Metaverse Monthly

METAVERSE BUSINESS

Dubai to speed up metaverse efforts with additional 40,000 jobs – The emirate launches its Metaverse Strategy, which aims at becoming one of the top 10 metaverse economies. In order to reach its goals, Dubai is planning to support more than 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030. The launch of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy was announced by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Al Maktoum hopes to transform the emirate into a global tech capital, focusing primarily on artificial intelligence (AI) and Web3. The Dubai Metaverse Strategy goes in line with the objectives of the United Arab Emirates AI Strategy to enhance the nation’s status as one of the world’s leading countries in futuristic economies by investing in new technologies.

The Dubai Metaverse Strategy will involve partnerships in research and development to increase the economic contributions of the metaverse, using accelerators and incubators to draw foreign businesses and projects, and supporting metaverse education for programmers, content creators, and users of digital platforms in the metaverse community.

Metaverse studio Melon raises $5m in a seed round after creating Roblox experiences – Melon, a development studio, has raised $5m after it created Roblox launch events for artists including KSI, Tai Verdes, Ava Max and Zara Larsson. The team is also behind experiences for partners and clients including the NFL, Chipotle, Mattel, Clarks and PacSun.

The investment arm of Crush Music, Crush Ventures, which manages Miley Cyrus, Sia, Green Day, Lorde, Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy, is a participant in the seed round. Gaingels, Comcast Spectacor, and a sizable SPV (special purpose entity) headed by Matt Finick, who has also joined Melon’s board, are other investors. Finick formerly served as CFO for Marvel Entertainment and Roblox.

“Melon is at the forefront of the creative explosion happening in the metaverse,” said investor/board member Matt Finick. “They are perfectly positioned to build some of the most impactful experiences across music, film and TV, fashion, and sports over the next few years of critical growth on these developing platforms.”

Web3 platforms launch the Open Metaverse Alliance for Web3 (OMA3) – To address the industry’s interoperability issues, blockchain-based metaverse and Web3 platforms have chosen to establish the Open Metaverse Alliance for Web3 (OMA3). According to the Alliance, inclusivity, decentralization, and democracy are its four guiding principles.

The alliance is established by Alien Worlds, Animoca Brands, Dapper Labs, Decentraland, MetaMetaverse, Space, Superworld, The Sandbox (SAND), Upland, Voxels and Wivity. As it is specified in the official statement, the process of overcoming interoperability issues would be focused on proposing standards and facilitating collaboration between various stakeholders of Web3 and other industries.

OMA3 will be established as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to ensure a governance system that is “transparent and user-centric.” It will focus its efforts on specific metaverse-related topics, such as standards for nonfungible tokens (NFTs), protocols, transferable identity, portals between virtual worlds, mapping and indexing.

S.Korean metaverse firm Anipen raises US$8 mln in Series C – Prior to its anticipated initial public offering (IPO) next year, South Korean metaverse platform Anipen attracted financing totaling over 11 billion Korean won ($8.3 million) in its Series C round. Anipen is a deep learning-based metaverse platform developer that specializes in augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI).

The list of investors includes Medici Investment, Ulmus Investment and Korea Development Bank (KDB). With the investments, Anipen is expected to expand its metaverse content services and strengthen partnerships with various companies globally. Platform’s flagship service AnibeaR is a 3D mobile application which allows users to create AR-infused video content using popular children’s animation characters like Hello Kitty and Teletubbies.

This latest development is another step in South Korea’s metaverse ambitions. The country has previously disclosed its aim of creating 2 million metaverse jobs in the coming years.

METAVERSE ENTERTAINMENT

Jose Cuervo brings first ever tequila distillery to the metaverse – During the National Tequila Day (24th July), the first metaverse tequila distillery officially opened its doors in Decentraland. According to Jose Cuervo’s press release, the ‘metadistillery’ “reimagines the IRL distillery experience in a way only the metaverse can create, all while paying homage to the experience one may have at Jose Cuervo’s La Rojeña distillery in Tequila, Mexico – Latin America’s oldest operational distillery.”

During the experience visitors may make their own virtual drink while also learning more about tequila and quickly meeting new acquaintances. A digital wearable for their avatar will be given to those who finish the program. In addition, Jose Cuervo and digital artist Peter Tarka collaborated to produce ten pieces of limited edition art as a celebration of the unveiling. These works of art will be airdropped at random to guests who claim the aforementioned wearables.

Usain Bolt Partners with Move-to-Earn Platform Step App – On July 21, the FitFi platform pioneering a gamified metaverse for the fitness economy, officially launched its private beta in partnership with 8-time Olympic gold medalist and 11-time World Champion, Usain Bolt.

According to a press statement Bolt, who will serve as the brand’s core ambassador, will “help onboard millions of users around the world while attracting other premium brand partners and governmental organizations who share Step App’s vision for a healthier world through Web3.”

The launch will give more than 20 million pre-signed users access to exercise, socialize, play and earn through the platform’s tech, and introduce the brand’s ‘SNEAKs,’ digital footwear that users can buy, trade and wear digitally on the platform.

Tony Hawk Partners With the Sandbox to Open a Skate Park in the Metaverse – One of the most well-known skateboarders in the world, Tony Hawk, intends to construct a skatepark in the metaverse. The project will also produce voxel representations of the skateboarder as NFTs, which may be utilized in The Sandbox metaverse environment. It will be carried out in collaboration with The Sandbox and Autograph.

Athlete’s collaboration with Autograph, a high-profile NFT company co-founded by Tom Brady, entails the production of NFTs based on Hawk’s most memorable moments and apparel, that fans will also be able to leverage in The Sandbox’s metaverse. The skateboarding venue will be built in partnership with The Sandbox to create a park where players can take their NFTs and skateboard freely.

