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[Metaverse Good Read] Neal Stephenson’s Metaverse Moonshot – LAMINA1

 

  • Technology Roadmap 
  • Mission
    To deliver a Layer 1 blockchain, interoperating tools & decentralized services optimized for the Open Metaverse –– providing communities with infrastructure, not gatekeepers to build a more immersive internet.

  • Belief
  • The Metaverse represents the evolution of our lives online –– graduation to rich 2D and 3D worlds in which we fluidly create, explore, socialize and transact. As we usher in this bold new era of content creation and participation, we must revisit the centralized business models of Web2 to empower creators and consumers with greater agency, ownership and privacy. A creative community that is free to innovate and transact will give rise to a thriving economy. Lamina1 delivers critical infrastructure to enable the trillion-dollar economy of the Open Metaverse.
  • Context
  • “Inexorable economic forces drive investors to pay artists as little as possible while steering their creative output in the directions that involve the least financial risk.” –– Neal Stephenson
  • Web2 introduced a period of rapid innovation and unprecedented access to entertainment, information and goods on a global scale. Streamlined tools and usability brought creators and innovators to the web en masse to build digital storefronts, engage and transact with their customers.
    Owning and controlling that growing ecosystem of content and personal data became a primary, lucrative initiative for major corporations. Consumer behavior, recorded on centralized company servers,
     

Open Metaverse with a multi-pronged approach: 

 

  1. Layer1Blockchain
  2. Metaverse-as-a-Service(MaaS)
  3. CommunityEconomicParticipationandIncentives
  4. OriginalContent
Layer1 Blockchain 

  1. ●  Open Metaverse Data

  2. ●  Carbon Token Staking

  3. ●  Cross-chain Integration

  4. ●  High-scale Payments

  5. ●  OpenID Connect

●  EVM Quality of Life Improvements

Metaverse-as-a-Service Stack

Lamina1 will foster –– with heavy participation from the ecosystem –– the creation of a set of interoperating decentralized services to support virtual worlds, i.e. Metaverse-as-a-Service (”MaaS”).

Our mission is to be the rallying point for an ecosystem of open source tools, open standards and enabling technologies conceived and co-developed with a community of creators.

MaaS and ecosystem technologies will ideally be enhancements to/integrations of existing open source solutions, and/or directly provided by third parties. However, our technical team will be involved in the early launch stages to identify best-in-class tech and tools, highlight key technical areas for innovation and close critical feature gaps — possibly creating spatial technology and tools needed to get the job done — demonstrating leadership and vision toward building the Open Metaverse. That said, we will only build what is absolutely required.

  • Storage Layer

  • World State & Persistence

    Cloud & Hybrid Rendering

LAMINA1 Whitepaper
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Metaverse News

METAVERSE NEWS : Niantic partners to build a real-world metaverse

Niantic, the technology company behind Pokemon Go, is partnering with UK-based digital technology authority Digital Catapult to develop a ‘real-world metaverse’.

The Niantic Lightship Augmented Reality Accelerator will provide UK entrepreneurs the opportunity to engage with Cartoon Network and globally renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor to create immersive experiences.

The program will look at how augmented reality technology might shape the real-world metaverse, transforming it into the next platform for social interactions, improving human experiences, and bringing people closer together. Moreover, Niantic just released the Lightship Augmented Developer Kit, which seeks to make creating AR experiences easier for developers.

Three startups are set to be awarded up to £100,000 each to develop a demonstrator of a socially engaging AR experience using the platform

“We’ve always been devoted at Studio Wayne McGregor to investigating the ever-inspiring interplay between new technology and human performance – propelled by physical intelligence,” Wayne McGregor CBE remarked.

“This one-of-a-kind cooperation with Niantic and Digital Catapult enables us to dream larger and go deeper into our expanding metaverse(s), envisioning a new sort of shared creative experience that frees the imagination.”

“We know that really connecting with movement allows us to have a deeper knowledge of what it is to be human and our role in the world. This initiative gives everyone the tools they need to tap into their inner creativity, engage with others in creative ways, and explore their bodies and the environments they occupy in new and unlimited ways.”

