Upland, which is considered one of the top-five gaming DApps, announced on August 20, 2020, that it would expand its metaverse to NYC. The game combines elements of the real and virtual world and it lets users buy, sell, and trade in virtual properties. These properties are usually mapped to actual addresses within a city. When Upland launched in January 2020, it featured San Francisco properties. It has now expanded to properties in Manhattan, New York.
About the Upland Game
Upland is a virtual world that is mapped to the physical world. It allows users to play, earn incomes, and connect with other users. Each property within the game is connected to a non-fungible token (NFT). These NFTs have value in a secondary market, just like other virtual worlds.
Upland already has many active traders that spend their time in the game flipping properties with other users. By tokenizing the properties using NFTs, it creates permanence and makes it easier to trade them, which leads to a great user experience.
Building on their San Francisco Success
According to Dirk Lueth, the co-founder of Upland, they had been quite successful in San Francisco and they were now expanding to NYC. They picked New York City because it is amongst the most popular cities globally. He noted that many people had been to NYC and the rich culture and skylines had fascinated them. As a result, they were excited to be bringing the city into Upland.
The Use of Blockchain Technology
Most virtual worlds today have fantasy environments and pseudo economies without any value outside the game. Upland sets itself apart using blockchain technology. Those who participate in the game have real ownership of their digital assets.
The game has created a digital layer on top of the real world. It is an entertaining community with an active community, which has the opportunity to make real-world profits. The game’s main value proposition is offering players a real-world connection. Besides that, there is an emotional layer to the game, which comes with owning virtual property based on the physical world. It is especially so when the property is located in one of the most iconic cities in the world.
Details of the NYC Launch
The launch of the NYC virtual world on Upland will initially focus on Manhattan. However, there are plans to expand to other locations within the city such as the Lower East Side, Midtown, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Chelsea.
Players of the game, who are known as Uplanders, will be able to flip virtual properties while also taking part in scavenger hunts, entertaining challenges, and special events. The community within the game has been increasingly active, which has led to the generation of more original content such as videos, podcasts, and blogs. It is reflective of a wider trend in the US where game usage has grown 75 percent since COVID19 forced many people to go into isolation. The overall web traffic has also spiked by 20%.
About the Upland Blockchain Economics
Upland runs on the EOS blockchain and has a native token called UPX. Owners of virtual properties can earn UPX from them. They can boost their earnings by participating in missions that include winning treasure hunts, taking part in live events, and collecting similar properties. The game can be accessed on iOS, Android, and desktop.
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