Web3 is hitting the big screen

Iconic Atari characters now virtual pets, AI in ‘AOL’ phase, plus more metaverse stories today

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Metaproof is a media company that covers the business of the metaverse. We keep you informed on how the metaverse and web3 are changing YOUR industry.

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The Future, today. In just 3 minutes.

Amid the ongoing crypto winter and the seemingly slow adoption of blockchain technologies among mainstream consumers, there’s no stopping web3-native television shows from emerging and capturing the nostalgia of animated comedies as well as reality TV.

3 prime examples:

  • CoinMarketCap’s Killer Whales - The new competition series draws inspiration from ABC’s Shark Tank and is developed in collaboration with web3-native entertainment firm Hello Labs. The show will let entrepreneurs pitch their projects to a panel of judges comprising web3 entrepreneurs, influencers, and founders.

  • Freckle TV - The web3 game show network launches a rewards-backed game show seeking to reimagine traditional branded TV content and advertising. It also debuts two NFT collections that will grant holders access to the entire Freckle TV ecosystem, made up of 888 digital collectibles, a 12-month subscription for free, alongside blue-chip NFTs and travel packages.

  • NounsDAO’s full-length movie - Animated film Nouns: A Movie, featuring the web3 community’s popular 8-bit NFT characters, is powered by Atrium’s network of independent web3 artists and creators and has a $125,000 budget.

Iconic Atari characters get a second wind in life via gaming company Anima’s Gaming Onlybots AI - “artificially intelligent companions and pets” described as next-gen Tamagotchis - and an augmented reality universe.

Think of it as virtual pets reimagined as a digital collectible: Capable of talking with their owners and, using AR, appearing next to them through smartphone cameras.

Now, popular Atari characters from games such as Centipede, Adventure, Crystal Castles, and Pong are to transform into Onlybots, filled with original backstories and personalities.

The two companies aim for emerging tech like AR and AI to enable nostalgia-filled fans to interact and engage in deep and amusing conversations with Atari characters, software, and hardware.

For Sachin Duggal, CEO of Builder.ai, AI systems today are only at the AOL level of the internet, and there’s a long way to go before we can reach the fiber-optic phase.

Some key perspectives from the tech exec:

  • While the popularity of large language models like ChatGPT has fueled the hype around AI, there’s much more to the technology than just chatbots.

  • Venture capitalists are investing heavily in AI startups in the hopes that the tech will transform the digital economy the same way that the iPhone did.

  • ChatGPT has been impressive in its ability to produce human-like responses but still has limitations in undertaking tasks such as solving math problems or understanding context.

  • Knowledge graphs, which connect relationships between different concepts and entities, offer a greater degree of accuracy and understanding of context than large language models.

Sports Illustrated has just launched its native NFT ticketing platform Box Office via its ticketing site SI Tickets, partnering with ConsenSys and Polygon to offer an easy, comprehensive system for event hosts to create, manage, and promote scalable, ticketed sporting events.

It hails blockchain as the future of ticketing, where owners, promoters, hosts, and attendees can access a more advanced ticketing experience that takes consumers beyond the "antiquated barcode" into engaging, collectible content.

Some highlights of the service:

  • SI Tickets prioritizes the fan experience, charging $0 transaction fees and guaranteeing 100% refund if the event is canceled. Every ticket purchased through Box Office enables fans to receive free credits toward any sports, concerts and theater on SITickets.com.

  • It leverages expansive inventory and ticketing capabilities to develop a global platform combining digital collectibles and traditional tickets for events of any magnitude.

