China Unveils New Crypto Game ‘MetaCene’ to Revive Crypto Gaming Scene

MetaCene, the next-generation blockchain MMORPG, is a highly-anticipated game that has been built in China for nearly 2 years and $5 million – and it may soon come out.

According to the team behind the game, MetaCene is building a “homeland for mass players.” It will take users into a post-apocalyptic society where survivors interact with six primary in-game non-fungible token (NFT) types to “redefine civilizations.” 

It pioneers player-centric entertainment, governance, and creation through its technology infrastructures, social guild decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) governance, and in-game editors, it said.

The team added that,

“Capturing the true essence of Web3, we transcend the ordinary by seamlessly combining the AAA aspirations of Web2 gaming with the revolutionary technologies of AI and blockchain.” 

Per the roadmap, the team plans to conduct the second alpha test and launch the mainnet blockchain in Q3 this year.

In Q4, they expect to launch the commercial version 1.0, followed by version 2.0 in 2024.

Bloomberg argued that investors and crypto game makers are looking for a way to build a game “that doesn’t look like a vessel for sketchy financial speculation.” 

According to creator Alan Tan,

“The notion was that gamefi players were in it just for the money but not for the fun. But that was just because developers opted to focus on the ‘fi’ but not the ‘game’.”

Per Blomberg, MetaCene “has a long way to go, but the early reception shows that a solid game with a crypto element is better than a crypto economy with a game attached to it.”

Taking Transaction Cut, Planning to Raise Millions

MetaCene was founded in October 2021 by gaming veterans, with more than two decades of industry experience from Shanda Games, Blizzard, Perfect World, and others. The team, led by Alan Tan, includes Cary Chen, Lion Cheung, Owen Fung, and Last Chan.

In August, MetaCene announced its alpha test as a limited-time event to allow players to explore three main areas of the game’s world, meet each other, form guilds, complete quests, and earn rewards.  

Of the 2,961 players, some 90% engaged in Player vs Player (PVP) combat, the team said after the test was concluded. 

Players collectively played 461,916 minutes, made USDT 6,166 in transactions, and created 1,225 new addresses.

“It’s free-to-play, and some elements will feel like cash grabs,” Bloomberg said. Also, the company will take a cut of each crypto transaction between players. 

It plans to raise an additional $8 million from venture capitalists to support development.

The company is currently looking for game ambassadors.

In August, the team announced the launch of its interactive user engagement system, the Metropolis Sentry, allowing players to complete tasks and collect rewards, including in-game equipment and NFTs that can be redeemed in the official game version. 

Currency is earned via crystal mining and can be done without players’ active participation. 

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