For some time now, we have gotten used to talking about the metaverse as the future of the Internet and social networks. A virtual place to explore with our avatar, in search of increasingly satisfying and immersive experiences. A sort of Ready Player One Oasis within everyone’s reach (and possibly with less catastrophic results). Despite the increasingly intense conversation around the metaverse and the numerous investments in it, today we still struggle to have tangible and concrete proof of what we will see. To offer us a small but extremely interesting preview of what will be is The Sandbox with its Alpha Season 2, which we had the honor of testing together with Arnaud Kamphuis, Content Producer & Community Manager.
But what exactly is The Sandbox? Just a quick look at the official website to get an idea. The Sandbox is simply the most advanced metaverse currently in circulation, which provides an incredibly large map on which to buy land (the so-called lands, which are already selling like hot cakes for exorbitant amounts), on which a boundless world takes and will come to life. to live and explore. A universe with graphics vaguely similar to the famous Minecraft, which over time will be more and more immersive and varied, to the point of becoming a real continuation of the real world, in which to find concerts and exhibitions or do healthy shopping.
Up to now, one might think that we are dealing with something that has already been seen and metabolized. This is not the case at all. Indeed, The Sandbox aims to merge an experience at the base of which there is the gamification of each content with a real virtual economy, designed and developed in such a way as to bring real gains to those who invest time or money in it. .
Our experience with The Sandbox
As we already know, cryptocurrencies and the metaverse will be an inseparable pair in the near future. Unlike other platforms based on a pay to play to earn system, which consists of a small initial investment with which to play and profit, The Sandbox is proposed as a more fair and intriguing play to earn, made in such a way as to allow users to be rewarded for their time in the metaverse. At the base of The Sandbox is SAND, the cryptocurrency on which the game’s economy is based. After creating a wallet on one of the many compatible platforms, users are able to spend or receive SANDs. In the metaverse you can buy and sell NFTs (including those of the WoW Foundation), you can buy and resell objects with which to make your avatar more attractive and you can have the opportunity to participate in real digital events.
To have an appetizer of the metaverse to come, all you need is a cryptocurrency wallet (obtainable for free in a few clicks), registration on the platform (also free) and The Sandbox client, freely downloadable from the site and compatible with PC and MAC. Once we have created our avatar, we can begin to explore the metaverse, which has some inevitable bugs but is definitely surprising for its fluidity and loading speed. The experiences of Alpha Season 2 (available until March 31) are still simple and limited (full list here), but what we had the opportunity to try has thrilled us. In the midst of brands such as Adidas, Atari and The Walking Dead, the legendary Snoop Dogg also peeps out, who has his own mansion inside The Sandbox, where we immediately teleported ourselves.
At Snoop Dogg’s house
The Sandbox map takes shape…
After begging the guard at the entrance, we entered Snoop’s mansion, kicking off a mini-game with a nostalgic aftertaste. With a mixture of cunning and exploration, we have given new life to the love story between Carla and drunk DeAndre, we have recovered dinosaur bones for a bizarre guest of Snoop and we have provided a providential sandwich to a guard in obvious distress. , thus gaining full access to the future Snoopverse.
In the midst of beautiful artwork and other mini quests, we also explored a world inspired by the ancient Chinese Tang dynasty and the club of Blond: ish, testing the potential of The Sandbox. The strongest sensation we have had when we get lost in the maze of a world that is still small, but rapidly growing in front of our eyes, is that of being pioneers of a new world with very high potential. In the midst of splendid buildings and glimpses of many worlds, there were many other explorers like us, intent on running, climbing buildings and testing the various possibilities that this world offers, thanks to very intuitive and functional mouse and keyboard controls.
Although in an embryonic stage, the metaverse is already here and develops in a decentralized way by The Sandbox itself, with rules and dynamics established by the players themselves. The choice is yours on how to live this experience: as simple tourists and players, as real NFT traders or even as creators, thanks to the free programs that can also be used by those who have not done computer studies Game Maker and Vox Edit, with the which to create gaming experiences and collectible NFTs respectively, thus contributing to the virtuous and self-powered mechanism of this virtual world. The metaverse is already here: it’s up to us to live it, build it and improve it.