In addition, Digital Catapult has the most reach into the immersive ecosystem of any UK organization: its flagship immersive accelerator, CreativeXR, received 750 applications last year.

“The UK has unique strength in the large number of creative studios and businesses that have emerged from sectors such as games, TV, film, vfx, theatre, and music and are now leveraging AR & VR technology to explore the creation of entirely new kinds of immersive experience,” said Jeremy Silver, CEO of Digital Catapult.

“Digital Catapult is delighted to be collaborating with Niantic to drive early adopters and open up this new field of cultural and commercial opportunity as one of the world’s leading businesses at the forefront of enabling the growth of augmented reality as a platform for new products and services.”

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Announcement Metaverse News

Metaverse Summit and Paris NFT Day Partnership Highlighting Avant-garde Innovation around Metaverse

PARIS, 31 March 2022 8AM EST. Metaverse Summit and Paris NFT Day announced a partnership focused on showcasing the expanding ecosystem at the intersection of Blockchain and Metaverse, with an initiative that supports the development, growth and launch of next-generation metaverse projects. As part of this engagement, Metaverse Summit will become a programming member of the Paris NFT Day, with representatives participating in curation and programmation during Paris NFT Day, as well as leading industry-specific insights. 

“Through this initiative, Metaverse Summit and the Paris NFT Day are forming a deep collaborative partnership, which recognizes the value proposition Metaverse Summit presents for the blockchain industry.” said Yingzi Yuan, Founder of the Metaverse Summit. 

“NFTs and metaverses are closely intricated to create the worlds of tomorrow, given that statement, Paris NFT Day and Metaverse Summit are glad to partner together to showcase the possibilities of the future digital worlds.” said Emmanuel Fenet, CEO of Chain Of Events.

About Metaverse Summit

Metaverse Summit gathers entrepreneurs, builders, investors and experts to explore and build the future of metaverse together.  Metaverse Summit is set to explore and build the future of metaverse together. It gathers builders, entrepreneurs, investors and experts from Blockchain, 3D Creation, Virtual Worlds, Social and Digital Identity, Gaming, VR/AR, Web3 and beyond. The 2-days event during 16-17 July is a unique moment for the international community to meet in person, create new synergies, and develop projects. We believe that sharing and transmitting knowledge is the most sustainable way to develop the decentralized, fertile future of Metaverse. To learn more, please visit: www.metaverse-summit.org.

About Paris NFT Day

The shift from web2 to web3 is becoming clearer with NFTs allowing creators to unleash their creativity, coming up with disruptive business ideas. Paris NFT Day will gather the biggest players in metaverse, security, art, luxury, gaming, and sports to unveil the true potential of NFTs and how they will remodel tomorrow’s business paradigms. Paris NFT Day is more than a conference, it is a life-size experience allowing total immersion in the web3 universe. More information at https://www.nftday.paris/

PR Contacts:

media@metaverse-summit.org

arnaud@chainof.events

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Walmart is quietly preparing to enter the metaverse


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CNBC’s Melissa Repko is author of this reporting.

  • Walmart appears to be venturing into the metaverse with plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of NFTs.
  • The big-box retailer filed several new trademarks late last month that indicate its intent to make and sell virtual goods.
  • In a separate filing, the company said it would offer users a virtual currency, as well as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.

Walmart appears to be venturing into the metaverse with plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.

The big-box retailer filed several new trademarks late last month that indicate its intent to make and sell virtual goods, including electronics, home decorations, toys, sporting goods and personal care products. In a separate filing, the company said it would offer users a virtual currency, as well as NFTs.

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Walmart filed the applications on Dec. 30.

Source: Gerben Intellectual Property

In total, seven separate applications have been submitted.

A spokesperson from Walmart didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Source: Gerben Intellectual Property

“They’re super intense,” said Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney. “There’s a lot of language in these, which shows that there’s a lot of planning going on behind the scenes about how they’re going to address cryptocurrency, how they’re going to address the metaverse and the virtual world that appears to be coming or that’s already here.”

Gerben said that ever since Facebookannounced it was changing its company name to Meta, signaling its ambitions beyond social media, businesses have been rushing to figure out how they will fit into a virtual world.

