NFT & Crypto Updates

2023-10-16 04:02:49 Sega jumps back on NFT bandwagon, is “exploring ways” to use Blockchain in games

Back in 2020, it seemed that every major games publisher was on board with the NFT and crypto craze as it created more opportunities to capitalize on in-game purchases. Sega went all-in at the peak but pulled out once public interest had started to drain. Despite calling play-to-earn games “boring,” it seems like the company wants to gain a few more rings in a surprising upcoming project. Despite this, the pair are optimistic that they can break through the negative stigma of NFTs to provide a compelling experience. Sega’s Co-COO Shuji Utsumi spoke with Japanese outlet Dengeki Online about an upcoming blockchain game based on the Three Kingdoms digital card series for mobile gamers. (A translation of the interview is available here.) The new game is being developed by double jump.tokyo, who previously collaborated with Square Enix and Tezuka Osamu, creators of Astro Boy. Sega announced this partnership back in 2021 on their official Twitter to a ton of fan backlash regarding the environmental impact of the blockchain. Commenters were quick to point out that the core message of Sonic The Hedgehog, saving animals from deforestation and scientific testing, went against the wasteful platform.

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2023-10-15 21:14:26 Metaverse In Automotive to Reach $27.18 billion, Globally, by 2032 at 29.9% CAGR: Allied Market Research

Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Metaverse in Automotive Market by product (Hardware, Software), Technology (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality), and Application (Simulation, Testing and Designing, Advertising, Online Car Purchasing): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032". According to the report, the global metaverse in automotive market generated $2.18 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $27.18 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 29.9% from 2023 to 2032. Factors such as surge in focus on leveraging the metaverse for marketing campaigns, increase in demand for modern vehicle shopping experiences with immersive virtual showrooms, and growing demand for intuitive metaverse design for product development and manufacturing. However, car maintenance and repairs by metaverse, and incorporation of metaverse in automotive infotainment are anticipated to hinder market growth. On the other hand, cost associated with installing and maintaining premium components and issues related to cybersecurity and privacy provide a remarkable growth opportunity for the market players operating in the market.

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2023-10-15 16:02:49 CGI Federal and Partners Pioneering Metaverse Integration for the U.S. Marine Corps

CGI Federal has successfully concluded a real-time pilot within a planetary-scale Metaverse environment, in collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps, marking a significant milestone in the convergence of digital technology and military operations. The pilot, executed in partnership with Microsoft and Battle Road Digital, involved the integration of the Marine Corps Platform Integration Center’s (MCPIC) logistics and asset management systems with digital twin technology. Horace Blackman, Senior Vice President of Defense, Intelligence, and Space at CGI, announced this achievement and highlighted its profound implications. He underscored the pilot’s potential to revolutionize the way defense units conduct training, devise strategies, and position themselves for future challenges. Blackman went on to emphasize that these capabilities could serve as a benchmark for various federal agencies seeking to enhance their operational efficiency. the U.S. Marine Corps witnessed a notable enhancement in their capabilities. This included improved visualization, real-time monitoring, simulation, and predictive analytics.

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2023-10-15 10:02:49 Reddam House Embraces Innovative Learning with VR and the Metaverse

Reddam House Helderfontein and Waterfall, part of the Inspired Education Group, have wholeheartedly embraced the realm of virtual reality (VR) and metaverse-based learning within their classrooms. Following a triumphant initial trial across five international schools, the metaverse-based learning program is now in the process of implementation in 17 other Reddam schools worldwide. The convergence of VR and the metaverse materializes as a catalyst for enriched and more efficacious learning undertakings. Reddam House Helderfontein and Waterfall, students have seamlessly integrated VR headsets and the metaverse into their academic routines, thereby embarking on scientific experiments, embarking on virtual journeys to iconic landmarks, and peering into the intricate inner mechanisms of volcanoes. By skillfully intertwining VR and metaverse tools into the curriculum, these schools have ingeniously fostered immersive and interactive learning domains, which not only captivate the imagination of their students but also present diverse subjects in a profoundly innovative light. This pedagogical paradigm, deeply attuned to varying learning styles, provides a promising glimpse into the vistas of education in the digital epoch.

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2023-10-15 04:02:49 Beanz Stickers Success Signals a Step Towards NFT Mass Adoption

Chiru Labs, the parent company to well-known brands like Azuki and Beanz, has clinched top rankings on the LINE messaging platform. Its Beanz sticker pack has quickly risen in popularity due to a collaboration with IPX, the company behind LINE FRIENDS characters. This partnership also plans to introduce retail offerings at LINE FRIENDS stores and a blend of immersive real-world events bridging both universes. Notably, the sticker is the first major rollout from this partnership. Beanz sticker pack’s achievement is its potential to usher in a new era where users, even those unfamiliar with NFTs, can engage with them. According to data from IPX, the Beanz sticker pack has claimed the top spot in South Korea’s “Creators” section on the LINE Sticker shop. Its charm extends to the U.S., where it is the leader in both the “Humorous” and “Food” categories. As the Beanz stickers continue to captivate LINE users, the platform promises more delightful stickers in times to come. In a way, this trend symbolizes the potential for digital assets like NFTs to become commonplace, seamlessly integrating into our daily digital interactions. Japan, home to a staggering 90 million monthly LINE users, also welcomed Beanz, ranking it second in the “Creators” section.

