Pokemon GO, the popular game that was released in 2016, has continued to captivate users of all ages with its “treasure hunting” gameplay and adorable character IP. Chris, a former investment banker and seasoned gamer, created a blockchain game called “Yuliverse” in 2023. Within a year, Yuliverse received investments from well-known venture capitalists such as Animoca Ventures and DWF Labs.
Yuliverse is also map-based, and its characters, known as “Yuli,” are NFTs that can be categorized into five elemental attributes: fire, wind, rock, ice, and thunder. The characters are divided into six levels, ranging from Normal to Legendary, and can be upgraded in two ways. The first is by exploring specific areas on the map and finding treasures, which also rewards players with in-game tokens, allowing them to “explore to earn.” The second way is by using the in-game tokens $ARG, governance token $ART, and Yuli to cultivate new higher-level characters, which can be sold on the secondary market.
Yuliverse also incorporates social features, allowing players to team up with nearby players to tackle dungeon quests or engage in card battles. Chris’s goal is not just to create a game but also to build a decentralized “Google Map database” that can be integrated with other applications.
The game aims to not only be entertaining and profitable but also to foster a sense of community. Chris, the founder and CEO of Yuliverse, previously worked in traditional financial investment banking. As a passionate gamer, he recognized the opportunity in Web3 from an investor’s perspective and ventured into the blockchain space.
Apart from his love for games, Chris wanted to use Yuliverse as a means to easily establish relationships with others. By collaborating with players in clearing dungeons or completing quests together, he aimed to break down barriers and facilitate conversations with strangers, all while enjoying the game.
In Yuliverse, players can explore the map with their NFT-based character, Yuli, and earn rewards through the “explore to earn” gameplay. Chris shared that the game has seen good engagement from players, especially in the Japanese market, where logging into Yuliverse has become a daily routine for many players. The game’s Discord channel has over 200,000 users, and within the past 24 hours, more than 100,000 unique wallets have participated in the game.
The simplicity of Yuliverse’s gameplay, which allows players to earn rewards while treasure hunting during their daily commute or school hours, is a major factor contributing to its success. For players seeking a more immersive gaming experience, there is also the option to engage in card battles, catering to different user preferences.
While community participation enhances the game’s ecosystem, Chris acknowledges that community management is the most challenging aspect. Each core user of Yuliverse requires careful attention, and every milestone in the game can attract new users or prompt existing users to leave. Effective communication is crucial and poses significant challenges.
Chris’s vision extends beyond just creating a great game; he plans to expand his influence beyond gaming. He intends to build an LBS Chain blockchain, where LBS stands for “Location-Based Service.” This LBS Chain can convert players’ offline actions, such as walking, into on-chain data. If other decentralized applications require such data in the future, they can seamlessly integrate with the LBS Chain, creating a decentralized “Google Map database.”
Chris explains that in the Web2 era, LBS data was largely monopolized by tech giants such as Uber and Grab, who created super apps. With the emergence of Web3, future applications will require this type of data. The data collected by Yuliverse goes beyond the game ecosystem and can have various other applications, providing continued value.
Proofread by: Jasmine高敬原