Metaverse and Web3 will not be created by themselves. That's why Michael Zhang, CEO of Firefly Games, decided to re-enter the mobile gaming space and create a new studio called MetaWorld Entertainment.
Earlier this summer, MetaWorld Entertainment raised several million dollars in seed funding from The Sandbox, Com2uS, Crit Ventures, and Formless Capital.
While Firefly will focus on Web2 games such as mobile games, Zhang has become the CEO of MetaWorld Entertainment. On Friday, The Sandbox and Atari announced that MetaWorld Entertainment has remade Crystal Castles, a classic Atari game, as one of nine new Atari experiences released in The Sandbox metauniverse.
"We deliver high-quality content on the platforms of the meta universe," Zhang said in an interview with GamesBeat. "We want to be a part of that and offer the highest quality content."
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Key partners in this new meta universe include The Sandbox, Animoca Brands' global decentralized virtual gaming subsidiary, and Com2uS, a leading multi-content platform in the blockchain gaming space.
During his years at Firefly Games, Zhang's company created DreamWorks Universe of Legends, Skydance Terminator: Dark Fate, and all three LoL Surprise mobile games! by MGAEntertainment. writer number
At first, Zhang, a 15-year gaming veteran, was skeptical of the poor quality of blockchain games. As the industry developed, Zhang began thinking about establishing MetaWorld Entertainment in 2020. Things got more serious last year when I heard (of all people) about the metaverse at the Clubhouse. The concept of a meta universe was new to him and at the same time he started learning about blockchain. The more concepts behind the ideas, the more excited I was. He decided that the Web3 and the metaverse had become important in the digital age. And so he attracted a new round of financing.
Zhang envisions the metaverse as an entertainment space where viewers can play, engage, and interact with new levels of immersion like never before. When he tried, it took a few days to create a cryptocurrency wallet. Now it can be done in five seconds, he said.
Instead of creating its own titles, MetaWorld Entertainment will start creating content for others, such as with the Atari/The Sandbox project. He said that MetaWorld Entertainment will be a full-fledged entertainment company that brings concerts, events and games to the global market through metauniverse platforms, including The Sandbox.
"It all started with you. I first heard about the meta universe in March 2020, before the pandemic, when you (and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney) started talking about it,” Zhang said. “I started studying and then I started talking to The Sandbox. They hired us to create a theme park project. They all felt that the time had come."
Zhang pointed out that many companies in the meta universe and blockchain provide technology infrastructure. But no studio was creating high-quality content that would continue to engage fans in virtual spaces online.
"We create high-quality games, DJ concerts, celebrity content and partner with other companies on their platforms," Zhang said.
About a dozen people from Firefly are currently working on content at MetaWorld Entertainment in Los Angeles. Yi Zhang hires seniors, while Firefly has fewer than 10 people.
Over time, Zhang will share more information about the roadmap, including the company's first Web3 game and which blockchain partners will support it. No one seems perfect in this regard. He is excited to offer interesting content for Kpo fans and others who interact with celebrities.
He stated that MetaWorld Entertainment is just a gaming company. It focuses on the larger idea of entertainment. Zhang is talking to some big brands about making games for them and working in the meta universe.
MetaWorld will act as a developer and publisher of a variety of experiences and games, allowing viewers around the world to interact with the metaworld like never before. MetaWorld will maximize the immersive experience with the support of key partners such as Agora and its real-time audio technology.
MetaWorld will also leverage the expertise of its Web2 game publishing partners to target a large gaming audience using a play-and-win model that offers high-quality, engaging games where players can also earn virtual currency. By combining and leveraging its unique gaming assets, platform advantages, and technology and entertainment business collaborations, MetaWorld is committed to bringing new gaming and entertainment experiences to the Web3 era to facilitate wider distribution. Sebastien Borget, CEO of The Sandbox, and Qi Li, President of Com2uS, are optimistic about Zhang's venture and his team's experience as a builder.
Zhang acknowledges that players need to overcome their own objects for blockchain games, and believes that this will happen as games become more fun and the Web3 adaptation process becomes even easier.
"We're trying to remove the barrier to entry for the general public and encourage more people to play as soon as possible, if they want, they can also trade things like non-fungible tokens (NFTs)," Zhang said. "We want to use some of the gaming capabilities of Web2 when transitioning to Web3."
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