During the COVID-19 pandemic, Metaverse emerged as a next-generation platform. Metaverse is a compound word of Meta, meaning transcendence and virtuality, and Universe, meaning universe. Due to the nature of COVID-19, everything had to be resolved non-face-to-face, so Metaverse, which allowed people to interact with others even in the virtual world, received a lot of attention.
 
However, as COVID-19 entered the endemic stage, the ‘Metaverse’ business also began to decline. Based on Google Trends data, the metaverse search volume received a lot of attention last year at 100 (the maximum is 100, the larger the number, the higher the interest), but interest dropped to a low of 18 at the beginning of this year.
 
It was thought that the heat of the ‘metaverse’ would completely die down, but recently, game companies have begun to enter related businesses one by one, attracting attention. One gaming industry official analyzed that ‘Metaverse’ would be good for expanding the limits of the existing gaming business due to its high growth and scalability for game companies, and said that Google Trends data is also recovering again, attracting the attention of users.
 
NCsoft unveiled the metaverse platform ‘Miniverse’ through a job briefing session for new employees last year. ‘Minibus’ is a social sandbox platform that allows users to communicate in 3D space, create and share desired content.
 
A ‘Miniverse’ official explained that since it has no specific purpose, it can be used freely in any direction, such as taking online classes or using it as a hobby space to watch sports games. The official then announced that they plan to help users earn profits by trading creative content.
 
NCsoft is accelerating development by recruiting additional personnel related to the ‘User Creation Metaverse Project’ in April. Looking at the contents of the announcement, it is presumed that ‘Miniverse’ will pursue high-quality 3D graphics based on Unreal Engine 5 and will also incorporate digital human (3D virtual human with a human-like form) technology.
 
An NCsoft official said, “We still have a long way to go, but we will work hard to ensure that more people can have fun together in a variety of ways in virtual space.”
 
In April, Krafton announced that it would establish a joint venture called ‘Migaloo’ for the Metaverse platform business with Naver Jet, famous for producing ‘Zepeto’.
 
'Migaloo' officials said that they will enable users to create a variety of content in the metaverse space and use blockchain and NFT (non-fungible token) technology to freely trade creative works (C2E).
 
Among them, Krafton is responsible for developing programs, creative tools, and systems, while Naver Jet is responsible for service planning and securing partnerships. ‘Migaloo’ plans to introduce the Metaverse service within the year.
 
Hyeong-cheol Park, head of Krafton Project Migaloo, said, “Through deep thought and research, we have clearly defined the core services and specific models of Metaverse.” “We will present good results as both companies with extensive experience in successful global content services have come together,” he said.
 
Last April, Netmarble also started servicing ‘Modoo Marble 2: Metaworld’, the sequel to its famous IP ‘Modoo Marble’. ‘Modoo Marble 2’ is characterized by inheriting the board game nature of the previous work and at the same time implementing 'Metaworld', an actual cadastral map-based metaverse space, within the game.
 
‘Metaworld’ was created based on actual cadastral maps of major cities such as New York and Manhattan, and users can enjoy a variety of content in this space, including land ownership, building construction, and upgrades. It also supports various avatar customization functions that can increase game immersion.
 
Netmarble also unveiled the MMO social gaming open world ‘Grand Cross: Metaworld’ on the 25th through Metaverse World, a subsidiary of Netmarble F&C.
 
‘Grand Cross: Metaworld’ is an MMO social open world game based on the Metaverse. Netmarble officials explained that they plan to showcase realistic graphics using Unreal Engine 5, and that activities linked to reality, such as interaction between users and content creation, are possible.
 
Com2uS cannot be left out either. Com2uS announced on the 1st that its subsidiary Com2Verse has started the service of ‘Space’, the first service of the metaverse ‘Com2Verse’. ‘Com2verse’ was created with the purpose of providing a real-life space where people can freely conduct most aspects of their lives, including work, economy, and play, in the digital world, beyond the limitations of space.
 
'Space', the first space of 'Com2verse', serves as the hub of the Metaverse community, allowing groups large and small with various purposes to communicate freely. Space provides a 'theme' function, a space setting service for community purposes, and currently has a total of 4 types.
 
Lee Gyeong-il, CEO of Com2verse, said, “We are happy to present the first space, and although there are many shortcomings, we plan to develop it further.” “Com2Verse is a space that strives to capture the future, and is committed to improving the usability and efficiency of all spaces.” “We have designed it to have meaning, so please look forward to the various services that will be developed in the future.”
 
Meanwhile, market research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global Metaverse market size will be $61.8 billion (approximately KRW 80 trillion) in 2022, recording an average annual growth rate of 47.2%, and $426.9 billion (approximately KRW 554 trillion) in 2027.


Source: Donga News

NPCx has raised $3 million in funding for improving motion capture for non-player characters (NPCs) in games.
 