  • Box Office will be the primary ticketing solution, providing a turnkey experience for owners, organizers, and hosts to create, manage, and promote live sporting events, paid or free, enabled by the SI Tickets platform.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

  • P2E gaming guild P2Earn adds Electronic Arts alum Jeff Burton, who sees web3 gaming as "the future,” as chair of its advisory board. (Link)

  • Metaverse gaming brand Runiverse launches its app on esports tournament platform ESL. (Link)

  • PC VR adventure game Hubris is coming to PlayStation VR 2. (Link)

  • What’s in store with eyewear brand Retrosuperfuture’s web3 debut as it teams up with Razer, the lifestyle brand specializing in gaming laptops and software like game optimizers. (Link)

  • Inside Meta’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase and upcoming games driving the next stage of VR gaming adoption sparking push on VR sales. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

  • Adidas brings web3 into its confirmed app, in partnership with tech firm Tokenproof. (Link)

  • On Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg shares 3D-printed dresses he made for his daughter - and how he’s taken up sewing for the mission. (Link)

  • Unconventional as it might be as a styling tool, ChatGPT is TikTok’s new virtual stylist. (Link)

  • A look back at the NFTs of Prada, LV, Balmain, and more luxe taste makers. (Link)

  • Footwear brand Clarks reenters the metaverse, letting fans watch Afrobeats artists in a concert they can watch from anywhere. (Link)

  • As consumers cut back, here’s how apparel retailers can tap into trends like ChatGPT, resale, and D2C. (Link)

🏀 Sports

  • NFT/blockchain firm Dapper Labs offers football fans LaLiga Golazos NFTs. (Link)

  • Inside the thrills of the 2nd Tokyo Web3 Spring Hackathon. (Link)

  • Nonprofit Pokes With A Purpose (PWAP) brings digital collectibles, web3, and a digital wallet to Oklahoma State University athletes and fans. (Link)

  • The singular potential of sports-metaverse digital twin tech that nobody is talking about. (Link)

  • Media veterans raise $360M to invest in sports and live experiences - “permanent” trends amid streamers struggling for profits and consumers churning. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

  • Beatport launches Korus AI music project with Deadmau5-founded Pixelynx. (Link)

  • TikTok’s head of trust and safety for the US Eric Han leaves the social media behemoth. (Link)

  • MetaCannes Film3 Festival harnesses web3 for the future of cinema. (Link)

  • On Twitter, verified government and public services remain exempt from API paywall. (Link)

  • The House of Hype experience is coming to Dubai Mall. (Link)

  • South Korea’s SK Telecom adds the virtual home “if home” to its metaverse platform ifland. (Link)

🖼 Art

  • Gear up for MESH, the virtual art fair for 3D, metaverse, and VR creators in Decentraland. (Link)

  • Celebrity restaurateur Jeremy Fall collabs with Deepak Chopra’s Seva.Love for Mental Health Awareness Month. (Link)

  • Tensor surpasses Magic Eden in Solana's NFT market share. (Link)

  • Truth Labs, creator of Goblintown NFTs, is set to launch season 2 with a more peculiar offering. (Link)

  • Prague City Tourism's NFT launch sees only 9 out of 1,300+ tokens sold. (Link)

🤖 AI

  • Samsung bans ChatGPT usage amid worries that workers are dishing out confidential corporate data. (Link)

  • People get shown an AI political ad - can they tell it’s fake? (Link)

  • Can AI produce COVID jabs with improved shelf life and enhanced antibody response? (Link)

  • AI can be an addition and enhancement to the workday rather than a replacement. (Link)

  • AI is being used to generate whole spam sites. (Link)

  • Going beyond brand awareness, marketers and agencies explore AI to enhance live experiences. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

  • Odaia secures $25M in Series B funding to develop AI-powered pharma insights software. (Link)

  • TX-based healthcare and life sciences company Autonomize AI raises $4M in seed funding. (Link)

  • Electronic music brand Beatport ties up with distributor TuneCore, whose artists can now get their music onto Beatport via an add-on fee. (Link)

  • GitLab Inc. and Google Cloud extend their strategic partnership to provide enterprise AI solutions. (Link)

  • BluWave-AI and Dubai Taxi ink a deal to decarbonize fleets with AI-managed electric vehicles. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

📈 If you are a startup building in the metaverse / web3 ecosystem and are raising capital, please reach out to Sfermion. Sfermion is an investment firm focused on accelerating the emergence of the metaverse 📈

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