Nike filed a slew of trademark applications in early November that previewed its plans to sell virtual branded sneakers and apparel. Later that month, it said it was teaming up with Roblox to create an online world called Nikeland. In December, it bought the virtual sneaker company RTFKT(pronounced “artifact”) for an undisclosed amount.

“All of a sudden, everyone is like, ‘This is becoming super real and we need to make sure our IP is protected in the space,’” said Gerben.

Gap has also started selling NFTs of its iconic logo sweatshirts. The apparel maker said its NFTs will be priced in tiers ranging from roughly $8.30 to $415, and come with a physical hoodie.

Meantime, both Under Armour’s and Adidas’ NFT debuts sold out last month. They’re now fetching sky-high prices on the NFT marketplace OpenSea.

Gerben said that apparel retailers Urban Outfitters, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch have also filed trademarks in recent weeks detailing their intent to open some sort of virtual store.

A report from CB Insights outlined some of the reasons why retailers and brands might want to make such ventures, which can potentially offer new revenue streams.

Launching NFTs allows for businesses to tokenize physical products and services to help reduce online transaction costs, it said. And for luxury brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, NFTs can serve as a form of authentication for tangible and more expensive goods, CB Insights noted.

Gerben said that as more consumers familiarize themselves with the metaverse and items stored on the blockchain, more retailers will want to create their own ecosystem around it.

According to Frank Chaparro, director at crypto information services firm The Block, many retailers are still reeling from being late to e-commerce, so they don’t want to miss out on any opportunities in the metaverse.

“I think it’s a win-win for any company in retail,” Chaparro said. “And even if it just turns out to be a fad there’s not a lot of reputation damage in just trying something weird out like giving some customers an NFT in a sweepstake, for instance.”

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Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Meta Avatars Unity SDK Available Now

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🎙 Check out Metaverse Roadshow Chanel for interviews and panels with Metaverse builders, projects, experts, researchers.

Meta has released the official Meta Avatars SDKallowing all Unity developers on Quest 1 / 2, Rift and all windows-based VR platforms to start development and integration of the Meta avatar systems and mechanics.

What are Meta Avatars?

In April 2021 Meta announced the new avatar style and demonstrated how could be integrated into the metaverse with the release of Meta avatars within Epic Roller Coasters, PokerStars VR, GOLF+, Synth Riders, and ForeVR Bowl.  The Meta Avatars SDK adds social presence to your experience with expressive and customizable avatars. The avatars come with hundreds of different outfit and physical features. Since the release of the avatars in April Meta has made a series of updates both in regards to the overall asset quality and user choices. Meta is currently further developing it’s options with the key message of providing full cultural representation within the metaverse.

Users can configure their Meta Avatars via an editor included in the Oculus platform so that all apps can represent them in a consistent and authentic way. Stopping users from having to constantly re-create their virtual selves and focusing on a consistent metaverse virtual persona.

Meta brings its newest avatar system to Unity developers | Mobidictum

What is the Meta Avatar SDK?

The SDK is much more than the Meta avatar style. Meta Avatars are built with developer needs in mind to power all kinds of experiences in VR. Meta Avatars interpret hand tracking, controller tracking, and audio input to drive highly expressive Avatar models. Custom IK algorithms help make sure that the avatar’s body positions and facial expressions are as realistic as possible, and these algorithms will improve over time. Developers also have the ability to override body positioning and facial expression data provided. This allows developers to offer completely unique meta avatar mechanics within their desired application.

New Meta Avatars Now Available To All Unity Developers

The intention of Meta Avatars is to enrich social interaction. Optimizing for multi-user experiences has been a fundamental goal. The system locally estimates the avatar’s pose and allows it to be streamed to other participants using your choice of networking stack. This approach reduces the amount of computation effort required, and accommodates the need to override the system’s default avatar facial expression and body position in a manner that is authoritative in the experience. Allowing developers to create natural multi-user experiences whilst simultaneously maintaining performance.

What’s Included in the SDK?

