Bored Apes Step Into the Metaverse: Is It Worth the Hype?

The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is stepping into the metaverse with Otherside, a virtual world that aims to blend NFTs, gaming, and socializing. This project has been in the works for a while, with Yuga Labs announcing it back in 2022 after securing $450 million in funding. The goal? To create an "interoperable, " "gamified, " and "decentralized" virtual world. Otherside is set to launch on November 12th, offering a mix of crypto-based experiences and traditional gaming elements. You can explore virtual worlds, play community-made games, and even create your own spaces. The platform will support NFT avatars, allowing players to use their digital assets as characters in the game. There will also be new avatars, like those from digital artist Daniel Arsham and a co-branded "tokenized asset" with Amazon called Boximus. However, the current state of Otherside leaves something to be desired. The Swamp, one of the areas explored, felt more like a hollow social chatroom than an engaging game. There wasn't much to do besides wander around and chat with other players. The experience reminded me of other metaverse attempts that fell flat, like Meta's Horizon Worlds. The big question is whether Otherside can compete with established platforms like Fortnite and Roblox. These games have thrived because they offer both social interaction and engaging gameplay. Otherside, on the other hand, seems to focus heavily on crypto, which might not be enough to draw in a wide audience. Yuga Labs hopes to build a creator ecosystem around Otherside, giving builders a more compelling deal than competing metaverses. However, the current offerings and the focus on crypto might not be enough to make Otherside a hit. Only time will tell if this ambitious project can live up to the hype.