Decentraland is a user-controlled 3D virtual world platform built on Ethereum. It offers a parallel economy with native tokens like LAND and MANA, allowing users to create unique environments and marketplaces. Criticized for technical bugs, it has also seen success with events like the AI World Fair and partnerships with brands like Netflix and Samsung.
For those exploring options beyond Decentraland, alternatives include The Sandbox, Metaverse, Second Life, Axie Infinity, Roblox, Spatial, and Meta.
The Sandbox
Crafted on the Ethereum blockchain, The Sandbox is an immersive metaverse empowering users to create, share, and trade digital assets. Debuting its journey as a mobile game in 2012, it metamorphosed into a blockchain version in 2018, marking a sweeping transmutation in the realm of digital realities.
The Sandbox Top Features
- VoxEdit: Enables users to spawn their creations without the requirement of coding.
- Marketplace: Here users can trade their creations as NFTs, blazing a trail in digital monetization.
- Game Maker: A tool that encapsulates user-friendly design, enabling the evolution of imagination into graphical reality.
- Copyright Ownership: Sandbox safeguards creative intellectual property using blockchain and smart contracts.
- DAO: Aiming for a truly decentralized ecosystem, Sandbox has a DAO ensuring equity among token holders.
| Token | Function |
| SAND | Used for all transactions |
| LAND | Signifies virtual real estate ownership |
| ASSETS | Used for in-game items |
| Gems | Used for attributes |
| Catalysts | Enhances assets |
The Sandbox Downsides
- Limited availability: As of now, Sandbox is not widely available, constricting creative expansion.
- Restrictions on monetization: Sharing creations or making profit from them is not currently possible.
- No Consent Required: Platform modifications can be enforced by private owners without LAND owner agreement.
The Sandbox Use Cases
Use Case 1: Virtual Real Estate Investors
With the LAND token’s game-changing potential, users can delve into the opportunistic world of virtual real estate investment. They can participate in public LAND sales, opening every quarter, and acquire vast virtual plots measuring 315ft x 315ft.
Use Case 2: Creators and Designers
For creatives scouting for a digital canvas, Sandbox’s VoxEdit and Game Maker prove invaluable. They can shape, sell, and even retain copyright ownership for their creations with blockchain.
Use Case 3: Gamers and Collectors
With ASSET tokens, gamers can purchase exclusive in-game items, creating a custom and engrossing gaming environment. Meanwhile, collectors can own unique digital assets on this platform, tapping into the booming NFT market.
Metaverse
Stepping into limelight by repurposing Facebook into Meta, the Metaverse offers a decades-old concept of an immersive 3D realm with a blend of VR and AR technologies. Today, it stands as a compilation of several 3D worlds, catering to diverse consumer groups and business operations.
Metaverse Top Features
- Integration of VR and AR realities fostering immersive experiences.
- Blockchain application and NFT synergy streamlining commerce and seamless integration.
- Vast range of 3D, app-based worlds targeting diverse consumer groups and industries.
- A tight interplay between VR equipment, haptic technology and digital economic systems.
| Legacy | Metaverse has a rich historical lineage starting from Antonin Artaud’s essays(1938), to Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash(1992) coining the term ‘metaverse’, to the present-day Meta(2021). |
| Industrial Partnership | Forming industrial alliances such as the partnership between Siemens and Nvidia on industrial metaverse initiatives in 2022. |
| Market Response | Enthusiastic reaction from market participants, evidenced by the heavy investments and partnership initiatives. |
Metaverse Limitations
- Technical complexities and required sophistication of hardwares like VR headsets could limit user accessibility.
- The concept could be perceived as being too futuristic or advantageous to those with tech savviness, creating a digital divide.
Metaverse Pricing
No specific pricing details are available at this moment. The developmental nature of the concept suggests an evolving pricing model in the future.
Metaverse Use Cases
Use case 1
The Metaverse is a playground for digital marketers and retail brands. Brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, McLaren, and Walmart have started leveraging the Metaverse for unique marketing campaign experiences.
Use case 2
Another arena is the virtual collaboration for businesses. Microsoft’s Mesh is a glowing example of such use, allowing teams to meet and collaborate in shared virtual spaces, thus amplifying productivity.
Use case 3
In the Entertainment Sector, Epic Games’s Fortnite hosted Travis Scott’s virtual concert within the Metaverse, indicating a vast potential area for artists, performers, and even gamers.
Second Life
Established by Linden Lab’s CEO, Philip Rosedale, Second Life represents a major player in the sphere of virtual reality. Originally aimed at research on haptics, the firm shifted focus to building a virtual 3D world, initially referred to as “LindenWorld”. Today, it commands a vibrant economy, with users engaging in content creation, service provision, and goods exchange.
Second Life Top Features
- Interactivity: Users can interact with each other in real-time, fostering sociability.
- Economic system: A fully functional economy, where users can create, buy, and sell goods and services using Linden dollars.
- Identity Verification: This feature promotes reliability and trust within the user community.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Personalization | Facilitates user-customized settings and experiences via functional cookies. |
| User Diversity | Caters to a wide array of audiences, ranging from academics and artists to military veterans. |
| Real-World Representation | Second Life has stayed relevant by continually recreating real-world experiences for users. |
Second Life Downsides
- Cryptocurrency incompatibility: Presently, the platform does not support cryptocurrency for metaverse transactions.
- Marketing restrictions: Second Life does not embrace targeted advertising models.
- Confined data storage: The platform does not store any personally identifiable information.
Second Life Pricing
Second Life operates on a freemium model, with options to purchase premium services and in-game currency, Linden dollars.
Second Life Use Cases
Use Case 1: Social Engagement
Second Life stimulates social interactions by creating shared experiences for users in real-time. This feature has endeared it to many social groups, including academics, artists, and trans community members.
Use Case 2: Economic Engagement
As a platform with a thriving economy, Second Life offers creative users an outlet to create, buy, and sell goods or services, pumping the virtual economy.
Use Case 3: Therapeutic Engagement
Second Life’s commitment to diversity has made it a haven for communities of military veterans discussing PTSD, using the platform for therapeutic purposes.
Axie Infinity
Welcome to the world of Axie Infinity, a whimsical combination of blockchain technology and creature-collecting madness. It’s your childhood dreams of Pokémon come to life, sprinkled with elements of play-to-earn model, and finally topped off with some cryptocurrency on the side!
Top Axie Infinity Features
- Utilizes NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) for in-game items, like monsters and land plots.
- Two types of in-game currencies: SLP tokens and AXS tokens.
- Integrated with Ethereum blockchain and Ronin sidechain to minimize fees & transaction delays.
- Features vicarious battles against computer-controlled teams or other players over the internet.
- Allows real money trading of NFTs on its marketplace.
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Platforms | PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
| Axies Breeding | Helps create potential for more powerful teams and additional NFTs for sale. |
| Play-to-earn Model | Players are rewarded with crypto tokens exchangeable for real money. |
Axie Infinity – A Glimpse at the Downsides
- Requires investment in at least three Axie NFTs before you can start playing.
- Experienced a significant hack incident in 2022 causing a dip in player numbers and Ethereum value.
Axie Infinity Pricing
Get ready to experience a new kind of sticker shock: you must initially purchase a minimum of three Axie NFTs to join the game.
Axie Infinity Use Cases
A New Generation of Online Gamers
Axie Infinity is a perfect playground, or shall we call it the battleground, for gamers looking for that heady mix of online gaming and blockchain. Is it the future of gaming? Only time (or your Axie team) will tell.
Blockchain Enthusiasts
If you’ve got a soft spot for Ethereum and an appetite for risks, Axie Infinity might just be your next favorite hangout. With its blockchain-based NFT system, it is redefining how we interact with digital assets, and who knows? You might just hit the NFT jackpot!
Crypto Investors
Did someone say play-to-earn? That’s right, your gaming hours literally turn into ‘working hours’ with Axie Infinity. Perfect for those who want an exciting way to earn (and spend) cryptocurrency.
Roblox
Founded in 2004, Roblox developed into a mammoth game-creation and gameplay platform. Sporting its proprietary engine, Roblox Studio, it allows users to craft games using the Lua derivative, Luau. Solidifying its influence, the platform boasts of over 100 million monthly active users and a content library exploding with more than 50 million user-generated games.
Roblox Top Features
- Rich content library of over 50 million games, all user-crafted.
- Over 100 million monthly active users, fostering a vibrant community.
- Roblox Studio enabling creators to generate games using Luau language.
- Economically rewarding its 2 million creators with substantial payouts.
- Strong presence on social media, including numerous YouTube tutorial communities.
- Presence across multiple platforms – Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Meta Quest 2.
- Stalwart player safety with algorithms blocking sensitive data, inappropriate visuals.
- Robust teaching resources for learning Roblox programming languages, game development basics.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| User-generated Content | Fuels continuous innovation and varied gaming experiences. |
| Integration with Blender | Enhances game development through advanced modelling, animating. |
| Social Interaction | Promotes community establishment, rapport among players through chat, friend addition functionalities. |
Roblox Limitations
- Reports of adult content misuse, drawing scrutiny.
- Concerns on the presence of microtransactions, allegations of child-exploitative practices.
- Moderation issues leading to possible quality lapses in user-generated content.
Roblox Pricing
Roblox operates chiefly on a free model, but utilizes an in-app purchase system through its virtual currency, Robux. Payout to creators have been substantial, surpassing $100 million in 2019.
Roblox Use Cases
Freelancing Developers
With its encouraging payout model and development support, Roblox proves indispensable for freelancing developers who wish to monetize their creative prowess.
Small Business
Small businesses can leverage Roblox‘s gigantic user base and engage with potential clients via interactive, engaging gaming experiences.
Education and Learning
The platform’s teaching resources appeal to learners, offering insights into game development basics, Roblox programming languages, bonus online classes and YouTube tutorials.
Spatial
Turn your whole world into a virtual plaform with Spatial, an innovative technology solution that uses augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive experiences that surpass the boundaries of physical reality.
Spatial Top Features
- Immersive AR/VR experiences for gaming and collaboration
- Personalized spaces with options for galleries and live shows
- Integration with Unity for custom space creation
- Avatar customizations, enhanced with brand partnerships. You could don a chic Calvin Klein robe, or sport an Adidas tracksuit virtually!
- Spatial audio and Token Gate privacy features
- 3D design collaboration to materialize your innovative thought
- Interactions via eyes, hands, and voice
| Unique Feature | Benefit |
| Efficacy across VR/AR devices | Experience augmented reality through a gamut of devices, expanding accessibility. |
| AI-powered avatar rendering | Ogle at realistic avatars, rendered from 2D photos to 3D, using progressive AI technology. |
| Cross-platform | Seamless integration with Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Figma. |
Spatial Limitations
- Limited brand partnerships for avatar customization
- Dependence on applicable hardware for hand and eye movement interaction
Spatial Pricing
Experience the expansiveness of the Spatial universe for free! Yes, you heard that right. Spatial is free for up to 30 participants.
Spatial Use Cases
Use case 1
Spatial becomes a playground for gamers, offering immersive landscapes for enhanced play.
Use case 2
In the realm of education, Spatial’s AR/VR experiences foster interactive learning.
Use case 3
For businesses, Spatial facilitates collaborative workspaces, breaking geographical barriers.
Meta
Operating under the symbolic metamorphosis of its name, Meta Platforms Inc, formerly known as Facebook, is a buzzing tech conglomerate with a vision for the metaverse. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with an employee force of 71,469 and a whopping revenue of $116.61 billion in 2022, Meta marks its esteemed presence across the five major continents. Regarded as one of the Big Five American IT companies, Meta’s transformation from TheFacebook in 2004 to its rebranding in 2021 is an ode to its progressive ethos and dynamic vision.
Meta Top Features
- Robust offerings including Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, Messenger, WhatsApp, Threads, Horizon Worlds, Ray-Ban Stories, Mapillary and Workplace.
- Meta’s metaverse focus, linking all its products and services into an intuitive, immersive environment.
- Annual Connect conference gathering AR/VR developers, creators, marketers to explore the future of the metaverse.
- Significant investments in immersive learning to mentor the next generation of creators.
| Focus Areas | Revenue (2022) |
|---|---|
| Social media, advertising, consumer electronics, VR | $116.61 billion |
| Metaverse infrastructure | Increasing share |
Meta Limitations
- Historical controversies pertaining to data violations and IPO scandals.
- Intense scrutiny following rebrand from Facebook.
- Profits declined in the Q4 of 2021.
Meta Use Cases
Social Media Interaction
Meta redefines Social Media Interaction with its bouquet of offerings including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, empowering billions across the globe.
Virtual Reality
Fostering the future of the metaverse, Meta is evolving the realms of Virtual Reality with its products such as Oculus and Horizon Worlds, providing unique immersive experiences.
Business Insights
With a keen interest in the business domain, Meta leverages technology to offer precise Business Insights to corporations around the world.