The Meta Avatars Unity plugin includes prefabs, scripts, and assets that allows convenient access to all available functionality, along with several samples including:

  • Single avatar mirror scene
  • Custom hand poses
  • Loading custom avatars via Meta’s web API
  • Network loopback
  • Gaze tracking

The SDK contains 32 sample avatars that are available for use during development and are freely available for use in shipping products. These sample avatars are representative of the quality of the custom avatars users can create, and can also be used as presets for NPCs. Users who don’t want to customize their own, or to represent users on platforms without a Meta login like SteamVR.

Unity Verified Workstation

How To Get The SDK

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Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Mojo Vision raises $45M for AR contact lenses with sports applications

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Mojo Vision has raised $45 million to adapt its augmented reality contact lenses to work with sports and fitness applications.

Saratoga, California-based Mojo Vision bills itself as the Invisible Computing Company. It is announcing strategic partnerships with sports and fitness brands to collaborate on next-generation user experiences that combine augmented reality, wearable technology, and personal performance data.https://d-72462247293897998.ampproject.net/2111242025001/nameframe.html

The companies will work together using Mojo’s smart contact lens technology, Mojo Lens, to find unique ways to improve access to data and enhance athletes’ performance during sporting activities.

The additional funding includes investments from Amazon Alexa Fund, PTC, Edge Investments, HiJoJo Partners, and others. Existing investors NEA, Liberty Global Ventures, Advantech Capital, AME Cloud Ventures, Dolby Family Ventures, Motorola Solutions, and Open Field Capital have also participated.

Mojo Vision sees an opportunity in the wearables market to deliver performance data and real-time stats to data-conscious athletes like runners, cyclists, gym users, golfers, and more through Mojo Lens’ intuitive hands-free, eye-controlled user interface.

Strategic partnerships

Mojo is making augmented reality contact lenses.

Above: Mojo Vision is making augmented reality contact lenses.Image Credit: Mojo Vision

Mojo Vision is engaging in several strategic partnerships with fitness brands to address the unmet performance data needs of athletes and sports enthusiasts. The company’s initial partnerships include Adidas Running (running/training), Trailforks (cycling, hiking/outdoors), Wearable X (yoga), Slopes (snow sports), and 18Birdies (golf).

Through these strategic partnerships and the market expertise the companies provide, Mojo Vision will explore additional smart contact lens interfaces and experiences to understand and improve the delivery of data for athletes of varying skill levels and abilities.

“We are making important progress in developing our smart contact lens technology, and we continue to research and identify new market potential for this groundbreaking platform,” said Steve Sinclair, senior vice president of product and marketing of Mojo Vision, in a statement. “Our partnerships with these leading brands will give us valuable insights into user behavior in the sports and fitness market. The goal is for these collaborations to deliver athletes an entirely new form factor with performance data that is more accessible and useful [at] the moment.”

Recent research from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows global wearables shipments grew 32.3% year-over-year from 2020 to 2021. This significant and sustained growth in the wearable tech market is led by companies that continue to refine and release fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartphone apps, and other wearable devices aimed largely at bettering the user experience for sports and fitness enthusiasts. Yet, new data shows there may be a gap in the type of data and the accessibility of that data that athletes and fitness enthusiasts want.

In a new survey of over 1,300 athletes, Mojo Vision found that athletes very much rely on wearable data and are expressing a need for different ways for data to be delivered. The study showed that almost three out of four (74%) people usually or always use a wearable to track performance data during their workout or activity.

However, even though today’s athletes rely on wearable tech, there is a substantial appetite for devices that can better deliver access to real-time data about their performance — 83% of respondents said they would benefit from data in real-time or in the moment.

Additionally, half of the respondents said that of the three times (before, during, and after their workout) they receive performance data from their devices, in-the-moment or “during data,” was the most valuable type.

Mojo Lens, backed by years of scientific research and numerous technology patents, overlays images, symbols, and text on users’ natural field of vision without obstructing their view, restricting mobility, or hindering social interactions. Mojo calls this experience Invisible Computing.

In addition to the sports and wearable tech market, Mojo is planning an early application of its product to help people struggling with vision impairment by using enhanced image overlays.

Mojo Vision is actively working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through its Breakthrough Devices Program, a voluntary program designed to provide safe and timely access to medical devices that can help treat irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions.

These new investments bring Mojo Vision’s total funding to date to $205 million.