Kakao Investment led the round to strengthen NPCx’s position within the gaming and entertainment industry and propel it to create more realistic character movements using AI-powered products.
 
St. Petersburg, Florida-based NPCx launched its flagship product in March with the debut of TrackerX. This motion capture processing tool disrupts the conventional and labor-intensive process of tracking raw 3D point cloud data, the company said. By seamlessly integrating with any optical or sensor-based motion capture system, TrackerX simplifies the workflow by directly applying the captured data onto the TrackerX character skeleton.
 
Cameron Madani, CEO of NPCx, said in a statement, “TrackerX disrupts this costly manual process that’s been around for nearly thirty years by cleaning raw motion capture with AI and proprietary biomechanical models, saving companies thousands of labor hours and significant financial resources per project.”


Source: Venture Beat

Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and inventor of Pong — one of the first commercially successful video games — has shared optimism for the future of Web3 games, particularly as it comes to bringing ownership to virtual worlds.
 
During the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum in Hong Kong on Aug. 25, Bushnell spoke alongside Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu, discussing the past, present and future of gaming. It was moderated by Sean Hung, the managing partner of Chiron Group.
 
Bushnell, whom Siu acknowledged as the “grandfather of gaming,” praised Web3 games for their ability to extend the concept of ownership into the digital landscape.
 
“Games will increasingly imitate all factors of life. Web3 with blockchain suddenly transmits ownership into the virtual world.”


Source: Cointelegraph

Amid increasing U.S. regulatory scrutiny, crypto firms are eyeing Asia’s favorable policies and growing market as a promising relocation destination.
 
As with any industry, crypto businesses tend to flock to an environment with the best resources, the most scope for growth, a thriving market of consumers, and a favorable regulatory landscape. With the recent actions of U.S. regulators, however, continuing to expand operations in the country at the risk of being hit with an enforcement action is far from an appealing prospect. Many firms would prefer to move overseas than stick around and find out.
 
But where are they moving to if they are, in fact, moving? Signs appear to point to Asia, a region of diverse countries characterized by rising income and high-value venture investments, that has made it emerge as a hub for crypto businesses. We explore how Asia’s demographics and crypto adoption rates have made it an attractive destination for web3 firms. Whether existing regulatory policies within some of these countries are actually as friendly as reports make them out to be? And, finally, how serious are firms based in the West on a move to the East?


Source: Crypto News 

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Accel Group Holdings Limited (Accel Group) have established the “PolyU-Accel Group Metaverse+ Joint Laboratory” (Joint Lab). The Joint Lab aims to foster the research and application of metaverse technology in various sectors, accelerate the ongoing development of Hong Kong as a green and smart city, strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and cultivate professional talents. The Accel Group plans to donate HK$10 million to PolyU in the next five years to support the project development and operation of the Joint Lab.
 
The kick-off ceremony was held today on the PolyU campus, officiated by Ms Lillian CHEONG, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Mr KO Lai-hung, Chairman and CEO of Accel Group; Ms Iris Ping-fan WONG, Hong Kong delegate to the National People’s Congress; Mr CHAN Han-pan, LegCo Member; Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU; Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of the Department of Computing of PolyU; together with other guests.
 
Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “To better equip students for societal needs, PolyU has taken the lead in launching new Master’s degree programmes in areas including blockchain technology, metaverse technology, and artificial intelligence and big data computing. ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics’ (AIDA) and ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ (IE) have also been incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. PolyU is committed to becoming an innovative world-class university and its contributions to blockchain technology and Web3 development have been widely recognised. The University topped the ‘Best Universities for Blockchain 2022’ list by CoinDesk, and our scholars recently won the international ZPRIZE award to recognise the breakthroughs achieved by the team in zero-knowledge crypto technology in Web3.”


Source: India Education Diary

FOMO Pay, a Singapore-based digital payment and digital banking solutions provider, has on Tuesday announced its strategic partnership with Notabene.
 
The implementation of Notabene’s end-to-end solution for global travel rule compliance enables FOMO Pay to further enhance its know-your-transaction (KYT) capabilities and highlights FOMO Pay’s commitment to compliance and customer security, FOMO Pay said in a statement.
 
In addition, through comprehensive licensing and adherence to regulatory requirements, FOMO Pay has obtained “Super VASP” status in Notabene’s virtual asset service providers (VASP) network.
 
Founded in 2015, FOMO Pay is a payment institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to conduct cross-border money transfer services, domestic money transfer services, digital payment token services and merchant acquisition services.
 
The firm has become a one-stop digital payment and digital banking solution provider, and is currently building Asia’s first licensed gateway helping institutions and businesses to connect between fiat and digital currency.
 
Notabene is a firm developed the crypto industry’s only pre-transaction decision-making platform, enabling customers to identify and stop high-risk activity before it occurs.
 
With a focus on security, privacy, and user experience, Notabene’s multi-source data and software enables real-time decision-making, counterparty sanctions screening, self-hosted wallet identification, and more.