“I have been a fan of new technology all of my life — from the first videogames and home computers with CGI capabilities — so I am fascinated by the metaverse, and excited to bring our culture into the virtual landscape of The Sandbox,” Hawk stated.

CBS’ hit comedy ‘Ghosts’ Launches Metaverse Experience in Decentraland – “Ghosts” is making its metaverse debut. The popular CBS sitcom has introduced an immersive experience in the Web3 game environment Decentraland, giving fans a fresh, new way to engage with the program and its eerie home. Through September, the “Ghosts” experience can be accessed through the website ghostsmetaverse.com.

Together with Web3 marketing company CreativeDepartmint, the “Ghosts” metaverse experience was created. Fans may enter Woodstone Mansion to solve puzzles, go on adventures, and find valuable NFTs by assuming an avatar from the show. The metaverse activation is a component of CBS’ “Summer of “Ghosts”” advertising campaign for the second season of the program.

CreativeDepartment recreated Woodstone Mansion using sets from the show and actors that voiced the program’s characters. The carbon-neutral Polygon network will deploy the “Ghosts” game and NFTs. According to CBS, “1,100 tokens are available for each character with varying degrees of rarity, giving fans the opportunity to own a piece of the comedy’s history on a blockchain network that champions unrivaled user experience and rapid speeds.”

METAVERSE FASHION

Gucci and Balenciaga parent company enters the metaverse with a brand new project named KNXT – The owner of Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Saint Laurent, -Kering- decided to follow its brands into the metaverse by filing a trademark application. KNXT (pronounced next) will be used on advertising, networking services, and telecommunication services in the field of fashion via the internet and other communication networks.

Kering-owned brands have previously used the metaverse on several occasions. With its own virtual world on the gaming platform Roblox, the availability of digital handbags, and the introduction of several NFTs, Gucci in particular has emerged as the leader in luxury on the web 3. Balenciaga has made an entry into the metaverse with their Fall 2021 collection video game, Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow.

KNXT also stylized as ꓘNXT- is expected to be a project combining luxury fashion with the metaverse, NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and other web3 features.

Tommy Hilfiger to expand its presence on Roblox with the launch of ‘Tommy Play’ – Tommy Hilfiger is opening a virtual Tommy Play store on Roblox. The shop serves as the focal point for the Tommy Jeans Pop line, which includes hoodies, windbreakers, puffers, and accessories like a bucket hat and bumbag with the brand’s emblem.

The major draw is parkour, which is located next to the shop area. There, members of the public may join a spray paint area to make their own tags and unleash street dancing. Roblox users can also work toward getting into a secret space, complete with a DJ booth for hosting parties. Once achieved, users will find favorite tokens such as a hot dog backpack and the chicken, which is now a main character in this map.

The project marks a new phase in the brand’s collaboration with Roblox. In December, eight digital fashion designers from the Roblox community collaborated with Hilfiger to create the Tommy X Roblox Creators collection. The partnership grew to include Tommy Play, an immersive social hub with continual content upgrades for the Roblox community that debuted in June.

Karlie Kloss announces her collaboration with Roblox for a fashion showcase – The supermodel and the gaming platform are collaborating to display the creations of five fashion designers. In addition to giving the designers an opportunity to be seen in the metaverse, Kloss says she hopes the initiative will encourage the fashion industry to regard virtual fashion as more than just a passing fad.

The campaign, titled “Fashion Klosette Designer Showcase,” will allow each designer to display and list their designs in their own pop-up store. Users can visit the stores, test out the looks on their avatars, and purchase what they like. As an added bonus, each user will get six pieces for free and be able to purchase others for as little as $0.50 each.

The “Fashion Klossette Designer Showcase” is open from July 12 through July 25 on Roblox and items can be purchased during that window.

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 28: THE WEB3 CON – Asia’s first ever metaverse-themed blockchain & web3 conference will be held in one of Asia’s most prominent club; Zouk Singapore. The conference titled THE WEB3 CON will showcase and feature promising start-ups, established organizations and investors within the Blockchain, Crypto, NFT and Metaverse industry under one roof in a futuristic neon-lights and glitz set up.

July 29: The Gray Man: Metaverse Mission – In celebration of the upcoming movie, The Gray Man, Netflix is collaborating with Decentraland to provide fans with a brand new metaverse experience. In the game, players are expected to find the fountain in the maze and retrieve the USB with classified information, then get to the secret room to check their personal time and collect rewards. Those who successfully complete the mission will have a chance to win wearables from the highly anticipated movie starring Ryan Gosling.

August 8-10: Blockchain Futurist Conference 2022 – Untraceable’s Blockchain Futurist Conference is the largest and most high-profile blockchain & cryptocurrency event in Canada. This annual event is tailored to foster engagement from its participants with hands-on technology weaved into every aspect of the conference. The event aims to bring together a global audience of attendees with startups, investors, developers, enterprise leaders, financial institutions, researchers, academics and emerging tech pioneers to build the future.

August 13 HYPETYPE Metaverse Concert – The Hype Type Metaverse Concert will take place on August 13, 2022, and October 15, 2022. Scheduled to perform at the event are rapper, singer, and member of the Got7 boy band – BamBam, hip-hop artist Youngohm, and EDM artist Botcash. Non-fungible tokens, cryptocurrency, and virtual shops will also be featured at this concert. Also on the lineup are DJ Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, DJ Wolfpack, DJ Makassi, and many others. A Plano Tech, based in Thailand, is the technology company behind the virtual experience. More than 20 million people are expected to participate globally. The concert can be accessed via smartphone, desktop computer, or VR device.