Play-to-earn gaming continues to attract investment and attention as the ecosystem’s expansionary momentum accelerates. Yet, while there are hundreds of play-to-earn (P2E) games, only a handful cater to the ever-expanding community of mobile gamers. Additionally, most P2E games focus more on the “earn” aspect and less on the “game” elements.
To address this reality and invite players to a balanced experience of both Web2 and Web3 features, Meta Apes has launched its free-to-play, play-to-earn massively multiplayer online (MMO) strategy game. Launched May 31, 2022, Meta Apes is designed to offer a mobile-first experience.
Per the Meta Apes team, it is the first P2E game to go live on the BNB Application Sidechain (Binance’s BNB smart chain ecosystem). The game is currently available on the Google Play Store and is due for release for iOS devices shortly.
For the unfamiliar, BSC Application Sidechain (BAS) is a developer-focused infrastructure that supports large-scale BNB Chain-based decentralized applications (dApps), including games. It offers fast throughput and low or zero transaction costs. With this infrastructure, anyone can create and operate their own blockchain as an internal revenue system for many users while staying connected to the BNB Chain.
At the same time, Meta Apes employs Ankr’s gaming software development kit (SDK) to combine the features offered by Web2 games with the Web3 features supported by the BSC Application Sidechain. Ankr is among the few projects that have been a part of the development and testing of the BNB Application Sidechain (BAS) since its early stages.
This unique combination of resources allows Meta Apes to run parallel to the BNB Chain mainnet without compromising on gameplay, speed, and accessibility.
Moreover, Ankr’s Web3 Gaming SDK provides Meta Apes with many features needed to offer an engaging gaming experience. These include the necessary Web3 infrastructure, NFT marketplaces, multichain wallet integrations, crypto payment gateways, and other blockchain-powered in-game mechanisms.
The Meta Apes team notes that it took them only about a month to transition Meta Apes from a Web2 game to a full-fledged Web3 game using Ankr’s Web3 Gaming SDK.
Meta Apes’ gameplay is based in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Apes where humans no longer exist. Each player must work in conjunction with their “gang” to become the strongest “clan” within the game. In terms of P2E functionality, Meta Apes includes in-game currencies, such as $SHELL and $BANANA, and a wide range of NFT characters.
All in-game data will be stored on the blockchain instead of centralized servers, thereby granting players digital ownership over their in-game assets alongside the option to buy, sell, and trade NFTs seamlessly.
Commentary from Meta Apes’ Business Lead
Meta Apes Business Lead Taylor Shim explains, “Meta Apes was born out of this idea of creating a community-oriented game that offers both audiences something valuable – 1) an opportunity for the traditional gamers to earn & truly own their in-game assets and 2) a much more interactive and enjoyable experience to the blockchain gamers who are primarily looking to earn.”
She concludes, “Building on an application-focused sidechain helps us avoid a lot of the common issues seen in blockchain gaming like network congestion and giving us a lot more flexibility in terms of game design & tokenomics.”
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