These interactive NFT projects are the wave of the future
At this current stage of maturation in the NFT space, static JPEGs just don’t cut it anymore. While generative PFP projects or even simplified text-based collections may have dominated the markets of the past, today utility and experience are the name of the game.
This is exactly why interactive NFTs are slowly but surely increasing. Unlike tokenized mini-games, where users play to score points or achieve a goal, interactive NFTs offer a more effortless experience and ensure a quick type of user enjoyment rather than complex tasks and rewards. What could be better in a room that moves a mile a minute?
Despite the ever-changing landscape of Web3 community engagement, interactive NFTs both new and old have remained a unique facet of the metaverse. Here’s a look at some of the most prominent interactive NFT collections out there.
The Dudes
You guys!
It’s been 3 weeks since I released the original “the dudes”.
They are the first interactive avatar NFT. They were generated while being minted. You generated the DNAs randomly.
Even as the creator, I had no idea what the final series would look like. pic.twitter.com/kc078EoovB
— int art (@intartNFT) 18 August 2021
First and foremost, there are the boys. Originally released in August 2021, this blast from the past is the most notable collection to come from the int art NFT platform. With 512 dudes, every NFT in the collection can be interacted with directly by clicking or dragging a cursor over the art.
As possibly the first interactive PFP NFTs ever released, the boys’ claim to fame is that, although ostensibly illustrated, every part of the project is made entirely from code. “No designer worked on this. No one has actually drawn these. It’s just some code that generates random ugly dudes,” the int art website says.
Of the countless generative avatar collections that have been released over the years, few have brought unique art to the table quite like the boys. In addition, int art launched subsequent interactive collections such as pixels inc and int art factory, each of which calls back to the boys’ innovative nature.
Digital painting
GM ✨🎨🖌️🔊 Digital Paint is interactive and generative pic.twitter.com/3kHk4bC0fs
— Jen Stark (@Jen_Stark) 31 January 2023
Created by a famous multi-faceted artist Jen Stark, Digital Paint, launched in February 2023, is a first-of-its-kind blockchain art project featuring dynamic, evolving and interactive NFTs. Made possible by Chainsaw and CutModCentering around tractability, Digital Paint offers collectors an affordable entry into Stark’s coveted and ever-expanding NFT ecosystem.
By owning a Digital Paint token, holders are empowered to enhance their NFTs at will, using sound-activating brush strokes, unique brush shapes, psychedelic palettes and undulating patterns in the process. The whole project feels like a callback to the childhood wonder and creativity users might have experienced when they first stumbled upon Microsoft Paint in the 80s and 90s.
Pixel spirit
Pixelgeist is a dynamic, generative portrait collection created by prominent AI collaborative artists Claire Silver and powered by RSTLSS, a Charlie Cohen-founded company focused on powering next-generation wearables for the Web3. With 2,136 NFTs, Pixelgeist was released in May 2023 and is billed as “a fusion of technology, fashion and art that brings captured AI souls to life.”
Exclusive to the RSTLSS platform, each NFT in the collection consists of interactive artwork, a garment with the artwork, and a game-ready avatar wearing the garment. The extensive collection features 183 pieces created by Silver, with editions ranging from 1/1, 1/3, 1/6, 1/9 to 1/17, all speaking to a narrative of AI souls captured in a portrait.
Starbucks Odyssey
Launching in December 2022, Starbucks Odyssey is an in-chain consumer rewards program created by Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks. The program is described as “an experience, surrounded by a digital community, where members can come together, interact and share their love of coffee.”
Using “meaningful elements” of Web3 technology, Starbucks aims to reward members in innovative ways, including its own digital collectible stamps (NFTs). These stamps act as an entry ticket to the “alluring world of coffee” and unique interactive experiences called Journeys.
By using an NFT to participate in Journeys, members can access a variety of activities to earn exclusive Stamp NFTs and Odyssey Points that can be used to unlock access to further benefits and experiences. Not only is Starbucks Odyssey one of the most comprehensive Web3 brand activations we’ve seen to date, but it’s a unique player in the interactive NFT market.
Pass now
What makes the Now Pass artwork so special? 🎨@mattmedved it broke down underneath @NFTLALive.
Join the community 👉 pic.twitter.com/URHw8AbRyh
— NowPass.eth 🌐 (@thenowpass) 17 April 2023
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include Now Pass on this list. A pool of 2,750 ERC721A tokens, Now Pass, was released on the Ethereum blockchain in March 2023 by the N3 Foundation. This access card not only provides a wealth of current and future benefits to holders, but also a unique interactive experience.
The generative art NFTs that make up the Now Pass collection are each a product created by nft now’s CTO and Creative Director Aaron Baker (aka nostalgic). The artwork pays homage to the generative art movement through its design and development, having been procedurally generated through a custom application.
As visual representations of the “signal in the noise”, each piece contains features of varying rarity and unique attributes that affect its shape, color palette and noise density. As a fully interactive experience, users can freely change the properties of a Now Pass, unlocking secret visual modes along the way.