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Sony announced PlayStation VR2 and its Sense controller as “the next generation of VR gaming on PS5”

This is an article by Hideaki Nishino Senior Vice President, Platform Experience

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Happy New Year everyone.

It is my great pleasure to start off 2022 with news on our next generation virtual reality system for the PS5 console, starting with the official name: PlayStation VR2, and our new VR controller, PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.

PlayStation VR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to escape into game worlds like never before. With the headset on and controllers in hand, players will feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other – thanks to the creativity of the game worlds being built by our world class developers, and the latest technology incorporated into the hardware.

Building upon our innovations from PS5, PlayStation VR2 adds a true next-gen experience with high-fidelity visuals, new sensory features, and enhanced tracking – along with a simplified single-cord setup. 

  • Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
  • Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
  • New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
  • Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming. 

All of these advancements in PlayStation VR2, combined with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the PS VR2 Sense controllers, enable players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. PS VR2 will also have a simple setup process — with a single cable connected directly to PS5, you can immediately jump into the VR experience.

Today we are also pleased to reveal that one of the biggest exclusive franchises on PlayStation will be coming to PS VR2 – Horizon Call of the Mountain from Guerrilla and Firesprite. This original game is being built specifically for PS VR2 and will open the doors for players to go deeper into the world of Horizon.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s exciting updates. Just remember, this is only a taste of things to come, and I can’t wait to share more details with you about PS VR2. In the meantime, below is the list of official specifications.

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Disney Patents An Augmented Virtual World Simulator That Doesn’t Need a Headset Or Glasses

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Disney’s Virtual World Simulator could mark a step forward for augmented reality.

Disney has filed a patent for a Virtual World Simulator that will allow it to simulate augmented digital worlds without the need for users to wear headsets or glasses.

As reported by SiliconValley.com, the Walt Disney Company was granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark company on December 28 that will allow the company to create real-world theme park rides where multiple users will be able to simultaneously experience a 3D virtual world without the need for wearable peripherals. 

As per the patent, Disney’s virtual spaces would be created using an array of high-speed projectors and a method known as SLAM, short for “Simultaneous Localization and Mapping.” This will allow them to continuously track and determine a user’s moving perspective as they move throughout a ride or attraction within one of the company’s parks. 

A similar theme park experience was introduced at Super Nintendo World with the addition of its Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge ride. The ride, which allows its visitors to race through a course loosely based upon stages from the Mario Kart series, includes its very own augmented reality feature as guests hop into their very own Mario Kart track. 

During the experience, an augmented reality headband displays animated characters and directional arrows in front of your eyes, which players can then ‘drive’ toward using the rides in-built steering wheel to collect items from boxes.

Disney’s move to create similar experiences without the need and use of additional wearable tech will look to mark a step forward for the sector, and is likely to turn the heads of theme park enthusiasts when its plans to introduce the technology come to fruition. 

In addition to creating immersive theme park experiences, Disney’s patent also appears to note that the technology could be adapted for home use. The patent states that the virtual world simulator could be used to enable the transformation of a real-world venue, in the form of a personal residence or photography studio, into a movie set without requiring the user to leave their home. While this still feels like it could be some way off, the notion that the company is working on such technologies is still a very exciting prospect. 

For more news from Disney, make sure to check out this article detailing the ten best rides from across Disneyland and Disneyland California. And, if you’ve read that then take a look at our complete rundown of the best activities to get involved with at Super Nintendo World.

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Decentraland Royalties launch aiming to reward creators

The first fully decentralised world has announced some important news for creators. Conversations revolving around adequately paying creators within DAO spaces have been rife. Decentralised Autonomous Organisation, Decentraland has always intended to hand over the world to those who create and play in their lands. Decentraland royalties launched with a bang.

The powerhouse that is Decentraland has introduced a royalty payment in its secondary sales system. The update allows creators of wearables to receive additional payment every time an item they created sells.

Wearable creators will get an extra 2.5% in their pockets out of a re-sale. If 2.5% doesn’t sound like a tasty amount there is an option to override this function. It is possible to change the commission percentage if so wanted using the management tool.

