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In 2021, when I was hired to @GameStopNFT, I had the honor of learning about NFTs for the first time from @finestonematt. As a 2021 ape, I had this ideal vision of a 3D virtual neighborhood made by and for our community, where we could share our culture, memes, and games together. I had no idea what metaverses actually were at the time, no idea how to create a game, and I had just barely started learning 3D. But the way Matt described NFTs and what they could do really inspired me both as a member of this community, and as a creator, to be part of pushing the boundaries and seeing that vision through.
I spent all of 2022 thinking about this idea, speaking with creators, learning, and eventually forming a plan for a 3-part series of metaverse games that would have the working title “Escape Velocity” I, II, & III. Several months later, that working title would change briefly to “Road Trip” Parts 4-6 before settling on “Into The Cyberverse” Episodes 1-3.
2023 was a year of learning and getting back to my roots of being a creator. I made a map, planned out the whole game in advance, then started building. I built and experimented with various spaces early on, then began with the map that would become Ariel from Episode 1 of “Into the Cyberverse”. As the great team at @Spatial_io released more and better features all the time, I was learning each one, and at the same time learning what is needed to build the the ideal community metaverse.
I launched my first game in October of 2023, that’s Cyberverse Episode 1. It’s free to play, always will be, with some updates and DLC on the way in the future, also free.
Now I’m working on laying the foundation for Episode 3, which is an open world hub, and a platform for creators and brands to collaborate within the same game world. Episode 2 is going to be a Story Mission that is part of unlocking that open world hub in the story of the game universe, with Episode 1 retroactively being incorporated via RP (level-up points) & in-game currency reward on completion, making it into a Story Mission as well.
I just recently launched v0.2 of Episode 3’s prequel, “Settlers of Ariel”, which is an in-universe side story that takes place during the events leading up to Episode 3. In this story, players start inside their own Pod in the game world, and are presented with an escape-room style gameplay. Owners of these pods are cast as Settlers in the story of the game world, in an Escape Pod that has hurtled through space and time to find its place among the stars with their friends and fellow Settlers…
Players start in the basement underneath their pod, and unlock one room at a time by solving puzzles, challenges, and completing Missions, until eventually they have unlocked their entire Pod, with a living space, party deck, vault and more. They have full ownership of their pod space, can decorate it, invite friends or lock the space, hold events in their pod, and much more. Eventually when Episode 3 is released, they will be able to go in and out of their pod’s front door to the neighborhood outside, and that’s where one of their spawn locations in Episode 3 can be.
v0.2 is the Vault update, which unlocks a PIN-secured room in the Pod’s Basement Crawlspace, where most collectibles and Mission rewards will be delivered. It also introduces a host of new features:
– Pod Control Panel – Players have better control over their Pod compared to v0.1, and now the Vault PIN number and Birthday can be set or reset easily, as well as giving the player quick access to their missions or our discord if they need help.
– Game Launcher – Creators can design their own games within Cyberverse or launch out to their external game, or a mix of both.
– Open Mission Platform – Creators can design their own Missions which have RP and in-game currency rewards, and which show up in the Player’s Mission Control Panel. Missions can be started and restarted allowing players to grind their favorite missions for RP and in-game currency.
– Mod / DLC system – Creators can make their own rooms, Missions, props, furniture, apps, and share those mods as DLC packs with their friends get featured as an Official Cyberverse Creator to have their DLC packs added all 1,111 pods
– LaunchBox Open OS Computer w/ Open App Platform
– Open Rewards Platform – Creators can hook into the level and RP system to give a custom reward to players who reach a certain level
– e-Gift Card Platform – Players and Creators can give each other real gift cards to their favorite brands, delivered in the metaverse as virtual cards
All the players who have setup their pod so far just got a holiday gift of a GameStop eGift card delivered to their vault as the first successful beta test of the Metaverse Gift Card Delivery system I created, which gives them a virtual card they can open and read, download and print or use online, and/or display it among their Pod Decor if they choose. That feature is in association with @StoredValue411 which is the official gift card provider for GameStop and a few other brands, all of which I am offering to players and creators to give in-game via my @Shopify channel https://t.co/uEIQMpDnbl
I also coded a creator DLC/modding system for v0.2, so now other creators can make missions, buildings, props and apps within the game world, and give players in-game rewards like NFTs and eGift cards and game items for completing missions. All this is possible with the @Spatial_io platform, which has enabled me to create these things and learn the ins and outs of multiplayer complex games, and empower me to teach myself how to create all the systems and animations and interactivity.
Now any other Creators, Settlers, community members or brand partners have the ability to create entire experiences, DLCs and mods within the game world, as I move this project closer to being a community-owned metaverse.
If you’re reading this, I’d love for you to have a pod, so you can be part of this neighborhood I am building. There’s 1,111 of them minted on @loopringorg, and we’re taking advantage of Loopring’s counterfactual NFT feature to move them to L1 for unlocking on @Spatial_io. You can get one at https://t.co/gu0MUV22Mj or https://t.co/6cQHMifLhb. If you like and retweet this post, and comment why you want a pod, you may be randomly chosen to receive one.
I am full steam building this project as my full-time commitment with several of our community creators already part of the foundation, building together or in unison with their own projects: @BrendenDearie @carlitos5113 @ProtocolGemini @CyberCrew @DeadNeons @DMTLIFE @Jamience @foreveralona_ @mymixtapenft @DreamMoreThings @YABOYNANCY @NFINIT3 @MindandEmotion7 @BertleTurtleson @StonksOnTheMoon @Train @Guvna9 @oxNegus @TheEndisPie @StonksOnTheMoon @enchworm @ParableNFTs @SmugDangercat @LooperLands @InfinityRealms8 @Tonchu_Furyan @stellaachenbach @OrderoftheGoose (and the list goes on!)
Now that Cyberverse is becoming a growing destination for projects, communities, and brands to build something together, we’re opening up to more creators, sponsors and investors to partner with, or to help build part of the game world. If you or anyone you know would be interested, let’s chat about what is now possible in the metaverse for your community or project.
2024 will be a year of building! HONK! 🪿