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2023-10-14 21:02:49 Microsoft’s Activision buy may see more metaverse in the office and crypto in gaming

A lot was said about the metaverse when the Microsoft deal to acquire Activision Blizzard was announced in January 2022. The attention was mainly on business communications rather than gaming. If public statements and leaked documents are any guide, the Activision deal could promise more for the future of crypto than the metaverse. The metaverse had high visibility in Microsoft’s announcement of its deal for Activision in January 2002. Nadella’s emphasis on work is telling. He listed four things and referred to them as “all three” — apparently, “meetings and games” count as one. Microsoft’s metaverse platform, Mesh, which began previews this month, is positioned as a complement to its Teams business communications platform. Spencer questioned what the metaverse even is in an interview with Bloomberg in August. “My view on Metaverse is that gamers have been in the Metaverse for 30 years,” he said. He said little about the Web3 metaverse except that he was “cautious” about play-to-earn. He was later quoted as calling the metaverse “a poorly built videogame” and saying, “Building a metaverse that looks like a meeting room, I just find that’s not where I want to spend most of my time.”

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2023-10-14 16:03:50 Mastercard’s CBDC pilot ventures into Ethereum and NFTs

Mastercard in conjunction with the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre, revealed Thursday the latest results of their CBDC pilot project. Notably, the pilot included a live transaction where an NFT was purchased on the Ethereum blockchain using a “wrapped” version of the CBDC, according to a statement. Jointly developed with financial services company Cuscal and blockchain platform Mintable as part of the bank and cooperative’s research project, the tech is designed to make CBDCs interoperable across various chains. The pilot, which places a real legal claim on the RBA, involved selected industry participants and demonstrated how a CBDC could provide payment and settlement services to Australian households and businesses. “Mastercard has seen demand from consumers to participate in commerce across multiple blockchains, including public blockchains,” Richard Warmold, the company’s Division President of Australasia said. “This technology not only has the potential to drive more consumer choice, but it also unlocks new opportunities for collaboration between the public and private networks to drive genuine impact in the digital currency space.” During the live test, Ethereum wallets of both the buyer and seller were ‘allow-listed,’ demonstrating the tech’s capacity to enforce controls on public blockchains.

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2023-10-14 10:02:50 LINE NEXT Unveils “Sweet Monster Guardians” Web3 Game with NFT Integration

LINE NEXT Inc., the subsidiary of LINE dedicated to advancing the NFT ecosystem, has revealed the worldwide launch of GAME DOSI’s second game, “Sweet Monster Guardians,” spanning 180 countries. Notably, the game will not be available in South Korea, Japan, and China. Simultaneously, the public test phase for the new game “Project GD,” originating from GAME DOSI’s original game IP, will commence. “Sweet Monster Guardians” is a web game intricately woven with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and has been crafted by GAME DOSI. Set in a whimsical and fantastical universe, “Sweet Monster Guardians” stars sweet-natured monsters as bearers of happiness. United in their mission, these creatures safeguard the town from enigmatic external threats. Players are empowered to make strategic selections from a range of character cards, deploying them for combat against adversaries in diverse game modes. Merging cards can amplify character abilities, and real-time multiplayer mode enables players to compete with others. To celebrate the launch of “Sweet Monster Guardians,” those who possess Sweetheart Monster NFTs will receive in-game rewards. These NFTs can be seamlessly incorporated into the game, augmenting the players’ in-game energy. Furthermore, commencing from October 6th, exclusive “SWEET MONSTER GUARDIANS” NFTs.

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2023-10-14 04:02:50 NBA's LaMelo and Lonzo Ball—And Their Dad—Star in NFT Game 'StrayShot'

Upcoming battle royale shooter game StrayShot has signed a deal with NBA players LaMelo and Lonzo Ball—as well as their family’s lifestyle brand, Big Baller Brand (BBB)—to include the brothers and the rest of their prominent family as playable NFT characters, developer iBloxx Studios announced Thursday. More details on the playable LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball NFT characters will be revealed after the free-to-play game fully launches, according to a statement. The PC game—previously called 0xBattleGround—is currently in public beta. iBloxx CEO Domenik Maier told Decrypt via email that StrayShot could be fully released as early as December this year, but will more likely launch in February 2024. The LaMelo and Lonzo character NFTs will wear military-style outfits as well as BBB-branded attire, according to Maier and images viewed by Decrypt. The studio also plans to release licensed Ball NFTs outside of the game, as well, according to the announcement. No release date has been revealed for any of the Ball NFTs. LaVar Ball, the players’ outspoken father and BBB founder and CEO, will also appear as a game character, alongside his wife Tina Ball and youngest son LiAngelo Ball, who plays in the NBA G League.

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2023-10-13 21:07:10 NFTpay Checkout Solution Accepts Amex And Discover

NFTpay, based in Miami, FL, is pleased to announce that they are now accepting Amex and Discover. An NFT purchasing solution, NFTpay is committed to staying at the forefront of the NFT ecosystem. By integrating with Amex and Discover, NFTpay’s payment solution ensures that their technology remains a hub of innovation where humans can thrive. The introduction of their credit card NFT checkout solution means that buying and selling NFTs, a process which might normally take days or even weeks, is now faster, simpler and easier for everyone. The vast majority of potential NFT buyers, up to 99% of the community, do not have cryptocurrency or a crypto wallet. This complicates NFT purchases and may even discourage individuals who might otherwise have become involved in NFT projects. By providing a way to purchase NFTs with a credit card, NFTpay has made the world of NFTs a lot more accessible. Now anyone interested in buying NFTs can do so without having to open a crypto wallet. In addition to making it easier for buyers to make purchases, NFTpay makes it easier for sellers to connect with interested parties. Customers are more likely to stay on a page and make a purchase if doing so is an easy process. NFTpay’s credit card solution enhances the convenience of the entire process, thus incentivising them to follow through with an intended purchase.

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