbox, McDull fans of all ages will have the opportunity to create their own stories and adventures and play with the McDull family of characters in a colourful, interconnected world,” Animoca said.
The crypto gaming company also confirmed that the virtual McDull gaming experience in the Sandbox will be built by its founding artists and the Index Game development studio, with a “special contest” also planned, allowing fans to procure early plots of “virtual land” next to the McDull Estate.
“It’s important that we host a diversity of cultures and traditions that players can explore, like the gaming experience in the McDull Estate, as well as being able to use McDull characters in creating their own stories and adventures and let their imagination expand into the Metaverse,” said Sebastien Borget, chief operating officer and co-founder of The Sandbox.
“We look forward to seeing new, original stories featuring McDull that spring from the imagination of players and creators,” said Samuel Choy, General Manager of Bliss Concepts.