Why Firefly Video games pivoted to the metaverse with MetaWorld Leisure

The metaverse and Web3 aren’t going to construct themselves. That’s why Firefly Games CEO Michael Zhang determined to pivot into the brand new area from cellular video games and begin a brand new studio known as MetaWorld Entertainment.

Earlier this summer season, MetaWorld Leisure raised just a few million {dollars} in seed funding from The Sandbox, Com2uS, Crit Ventures, and Formless Capital.

Whereas Firefly will give attention to Web2 video games comparable to cellular video games, Zhang has moved to grow to be CEO of MetaWorld Leisure. Final Friday, The Sandbox and Atari introduced that MetaWorld Leisure had remade Crystal Castles, a basic Atari sport that’s one among 9 that will probably be launched with Atari’s new expertise inside The Sandbox metaverse.

“We’re offering high-quality content material on high of the metaverse platforms,” mentioned Zhang, in an interview with GamesBeat. “We wish to be a part of it and wish to present the highest-quality content material.”

The important thing companions on this new metaverse firm embrace The Sandbox, a decentralized digital gaming world and subsidiary of Animoca Manufacturers, and Com2uS, a worldwide multi-content platform main the way in which within the blockchain gaming area.

Over time at Firefly Video games, Zhang’s firm made video games comparable to DreamWorks’ Universe of Legends, Skydance’s Terminator: Darkish Destiny, and MGA Leisure’s match-three cellular sport LoL Shock! Room Maker.

At first, Zhang, a 15-year sport veteran, was skeptical in regards to the poor high quality of blockchain video games. Because the trade progressed, Zhang started fascinated about MetaWorld Leisure’s formation in 2020. He bought extra critical final 12 months, when he was listening to me (of all folks) speak in regards to the metaverse on Clubhouse. The idea of the metaverse was new to him, and he began analyzing blockchain on the similar time. The extra he the ideas behind the concepts, the extra he excited he bought. He determined that Web3 and the metaverse have been turning into pivotal within the digital age. And so he raised a brand new spherical of funding.

Zhang sees the metaverse because the venue for leisure the place audiences will play, have interaction, and work together with new ranges of immersion, not like something we now have seen earlier than. When he first tried, it took him a few days to create a cryptocurrency pockets. Now it may be finished in 5 seconds, he mentioned.

Fairly than make its personal titles, MetaWorld Leisure will begin out by making content material for others, like with the Atari/The Sandbox mission. He mentioned MetaWorld Leisure will probably be an all-encompassing leisure firm, bringing live shows, occasions, and video games to the worldwide market by metaverse platforms, together with The Sandbox.

“Every part began from you. The primary time after I heard metaverse was in March 2020, proper earlier than the pandemic, while you (and Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney) began to say it,” Zhang mentioned. “I began to be taught after which I began speaking to The Sandbox. They employed us to do a theme park mission. All of them really feel like that is the fitting time.”

Zhang famous that numerous firms within the metaverse and blockchain area are offering know-how infrastructure. However he didn’t see studios that have been making high-quality content material that would preserve followers engaged for a very long time with on-line digital areas.

“We’re creating high-quality video games, DJ live performance experiences, celeb content material, and we’re partnering with different firms on their platforms,” Zhang mentioned.

There are a few dozen folks from Firefly who are actually engaged on content material at MetaWorld Leisure in Los Angeles. And Zhang is hiring further senior folks, whereas Firefly has underneath 10 folks nonetheless.

Over time, Zhang will share extra in regards to the roadmap, together with the corporate’s first Web3 sport and which blockchain companion it’ll help. Nobody appears excellent on that entrance but. He’s enthusiastic about offering enjoyable content material for Kpo followers and others who have interaction with celebrities.

He famous that MetaWorld Leisure is only a sport firm. It’s targeted on the broader thought of leisure. Zhang is speaking to some huge manufacturers about doing video games and metaverse work for them.

MetaWorld will function each a developer and writer of a number of experiences and video games, empowering audiences world wide to work together with the metaverse like by no means earlier than. MetaWorld will maximize the immersive expertise utilizing the help of key companions comparable to Agora and their real-time audio know-how.

MetaWorld will even make the most of the Web2 sport publishing expertise of its companions to focus on an enormous gaming viewers whereas utilizing the “play-and-earn” mannequin that gives high-quality and fascinating video games by which gamers also can earn digital currencies. By combining and using its distinctive gaming sources, platform benefits, and enterprise cooperation in know-how and leisure, MetaWorld plans to carry brand-new play-and-earn leisure experiences to the Web3 period to drive broader adoption. Sebastien Borget, COO of The Sandbox, and Com2uS president Kyu Lee are optimistic about Zhang’s firm and his group’s expertise as builders.

Zhang acknowledges avid gamers have to beat their objects to blockchain video games, and he thinks that can occur when the video games grow to be extra enjoyable and the onboarding course of for Web3 turns into even simpler.

“We attempt to take away the entry barrier to most of the people and encourage extra folks to play first and afterward the in the event that they really feel prefer it, they’ll commerce issues like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as nicely,” Zhang mentioned. “We wish to use a few of our expertise from Web2 video games as we transfer to Web3.”