The tournament, which last year was held exclusively on the Decentraland platform, will be extended to other non-blockchain-based metaverses.
The Australian Open (AO) has eschewed the promotion of a previous blockchain metaverse project in favor of this year’s sporting event tied to a non-cryptocurrency virtual platform known as Roblox.
Dubbed AO Adventure, the online game allows users to explore the virtual world of the Australian Open, inspired by the real-life version of the city of Melbourne.
They even offer the chance to meet Australian tennis superstar Nick Kyrgios, where users will be greeted by a digital avatar nicknamed “humanoid Nick.”
The catch for cryptocurrency enthusiasts: the Roblox platform is notably absent of any blockchain or Web3 connections. Roblox is an online platform that allows users to create their own games for others to play.
Last year, the platform pushed back against rumors that it would issue its own blockchain-based non-fungible token (NFT) or push Web3 development. According to its updated community rules, developers who are not part of a Roblox partnership program are prohibited from using non-platform services or products to sell platform items for cash. That would prevent users from participating in NFTs that would then be sold on online marketplaces.
“Honestly, the decision to create the Australian Open on Roblox, and leave exclusivity to Decentraland, would likely result in a higher quality experience for their community,” Simon Kertonegoro, CEO of MyMetaverse. “It is unfortunate that Roblox does not allow the use of NFTs on their platform.
Decentraland’s platform was chosen last year as the medium for the tournament. Designed by art studio Web3 Run It Wild, the platform saw a peak of 5,000 unique visitors per day, or so Blockworks was told at the time.
Decentraland will continue to co-host the virtual event along with the more heavily promoted Roblox platform, and it will run from January 16-29 local time.
Moving Roblox ahead of other metaverses built around blockchain technology, as seen with the implementation of the humanoid Nick, is a conscious decision for a “multiversal game,” said a spokesperson for Run It Wild
Australian open chooses Roblox instead of Decenterland
The community is likely to enjoy the Australian Open creations more thanks to their choice to use Roblox instead of Decentraland.
For AO 2022, the Decentraland platform was used. The platform was created by art studio Web3 Run It Wild and, according to information provided to Blockworks at the time, reached a daily peak of 5,000 unique visitors.
The online event will continue to be co-organized by Decentraland. However, it is now being advertised widely on the Roblox platform from January 16 through January 29, local time. There will be many interactive games scattered throughout the park, including tennis (both singles and doubles) at Rod Laver Arena with human players, artificial intelligence or even friends and family.
What exactly is AO Adventure?
AO Adventure is a brand new interactive game created by Roblox. However, it is about the Australian Open, looking forward to the 2023 version of the Grand Slam. The recreation capabilities a variety of tennis-themed demanding situations and sports modeled after the real Melbourne Park venue.
Users need to first download the Roblox app to play AO Adventure. Once downloaded, they will want to navigate to the Australian Open game.
AO NFT Artball
At the 2022 Australian Open, there were 6776 collectible NFT “ArtBalls” uploaded to the blockchain. In addition, linked to crucial shots in specific matches. At the time, the balls saw a bi-weekly trading volume of around $3.9 million.
With the release of 2454 newly minted NFT ArtBalls, the event hopes to recapture some of the excitement surrounding last year’s trading activity.
New for AO23 are Match Point equivalent tickets. Any AO ArtBall who gets a Match Point on the AO23 court will receive a claim of two tickets for the equivalent match at AO24.
That is, if an AO ArtBall gets the Match Point in the men’s or women’s individual final, the AO23 ArtBall member will get two complimentary tickets to the men’s or women’s individual final in the AO24, respectively.
The project has added 2,454 new AO ArtBalls with 115 ArtBalls in a new Collaborators series. Since AO22, the project team has been organizing a Collaborators series to offer even more value to our Members and set a new frontier in token experiences.
Our new “Collaborators” series brings additional designs and benefits from iconic projects and brands, such as Collective Shift, Creature World, Crypto Chicks, Chainlink, Decentraland, Joyride Games, Marriott International, Metakey, Opensea, Penfolds, and the Nouns Foundation, among others.
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