Overview
The Sandbox franchise initially launched in 2012 on IOS and was released a year later for Android as a user-created, world-builder mobile game by an independent mobile game company called, Pixowl. In 2018, Animoca Brands acquired Pixowl and announced a 3D blockchain-based version of the game which would allow more possibilities for user-generated content (UGC) and would allow the company to leverage the token economics of the technology.
The project was built on the Ethereum Blockchain with a single ERC-20 token called SAND. It was one of the first marketplaces launched to enable players to trade their user-generated NFTs (non-fungible tokens) such as equipment, wearables, art, entities, and LAND. SAND is the main utility token used on this platform and serves as the basis to buy and sell LANDs and ASSETs on the Sandbox marketplace.
SAND is also the token that allows holders to participate in governance decisions and provides them with voting rights over key elements of the game using a DAO structure. Another thing Sandbox players can do is stake SAND which generates passive revenue for LAND. The SAND token is a key component in providing a bountiful user experience for players inside the Sandbox metaverse.
The Sandbox also gives players the ability to build and create, monetize their assets, and interact with other players in real-time within its virtual world. Their mission is to “build a system where creators will be able to craft, play, share, and trade without central control, enjoying secure copyright ownership with the ability to earn SAND.” Today The Sandbox is one of the most popular play-to-earn gaming platforms in the metaverse and has since collaborated with brands such as The Walking Dead, Atari, Adidas, Hell’s Kitchen, Snoop Dogg, and many more.
The UGC ecosystem for Sandbox consists of three major components which players can use for their creations:
VOXEDIT– a free 3D voxel editing model packet used to create and animate 3D objects which are the ASSETS used and sold on the marketplace.
MARKETPLACE– allows users to upload, sell, and publish their NFT creations
GAMEMAKER– allows users to create their own game on a blockchain without any coding and enables users to place and use their ASSETS to decorate and implement gameplay mechanics within a piece of LAND for a complete 3D gaming experience for players on the platform.
Currently, in its Alpha stage, Sandbox continues to tread on with plans for its features to become increasingly more complex through several intermediary phases including, updates to their UGC ecosystem, they plan to integrate multi-platforms (availability on consoles), more LAND sales, updates to their Game Maker, new events based off new partnerships, and much more!
Written By: Jennifer Mongan
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