Source: TNGlobal

DKNY pivots to Asia’s gaming community to boost its Gen-Z presence
 
In an industry where brands are furiously scrambling to stay at the top, DKNY is turning its attention to Asia’s active gaming community to regain relevancy.
 
In partnership with 3D design studio Vrtl Wrld, the brand brought its Fall ’23 collection to South Korean gaming channel Zepeto in the form of digital twin garments for avatars to wear.
 
For brands looking to engage Asia’s netizens and capitalize on the region’s active gaming community, establishing a presence in spaces like South Korean channel Zepeto is a low-hanging fruit that shouldn’t be underestimated.
 
With DKNY losing its spark over the past decade, showcasing its Fall ‘23 collection to Zepeto’s 15 million to 20 million active monthly users puts it on the radar of a new group of consumers.


Source: Zing Daily

Scientists and researchers from Nanyang Technical University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have embarked on a mission to create a pair of smart contacts powered by human tears. The prototypical augmented reality (AR) contact lenses will offer real-time, heads-up display (HUD) information to users.
 
Powered with the tears of their wearers, the devices will incorporate slim, flexible battery technologies “as thin as a human cornea,” according to research.
 
Saline sources will power the device and generate electricity for storage in the flexible battery system, the university research paper ‘A tear-based battery charged by biofuel for smart contact lenses’ explained. Along with external chargers, the saline-powered charging system will allow users to extend the battery life for around four hours each 12-hour cycle.
 
South Korea’s Flexible Battery Technology
 
The developments come as South Korea aims to conquer the flexible battery market with novel research and development (R&D) pursuits.
 
For example, South Korean startup LiBEST teamed up with robotics firm Mand.ro, leading to a flexible battery system. The joint venture debuted an Exo-Sensor and Exo-Skeleton Gloves for haptic-based control systems. Using the new battery system, LiBEST could create prosthetic arms with ultra-small motors and gears to control the device. International researchers also helped to improve the battery’s durability for metaverse device use.
​

Source: XR Today

Aptos has announced that it has partnered with Lotte Group with the objective of supporting the Group’s venture in the Web3 sphere. The partnership centers around helping the Korean venture’s Daehong Communications leave a mark in the said field. Aptos has been chosen for its ability to provide much-needed support to the reward system.
 
Lotte Group is a conglomerate that is based in Korea. Web3 is an emerging ecosystem whose embrace can be delayed but not ignored. Korea Group is taking a step to make the most of it while still in the initial phase. Aptos is tasked with helping Lotte Group’s Daehong Communications test its marketing tools for the community.
 
Bellyland Universe is the premise on which the partnership resides. Together, they will support the reward system on Aptos mainnet, making sure that players are left only with an enhanced and rewarding experience at the end. The reward system is known as Super Jelly. Aptos comes into the picture with the intention of supporting its backend technology.
 
The reward can be earned by players only by completing Jelly Adventures. Other ways to earn Super Jelly are completing missions within the universe and playing as many games as possible.


Source: CryptoNewsZ

Odaily interviewed Seihaku Yoshida, the founder of HashPort Group. In the interview, Seihaku Yoshida discussed HashPort's development history and the status quo of the Japanese blockchain gaming market. He also provided detailed insights into HashPort’s upcoming product. Let's explore the details following this interview and unveil the mystery of the Japanese market.
 

Odaily: Could you please introduce yourself and the development history of HashPort Group, Mr Yoshida?
 
Seihaku Yoshida: I founded HashPort in 2018 and have been working in the blockchain field ever since. The expansion of the blockchain industry left a strong impression on me, and I began to believe that blockchain would spread globally just like the internet. Currently, HashPort provides digital platform services including our Web3 wallet platform and SoulBound Token. We also provide Web3 technology services to clients in traditional industries such as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Toyota.
 
In March 2020, HashPort established HashPalette as a subsidiary focusing on Layer1 blockchains. In collaboration with Coincheck, the company issued Japan's first IEO audited by the Japanese Financial Services Agency, with a total issue of about 900 million yen, attracting subscriptions of about 22.4 billion yen. Palette Token (PLT), the native token of "Palette Chain”, a Layer1 blockchain network, was listed on five Japanese exchanges, including Coincheck and Bitflyer and its price has never dropped below its IEO price. Meanwhile, HashPalette also operates one of Japan's largest NFT trading platforms, "PLT Place," with 370,000 registered users and an in-house studio team dedicated to developing X to Earn products.
 
​
Odaily: Could you briefly introduce "THE LAND"?
 
Seihaku Yoshida: Speaking of "THE LAND," we are challenged to create a "Play-to-Earn" Metaverse game that complies with Japanese regulations. Our design concept is a "Metaverse with Destination" centered around three specific elements: farming, social interaction, and creation, aiming for a deeper and unique gaming experience.


Source: Globe Newswire