The framework which Decentraland worked from before was 2.5% of every sale went straight to DAO directly. The creators of wearables would only receive a one-off royalty payment for their creation. Once the wearable is out of the creator’s hands, they can’t profit from it. Decentraland has decided to turn the tables and allow the creators of the wearable to decide whether or not they would like an ongoing royalties from re-sales.

This highlights a breakthrough for contributors to the metaverse. The update is now live, however, it only applies to new listings. So, any made before the launch are not eligible to receive royalty payments.

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Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Shanghai doubles down on the metaverse by including it in a development plan

  • This is published on CNBC originally by Evelyn Cheng.
  • A Shanghai city department released Thursday its five-year development plan, which included encouraging metaverse use in public services, business offices and other areas.
  • The metaverse has become a buzzword in the last few months as businesses, investors and developers predict it could form the next generation of the internet.
  • Chinese media reports said the Shanghai city document marked the first time a local government mentioned the metaverse in its plans for implementing Beijing’s five-year plan released in March.

BEIJING — China’s biggest city is getting serious about the metaverse, the technology that’s drawn mass attention this year for its potential to form the next generation of the internet.

Chinese government departments and local authorities have issued five-year development plans this year to show how they aim to implement the central government’s five-year plan issued in March.https://35361a3edf6b66da6bf716e556783572.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

One released by Shanghai on Thursday contained the first mention of the metaverse, according to Chinese media reports. The technology extends human interactions to a virtual world of three-dimensional avatars.

The metaverse is one of four frontiers for exploration, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology said in its five-year plan for developing the electronic information industry.

The document called for “encouraging the application of the metaverse in areas such as public services, business offices, social entertainment, industrial manufacturing, production safety and electronic games,” according to a CNBC translation of the Chinese text.

The commission said it plans to increase research and development of underlying technologies, including sensors, real-time interaction and blockchain.

The document did not lay out a specific timeline or goals for metaverse research and development.

Beijing’s latest five-year plan released in March named seven “frontier” technologies China would focus on as it seeks self-reliance in science and technology.

The metaverse has since become a buzzword, most notably with American social network giant Facebook changing its name to Meta in October. Then earlier this month, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he expects most virtual meetings will move to the metaverse within the next two or three years.

This week, Beijing-based Baidu held what it claims to be China’s first conference in the metaverse. The event was meant to mark the opening of Baidu’s metaverse app to developers, and an executive told reporters he expects it will be six years before the full launch of the app.

In addition to general metaverse buzz on Chinese social media, state media has published several articles on the topic, primarily about the risk of scams.

After a year of bans and greater regulation on various kinds of technology, including cryptocurrencies, new rules on metaverse development are likely next, Winston Ma, adjunct professor of law at New York University, said Friday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”

He pointed to how some aspects of the metaverse’s global development are related to gaming and cryptocurrency products like non-fungible tokens, all of which have come under greater scrutiny in China. Ma was not speaking in the specific context of the Shanghai commission’s development plans.

— CNBC’s Eustance Huang contributed to this report.

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Samsung enters the metaverse, opening its flagship 837 store in Decentraland

  • Samsung has partnered with Decentraland to open its flagship 837 store in the metaverse.
  • The virtual Samsung 837X store will be open in Decentraland for a limited time.

This article was published originally on The Block

Samsung Electronics America has entered the metaverse world in collaboration with Decentraland, an Ethereum-based virtual reality platform.

The electronics giant has opened a virtual version of its flagship 837 physical store in Decentraland. The physical store is located at 837 Washington Street in New York City’s Meatpacking District, Manhattan. The virtual store, dubbed Samsung 837X, will be open in Decentraland for a limited time.

“This is one of the largest brand land takeovers in the history of Decentraland,” Samsung said in a statement shared with The Block on Thursday.

The Samsung 837X store will offer digital adventures through “Connectivity Theater and Sustainability Forest” and a musical celebration at the “Customization Stage,” said Samsung.

The Connectivity Theater will showcase Samsung’s news from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which began on January 5 and will run until January 8. The Sustainability Forest will allow guests to have a mythical experience through millions of digital trees.

Samsung has also been planting trees in the real world. It recently partnered with Cardano-based climate restoration platform Veritree to manage the planting of two million trees in Madagascar by the first quarter of this year.

