The Dawn of Otherside: A Glimpse into the Bored Ape Yacht Club Metaverse
As dusk settles over the sweeping virtual landscapes, the air is filled with the rhythmic chirping of insects. My avatar meanders through a vast, digital swamp, following the pulsating thump of bass from an imminent destination. Surrounding me are a few scattered trees and other players, yet it’s primarily the distant glow of a wooden clubhouse decorated with twinkling lights that draws me closer.
Upon arrival, I am greeted by the towering facade of the official clubhouse of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). As I attempt to enter, I grasp the reality: despite the lights illuminating the structure, its doors remain firmly shut. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation, tinged with frustration, as I realize there’s little to engage with from the inside.
A New Beginning in the NFT Sphere
This experience marks my entry into a metaverse themed around the infamous cartoon monkeys that symbolize much of the NFT frenzy. Even as the exuberance surrounding NFTs has waned, Yuga Labs, the company behind the BAYC brand, is geared up for a fresh digital initiative with Otherside, a metaverse that integrates several modern buzzwords.
Announced following a monumental $450 million funding round in 2022, Yuga Labs articulated a vision for Otherside as an “interoperable,” “gamified,” and “decentralized” virtual environment. After a prolonged period of silence, the company recently rolled out an alpha version earlier this year, and earlier today, at the ApeFest event in Las Vegas, it was confirmed that Otherside is set to officially launch on November 12th.
“It’s basically one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in the space,” emphasized Yuga Labs’ Chief Product Officer, Michael Figge, during an interview with The Verge.
The Concept of Otherside
At its core, Otherside presents a concept reminiscent of Roblox or Fortnite—but with a significant cryptocurrency twist. Users can command NFTs as avatars to traverse through immersive virtual worlds created by both Yuga Labs and fellow players. Interestingly, users don’t need to possess an NFT to join; they can simply log in using more traditional methods, like email.
“We believe in maintaining a low barrier to entry,” Figge elaborated. “Once users experience Otherside, they’ll encounter a unique opportunity to understand what it truly means to own digital assets.”
A Creator-Driven Ecosystem
The Otherside universe is replete with various crypto elements: NFT avatars, blockchain-based land plots, and currency. Yuga Labs envisions nurturing a creator ecosystem, offering a more favorable model for builders compared to existing metaverses. The enticing concept lies in the fact that these digital assets will exist beyond Otherside’s confines, providing users with flexibility in utilizing their assets.
In addition to exploring The Swamp I encountered, users can navigate a central hub known as the Nexus. Otherside will also host community-generated experiences, including exciting games like Bathroom Blitz—a somewhat cheeky shooter game—and Otherside Outbreak, a zombie survival challenge. Players can establish “Bubbles,” a variant of social audio rooms akin to Clubhouse or X Spaces.
“The potential for personalizing experiences in Otherside is vast,” Figge stated. “Targeting the existing user-generated experience market, such as Roblox and Minecraft, is a tremendous opportunity, especially for those disillusioned with traditional creator support models.”
Introducing Unique Avatars
Another exciting aspect of Otherside is its in-game avatars, which manifest as 3D representations of the NFTs players own. Open to all NFT collections, these avatars can be transformed using Yuga’s new Voyager system. Currently, two partnerships have been announced: a 300-piece collection from noted digital artist Daniel Arsham and a co-branded “tokenized asset” with Amazon dubbed Boximus, comprising Amazon boxes.
“These avatars will resemble traditional gaming ‘skins,’” Figge noted. “While we haven’t disclosed specific pricing, we aim to ensure affordability. Plus, since they’re blockchain assets, owners can resell them, which is a rarity in other metaverse-like games.”
Initial Impressions and Skepticism
Having explored The Swamp before writing this piece, I noted it largely felt like a 3D social chatroom rather than a gamified experience. There was minimal interaction outside of casual exploration and conversing with other (rather sparse) visitors. This brought to mind previous lukewarm encounters in platforms like Meta’s Horizon Worlds, rather than the engrossing gameplay found in titles such as Fortnite.
In this seemingly desolate space, options appeared limited; I found myself wandering the exterior of the unattainable clubhouse or inspecting locked locales like an outhouse. Remarkably, as I strolled away from an idle train platform, a train thundered past—my character lingered too long to catch it. An engaging moment arose when I discovered a portal that flung my character toward the moving train, yet I missed my chance and splashed back into a watery abyss.
While I acknowledge that many pre-launch metaverse environments face challenges, the defining trait of social spaces is often their niche appeal. Successful examples like VRChat remain exceptions, while popular titles emphasize gameplay alongside social interaction, a dichotomy I fear Otherside may struggle to achieve, especially with its current focus on crypto elements.
Conclusion
In an era where virtual spaces have rapidly evolved, the fate of Otherside remains to be seen. While the underlying concept has the potential for greatness, it’s uncertain whether it can capture the enthusiasm similar to that experienced by Fortnite, Roblox, or Minecraft. For now, skepticism lingers around its initial offerings, and I may have to pass on this digital adventure.
For a more in-depth look at Otherside and Yuga Labs, you can read the full article Here.
Image Credit: www.theverge.com
