Assassin’s Creed Unveils ‘Smart Collectibles’, MechaFightClub Settles Down and More….
Assassin’s Creed, one of Ubisoft’s most popular game franchises, has announced a series of customizable “smart collectibles” with both digital and physical components.
Set to release on May 16, the collectibles consist of a transparent 3D-printed cube with a character figure inside, along with a polygon-based NFT called a “Digital Soul” that provides proof of ownership.
Fans of the series must purchase a Digital Soul NFT, which comes in two rare tiers. From there, they can customize their character with different poses, outfits and weapons and have the final product delivered to their door.
The amount of customizations available is of course tied to the level or rarity the person buys.
The “smart” aspect of the collectibles comes via a built-in near-field communication (NFC) chip placed on the 3D cube, and an IRL companion app.
By scanning or tapping the physical collectibles, users can access the app to complete achievements and earn various “items, recipes, loot boxes” and other tools.
The collection is part of a broader project in collaboration with Integral Reality Labs that the Assassin’s Creed team describes as a “co-reality platform.”
The platform will soon have a marketplace to trade Assassin’s Creed collectibles, and it will also host the sale of the “Pieces of Eden Pass” NFTs.
The collection consists of 1,500 tokens that grant access to exclusive benefits and experiences, along with a “unique limited edition” Digital Soul NFT.
MechaFightClub is pausing operations indefinitely
Irreverent Labs’ Solana-based NFT game MechaFightClub announced on May 12 that it will be on “indefinite hiatus” due to the lack of regulatory clarity in the US
The game was supposed to revolve around NFT and AI-based fighting robot chickens, but the project has cited concerns with launching a blockchain-based in-game economy in the current regulatory climate.
As part of the shutdown process, starting May 15, MechaFightClub will begin buying back the NFTs it sold to the community for 18 Solana (SOL).
“We are an American company and lack of clarity makes it difficult for blockchain companies to operate here. In the current regulatory confusion, we simply could not create an in-game economy without concern for the regulatory consequences,” the firm stated in an announcement.
New Yuga Labs CEO buys BAYC NFT well above floor price
Yuga Labs’ new CEO Daniel Alegre has splashed 50 Ether (ETH) on Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT #3575.
The May 10 purchase equaled $90,000, well above the floor price at the time of $78,000 or 44 ETH. The move indicates a strong belief from the CEO in Yuga Lab’s big project, considering that the BAYC floor price has fallen from 75 ETH to 44.5 ETH in the last 90 days.
Alegre joined Yuga Labs on April 1 and is the former president and chief operating officer of gaming company Activision Blizzard.
As part of the announcement in April, the CEO stated that “the company’s pipeline of products, partnerships and IP represents a tremendous opportunity to define the metaverse.”
Pudgy Penguins Raises $9 Million
Just a few days after signing a Hollywood representation deal with WME, blue chip NFT project Pudgy Penguins has closed a $9 million funding round.
The round was led by early stage investment firm 1kx, with participation from Big Brain Holdings, Kronos Research and the founders of LayerZero Labs to name a few.
The funds will be used to scale the project’s intellectual property and expand the offerings within society and the ecosystem.
“We’re thrilled to be able to continue the strong momentum we’ve built over the past year, even in a bear market,” noted Pudgy Penguins head of investor relations Vi Powils, as part of a May 9 announcement.
Related: Web3 community building meets music technology at Wavelengths Summit 2023
Other good news
South Korean technology company LG Electronics has filed a patent application for its blockchain-based Smart TV that allows users to trade NFTs.
On May 10, American business magnate Elon Musk tweeted a meme made with images from the Milady NFT collection. Shortly after, the floor price of Milady NFTs increased from 3.8 Ether (ETH) to as high as 7.3 ETH before falling to 5.69 ETH apiece at the time of publication.
Blade: NFT art pioneer wants to upload her brain so she can live forever: Josie Bellini, NFT Creator