Veritree operates a “Cardano Forest” where users can donate 15 or more cardano (ADA) tokens to receive limited edition tree tokens. Veritree then plants one tree on behalf of users for each ADA exchanged. Tree tokens can be used for limited edition trees and NFT digital art, according to Veritree.

As for the Customization Stage in Samsung’s 837X store, guests will get to experience a mixed reality live dance party hosted by DJ Gamma Vibes from the physical Samsung 837 store.

Guests will also be invited to participate in quests that lead to 837X NFT badges and one of three limited-supply wearables. Winners will be announced at 8:37PM ET on January 7.

“The metaverse empowers us to transcend physical and spatial limits to create unique virtual experiences that could not happen otherwise,” said Michelle Crossan-Matos, senior vice president of corporate marketing and communications at Samsung Electronics America. “Innovation is in our DNA, and we can’t wait for you all to experience this burgeoning virtual world.”

As the Samsung 837X store will be open in Decentraland for a limited time, the company plans to bring more such experiences throughout the year.

Samsung appears to be betting big on NFTs and the metaverse. Earlier this week, the company announced that its new smart TVs will allow users to purchase NFTs. Samsung’s venture unit, Samsung Next, is also an investor in several NFT startups, including Sky Mavis (Axie Infinity creator), Dapper Labs, and Forte.

Categories
Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] The Sandbox Announces Multiple Hong Kong Partnerships to Create Mega City in the Metaverse

Adrian Cheng, Sun Hung Kai & Co, PwC Hong Kong, Times Capital, Stephen Fung, Shu Qi, Dough-Boy@BlueArk, Little Fighter, and Dreamergo Will Create Cultural Hub

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HONG KONG – 5 January 2022 – The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced today that it has added multiple Hong Kong partners from the film, music, entertainment, acting, professional services, finance, real estate, and gaming sectors to create Mega City, a new cultural hub. The new entrants have joined The Sandbox’s virtual real estate by acquiring LAND NFTs in the open metaverse and have committed to building experiences in Mega City. To celebrate the new partners, The Sandbox will launch a new LAND sale on 13 January 2022 that will allow players to purchase choice spots near the LANDs of the partners announced today.

The Mega City Land Sale starting Jan 13 features eight partners from Hong Kong


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About The Sandbox

The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is one of the decentralized virtual worlds that has been fueling the recent growth of virtual real-estate demand having partnered with major IPs and brands including Adidas, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Deadmau5, Atari, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Care Bears, The Smurfs, and more. Building on existing The Sandbox IP that has more than 40 million global installs on mobile, The Sandbox metaverse offers players and creators a decentralized and intuitive platform to create immersive 3D worlds and game experiences and to safely store, trade, and monetize their creations. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on Twitter, Mediumand Discord.

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About Animoca Brands

Animoca Brands, a Deloitte Tech Fastwinner that is ranked in the Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021, is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification. It develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Formula 1®, Disney, WWE, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Doraemon. The company has multiple subsidiaries, including The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, GAMEE, nWay, Pixowl, Bondly, and Lympo. Animoca Brands has a growing portfolio of more than 150 investments in NFT-related companies and decentralized projects that are contributing to building the open metaverse, including Axie Infinity, OpenSea, Dapper Labs (NBA Top Shot), Bitski, Harmony, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, and others. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on Twitter or Facebook.

 

About Adrian Cheng

Adrian Cheng is a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and well-established strategic investor. He is a co-founding partner of C Ventures, a leading venture capital company focused on disruptive businesses in technology, lifestyle, and media. His personal investment portfolio includes a wide range of innovative technology, healthcare, and consumer related companies. 

 

About Sun Hung Kai & Co

Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited (SEHK: 86) (“SHK & Co”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) is a leader in alternative investing headquartered in Hong Kong. Since its establishment in 1969, the Group has owned and operated market-leading platforms in Financial Services. The Group invests across public markets, alternatives and real assets and has an established track record of generating long-term risk adjusted returns for its shareholders. Most recently, SHK & Co has extended its strategy to incubate, accelerate and support emerging asset managers in the Asian region. SHK & Co is also the major shareholder of a leading Consumer Finance firm, United Asia Finance Limited. The Group currently holds about HK$48 billion in total assets as at 30 June 2021.

