Today, MegaETH hosted its 7th AMA with @awe_box.
Over 180+ people joined to hear Rayan (@rayan_oncyber) and Bro Bing (@hotpot_dao) discuss about AWE, how to make the Internet fun again, and art.
They were there to answer all your questions about AWE.
Here is what they shared:
1/ Who is Rayan? Can you tell us about your dad?
Initially, Rayan’s dad studied engineering at MIT. But at some point, he left everything behind to open an art gallery.
By 2011, when Rayan was just 15, his dad was already pushing him to get into Bitcoin, saying it was the future. Yet, Rayan entered the crypto only last cycle through NFTs. As an artist himself, NFTs were a perfect match for him. He saw how they could empower artists.
However, he didn’t like NFT marketplaces like OpenSea for displaying art, as they felt too much like supermarkets. It was like putting Basquiat in a supermarket. People don’t go there to experience art.
So, Rayan created a 3D platform with OnCyber to showcase art: a multiplayer, 3D NFT gallery where anyone could join and immerse themselves in the experience.
Back to the story of his father, when Rayan founded OnCyber four years ago, they lived in the same house but barely saw each other because Rayan was focused on building. His dad kept up with his son’s updates through Twitter.
Over time, his dad immersed himself in CT and became the biggest degen Rayan knows. He went full degen, buying all kinds of NFTs like Mosquitos, Tiny Dinos, and even obscure ones Rayan had never heard of, while making money from them.
2/ What is AWE?
NFTs quickly shifted from a space for cryptopunk artists, cool and fun, to PFP projects that often ended in rug pulls. Rayan isn’t against the speculative nature of crypto, but that’s not why he entered the space.
With OnCyber’s growth, amid the noise, partnerships, and metaverse hype, he quickly became overwhelmed, especially since he has always seen his project more as an artist than an entrepreneur.
Now, Rayan is gradually transitioning from OnCyber to AWE.
Building the AWE game engine is also a way to ensure OnCyber lives on as a key part of crypto culture, with hundreds of spaces, millions of visitors, and partnerships with celebrities, including a mint with Rihanna and Drake.
AWE stands for Autonomous World Engine, but to Rayan, it also represents art. They began building AWE during the bear market and officially launched it in July. AWE is a 3D game engine where users can create games, art galleries, social experiences, or even 3D podcasts.
3/ What can you find only on AWE?
AWE is an infrastructure play within gaming, with the goal of building cool and fun games. It’s a 3D game engine that can run on different frontends, like Telegram, Discord, or web-based games.
AWE is made for everyone. It’s not an expensive engine, and you don’t need to know how to code. It’s designed to be highly intuitive and easy to use, allowing anyone to create and experience interactive games. Over time, it will become accessible to everyday users.
In the future, you’ll be able to bring ideas to life with simple prompts. AI agents will provide guided tours, while users create traditional games, casinos, or entirely new experiences.
There are templates where you can easily customize designs, change the token used, and make everything uniquely yours.
4/ What is his “Make the Internet Fun Again” thesis?
It might sound sensationalist because the Internet is already fun. However, the idea is to revive the feeling of playing Flash games or PlayStation 1 as a kid, bringing back the energy of those incredible times.
Rayan believes the Internet has been over-optimized for engagement, creating things that everyone will like, buy, and repost, at the cost of creativity.
For example, Netflix now creates scripts based on what audiences like and how much money they’ll generate, rather than focusing on simply telling a great story.
In gaming, investors have pushed studios to create open worlds, even though they often feel empty—just to increase playtime and metrics. Game studios have become closed ecosystems, with the same kinds of people making the same kinds of games.
People who live for others are rarely fun, and the same applies to games. Instead, gaming needs more open tools to foster creativity without the pressure of performance metrics.
Rayan wants to challenge this status quo by unleashing creativity, by building unexpected, fun experiences by putting everything on-chain and making it composable.
5/ What did you learn from the Pump Dot Fun-based game you released? What other games are being built on AWE?
Pump Dot Fun was the game of the year. Everyone was trying to guess which meme would moon. Rayan decided to repackage Pump Dot Fun and experiment with its smart contract to create a 3D gaming experience.
However, he quickly realized the limitations of Solana. It’s difficult to build games on Solana because the chain isn’t fast enough. With MegaETH, he will be able to create games that simply can’t exist anywhere else.
By leveraging GTE or Noise smart contracts and AWE, people will be able to create fun, 3D trading experiences.
With AWE, if you like something, you can turn it into a game. It’s a platform designed to unleash creativity by allowing people to build new and fun experiences entirely on-chain.
Source by MegaETH Only | ∑:
