Introduction to The Sandbox – the popular metaverse

The Sandbox is a game, or rather: a virtual world based on the Ethereum blockchain from Animoca Brands. In it, users can create their games or different experiences and continue to “sell” them, i.e. charge for access to their creations. More simply, Sandbox functions as an online playroom (Americans would say “arcade”) where you can come and play a variety of games created by other users, and you can make your own game, which will then be played by other users. Sandbox is part of a new genre of online games whose popularity is growing along with the development of NFTs. Another example of a similar platform is Decentraland.

How to access and work in Sandbox?

Accessing Sandbox is very easy. First you need to go to their website and create a new account. Since it’s a blockchain game, they’ll first ask you to link your crypto wallet to your account. If you don’t have your crypto wallet yet, that’s not a problem – opening a new crypto wallet is a simple and free process.

To play Sandbox, you don’t have to have any crypto tokens in your wallet, but a wallet is still necessary in order to have a place where tokens can be stored that you may earn within the game.

When you have opened an account, the next thing you need to do is create your avatar. This is a slightly longer process, not because it is complicated, but because of the large amount of various options available to you. Once you are happy with your avatar, you can move freely around the world.

The importance of blockchain

The game itself has existed since 2011, but during the first years they were based on mobile games without blockchain elements. It wasn’t until 2018 that the company dedicated itself to creating a blockchain-based game.

The importance of switching Sandbox to blockchain lies in decentralization. Specifically, players can trade with things they have created within the game and their ownership can be legally confirmed, not only in the game, but also outside it, in the real world. Proof of ownership is written on the blockchain and therefore, you do not need any other evidence, witnesses or confirmations (for example, developer confirmation) that something created in Sandbox is your property.

This is possible because every object in the game is treated as an NFT. This means that each object has its own unique and immutable blockchain identity.

Anyone can buy NFT and thus become the owner of a facility or location in Sandbox. Although Animoca Brands created this metaverse, the digital objects within the game are not their property. They have created a platform where then individual users, groups or even companies can create whatever they want and trade it.

For example, Tony Hawk recently revealed how he plans to build the largest virtual skate park in Sandbox. Various companies are also experimenting with marketing in the metaverse. So, for example, Adidas, in collaboration with Sandbox, created its branded Adidas metaverse within the game.

Types of crypto tokens found in Sandbox

In Sandbox, we distinguish six different crypto tokens. Four of them are used to create a closed ecosystem among users. These are SAND, ASSET, LAND, and GAME tokens. The remaining two tokens are GEM and CATALYST. They will be used in the VoxEdit editor when creating new objects.

SAND Token

The SAND token is used for all transactions and interactions within the game. It uses the ERC-20 standard. The SAND token can be considered the base currency of Sandbox.

ASSET token

ASSET is an NFT based on the ERC-1155 standard. It is created by users themselves in VoxEdit and is available for purchase and sale at Sandbox Marketplace. Various structures, animals, vehicles and other objects can be considered assets

LAND token

In the Sandbox metaverse, the LAND token represents a digital real estate, i.e. land on which users can place their games that they create in Game Maker and ASSETs created in VoxEdit. LAND tokens are based on the ERC-721 standard and are also considered NFTs.

GAME Token

GAME is an interactive experience that is created by combining ASSET and programming. GAME tokens in Sandbox must be combined with LAND tokens in order to be accessed. In Game Maker, users can create their own games, which then become GAME tokens based on the ERC-1155 standard. Game tokens are also considered NFTs.

Creating in Sandbox

In Sandbox, we find three tools that allow users to create: VoxEdit, Marketplace, and Game Maker.

VoxEdit

The appearance of the Sandbox is often compared to the popular Minecraft game because of its checkered appearance. The game looks like this because every object in the game is built of “voxel”. Voxel is the smallest unit from which the sandbox world is built. It is similar to a pixel, but unlike a pixel, which is two-dimensional (it is a square), the voxel is three-dimensional (it is a cube).

In Sandbox, users use the VoxEdit program to create a variety of objects and experiences by stacking voxels like legos.

Assets are characters, items, and other objects that are created in VoxEdit. Assets are based on the ERC-1155 standard, which allows users to make copies of their assets.

GEM and CATALYST tokens are tied to assets. Both are ERC-20 tokens. GEM tokens give assets certain attributes; the more attributes an asset has on it, the more valuable it is. Each GEM token gives an asset 25 attribute points. Catalyst tokens determine the level and rarity of an asset. The four levels to which assets can be attributed are Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary.  

GEM and CATALYST tokens can be assigned to an asset in VoxEdit after it has been created.

Sandbox Marketplace

Sandbox Marketplace is a digital marketplace where users can sell their digital assets that other Sandbox users can buy. In this way, it is possible to monetize your creations within the game.

Game Maker

Sandbox isn’t really a unique game, it’s a collection of a variety of games and experiences. The team that created Sandbox, left it open, allowing in the future various artists and gamers to create a variety of experiences at their liking. Within the Sandbox metaverse, these users use the Game Maker tool to create a 3D game. The plus is that no programming knowledge is required to work in Game Maker, so creating in Sandbox is available to everyone.

How smart is it to invest in Sandbox?

Because it integrates blockchain technology into the gaming world, Sandbox represents a solid investment. While in the past there have been other attempts to integrate blockchain into various games, Sandbox could be the first to succeed in fully introducing blockchain due to its focus on the complete decentralization of the economy due to which users have complete control.

Other projects use blockchain only to store in-game assets. Since users have complete control over Sandbox and its economy, it can naturally evolve and adapt at a much faster pace than various other centralized systems.

Many blockchain investors consider Sandbox to be a viable, quality investment since the SAND token is not only the currency in the game, but also a management tool that allows individuals to make critical decisions about the progress of the game itself.

What is the future of Sandbox?

Sandbox metaverzum has worked with more than 165 brands, including well-known franchises such as The Walking Dead, the Smurfs and Atari. This collaboration also includes virtual performances by musicians like Deadmau5 and Snoop Dogg. So far, Sandbox has raised $93 million, and a team of developers is working hard to expand this metaverse.

In 2022, LAND token holders who have created extremely good and significant games within Sandbox will receive special rewards within the metaverse. It is planned to launch Sandbox DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) during this year, while a mobile version and new tokens are expected at the end of the year for members of the Sandbox community.