012: Gucci & The Future of The Sandbox

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Around the Block…

• Amazon: Giving Away Gaming NFTs to Prime Members

  While details of their suspected NFT marketplace remain under wraps, Amazon has quietly been active in the NFT space through Prime Gaming. They’re offering free blockchain-backed characters, playable in Mojo Melee & Brawlers games to Prime members. The NFTs are minted to Polygon & WAX blockchains (Decrypt / Prime Gaming).

• Boba Guys: Expanding Blockchain-Backed Loyalty Program

  Boba Guys is rolling out their Solana-backed loyalty program to all of its locations starting November 24. The app-based experience allows customers to earn points for purchases. Points can be redeemed for mystery boxes including free drinks & exclusive access to secret menu items. The initial pilot saw success and was touted as a cheaper way to build a loyalty program for the company (Boba Guys / Milk Road).

• Gucci: Opens Archival Metaverse Exhibit in The Sandbox

  The virtual ‘Cosmos Land’ experience mirrors a physical one that is currently open at London’s 180 The Strand, which takes visitors through the fashion house’s ‘past, present, and future’. The Sandbox version of the experience features gamification, unlocking digital outfits as a reward for those first to complete quests (Gucci).

What is…?

• Solana: A notable blockchain platform that supports cryptocurrency & decentralized applications ( - NFTs!). Solana is currently the third largest blockchain by NFT sales volume (after Ethereum & Ronin). The blockchain is built prioritizing scalability & energy efficiency (Solana / CryptoSlam).

• The Sandbox: A metaverse & online gaming platform built on the Ethereum blockchain. The experience allows players to create an avatar and explore branded and non-branded areas. Users can buy virtual currency, $SAND, that can be used for in-game purchases and digital land ownership (The Sandbox).

Chain Reactions!

The Future of The Sandbox

After a lot of excitement surrounding The Sandbox and other web3 metaverses a few years back, the hype has noticeably calmed way down. Gucci is the first large brand activation I’ve noticed in The Sandbox lately & I’d love to know their rationale for selecting it.

With the lack of userbase transparency (& likely lack of a sizeable active user volume), it is difficult for brands to warrant spending time & money to build within the platform - even if many jumped on the hype of land ownership in 2021 / 2022.

Gucci specifically seems like they are dipping their toes into as many metaverse platforms as possible - perhaps a test strategy! Their September activation, Ancora, featured experiences in Roblox, Zepeto, & QQ.

Although I am skeptical today, there is hope for The Sandbox’s future. They recently announced a new Chief Content Officer, whose vision seems bright for the direction of the platform; Focusing on the creator economy - with its decentralized structure allowing individuals to truly own & monetize their content, while its no-code tools make it easy for more novice builders to create (NFT Now).

Additionally, they’re creating a cinematic-themed neighborhood - dubbed ‘Cinerama’ as another means to drive users onto the platform. The area will feature brands like ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ among others (The Block).

DISCLAIMER: This content does not contain investment, tax, legal, financial or other advice & is not intended to be used in this way. It includes the opinions of the author & is strictly for informational purposes. Please do your own research.