 

For more information about SHK & Co, please visit www.shkco.com.

 

About PwC Hong Kong

PwC Hong Kong is a member firm of the PwC global network, whose purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. Being a network of firms in 156 countries with more than 295,000 people, PwC is committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services.

 

Find out more about PwC Hong Kong at www.pwchk.com. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

 

About TIMES CAPITAL

TIMES CAPITAL is a blockchain-related investment and asset management institution.  At the early stage of establishment, we focused on various cryptocurrency ICOs, and various seed / series funding of cryptocurrency projects.  We later introduced mining machine custody service in Hong Kong, Fiat-to-Crypto over-the-counter (OTC) service, STO consulting and investment in Blockchain Nodes of different projects etc.  In the recent wave of NFT (non-fungible token), we had actively participated in NFT projects and invested in a number of top NFT projects, including CryptoPunks and Meebits.

 

TIMES CAPITAL collaborates with leading Metaverse project The Sandbox, to build Hong Kong film IP museum and games. For more information – https://times.capital/

 

About Stephen Fung

Stephen Fung is an international filmmaker. His films have been commercial hits, won numerous awards, and have been officially selected by The Venice Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Busan Film Festival amongst others. On the TV side, Stephen is the Executive Producer, Director for  AMC’s hit Martial Arts Drama “Into The Badlands, and Netflix’s hit action series Wu Assassins.

 

About Shu Qi

Shu Qi is one of the most iconic celebrities in Asia, she is the winner of numerous acting awards including the prestigious Golden Horse Award for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Starring in international hits such as The Transporter, So Close, Gorgeous: her films have garnered an accumulated international box office of over 1 billion USD. Shu QI has a huge fanbase of more than 40 million followers on Weibo and 2.5 million followers on IG.

 

About Dough-Boy

Dough-Boy is an award-winning Asian music producer, rapper, songwriter. He was the youngest artist to win the Best Soundtrack Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. He has collaborated with many renowned rappers across the world including Jackson Wang, Lil Yachty, Pressa, Joe Flizzow, MC Jin, MC Hotdog, and MJ116. He was an ambassador for brands such as Chanel, Adidas Originals, Vans, Places + Faces, Havana Club, Sankuanz, Hublot, and CLOT.

 

Dough-Boy has been invited by Binance NFT to release his first musician sample pack as an NFT.  He continues to pursue this new media initiative by co-founding the brand BlueArk – an integrated NFT and technology platform delivering an impeccable journey to the metaverse. BlueArk offers innovative NFT products and services in art, music, and gamefi utilizing its self-proprietary AI and blockchain technologies with an aim to enhance the value of these NFTs as well as integration into the metaverse. BlueArk also operates the first physical art and music metaverse concept store at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.

 

About Little Fighter 2

Little Fighter 2 (LF2) is a popular fighting game created by Marti Wong and Starsky Wong in 1999.

It is a very addictive game with numerous gameplay modes, a side-scrolling fighting system, and 24 different characters with sophisticated moves and combos. The game is so popular around the world and has more than 50 million downloads. For more information – https://lf2.net/

 

About Dreamergo

Dreamergo, born and raised in Hong Kong, has been an illustrator for over 20 years. With a small but visionary pair of eyes, he has been observing the world and drawing since he was three years old. His vivid drawings express love with passion and vision. In recent years, Dreamergo has been active in different fields, including publishing, handicraft industry, crossover business cooperation and encryption art. In 2015 to 2019, he published illustration columns in “Skypost” and “Ming Pao – Happy PAMA”. In 2013 to 2021, He was the Art Director and illustrator of the life fighter Nick Vujicic’s “Give Me a Hug” series, which has been translated into more than ten languages and published around the world.

 

In 2009 to 2021, he cooperated with Dreamerland Crafts to launch Dreamergo’s stamp products, and officially entered the global handicrafts market. In 2020 and 2021, Adobe was invited Dreamergo to become the official Hong Kong campaign ambassador of the Adobe MAX Conference for two consecutive years. For more information – www.dreamergo.com

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