Deep Dive into Meta Toy DragonZ
Exclusive Interview with Sandbox Network Team
TL;DR
South Korean creator entertainment company, Sandbox Network, unveils "Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA" - a game that emphasizes fun gameplay while making blockchain interactions easy for users to understand and engage with.
Capitalizing on the innovation within Sandbox Network and learning from their past game, "Meta Toy City", this venture is ready to play a major role in shaping the success of "Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA".
"Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA" seeks to establish a new standard in the field of future blockchain gaming, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem and highlighting the possibilities of next-generation gaming.
The blockchain gaming sector has seen significant growth in just a few years. However, with the recent bear market it has fallen into a recession like any other sector. Many games have failed to create a sustainable ecosystem, with the majority focusing only on the 'Earn' element of P2E and disregarding the quality of the actual gameplay. As a result, many blockchain games failed to attract a steady stream of users and often disappeared without any significant achievements.
Sandbox Network, the developer of Korea's flagship Web 3.0 project, ‘Meta Toy DragonZ’, recently announced the release of its new game, ‘Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA’. Sandbox Network completed a successful CBT in July with a great response from users. On July 2nd, they also announced a collaboration with Immutable.
In this interview, we take an in-depth look at the process and vision that led to the creation of Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA. Does the game have the potential to overcome this market and usher in a new era of blockchain gaming? Despite uncertainty of the blockchain gaming scene, Sandbox Network remains proactive in achieving its goals.
Two birds with one stone
Sandbox Network's "Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA" is a casual mobile collectible RPG game where players collect and raise over 300 toy dragons. Players' in-game activities are closely linked to NFTs or tokens, and are also connected to other NFT projects in the Sandbox Network ecosystem that have already been published.
“Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA” follows the basic structure of a traditional collectible RPG, while delicately incorporating innovative elements of blockchain technology. The core of the game is still centered on the fun and enjoyment of traditional RPGs, which account for about 80% of the total game elements. Blockchain-related elements, on the other hand, make up only 20% of the game. They are delicately integrated into the overall game structure, including a token exchange in a separate dApp and its own NFT interchain bridge. This structure provides a familiar yet new and exciting experience for all players. Through the combination of familiar gameplay and innovative blockchain technology, “Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA” offers a different kind of gaming experience compared to existing blockchain games that simply focus on 'Earn'.
80% of focus is on good gameplay experience
The reason why most blockchain games fail is because the game itself is not fun. Sandbox Network commented: "We've researched a lot of blockchain games, and we think it's important to stay true to the essence of a fun game.”
A casual collectible RPG game needs to be lightweight but diverse, so it's important to find the right balance between these two conflicting elements. "Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA" actively introduces elements from games that existing players are familiar with, while ensuring the fun of collecting by designing more than 300 toy dragons with different characteristics. The game also offers PVP, PVE, and other fun elements such as a variety of items and pets, so that the fun of RPGs is not lost.
Tiger Research analysts also participated in the CBT and actually played the game, and we were impressed with the variety of content compared to other blockchain games. The game was fun and easy to play, especially since the quests are well laid out. According to Sandbox Network, CBT participants had a satisfaction rate of 4.2 out of 5. The retention rate was also high, with nearly 70% of users still playing a day after after their installation date. The game was also highly immersive. The average play time exceeded 3 hours, indicating that players were very satisfied with the game itself.
20% is adding connectivity to the blockchain
"Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA" structured blockchain technology as a separate element outside the game, considering both everyday and blockchain-savvy gamers. Everyday gamers can enjoy the game without complicated blockchain elements, while crypto-savvy players can use a separate dApp for token exchange and staking. However, Sandbox Network commented that it designed plenty of incentives for inexperienced players to approach the on-chain elements of the game. They can exchange in-game currency, 'Magnet Blocks', for its native on-chain token ($METOD), or to create items.
”Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA” utilizes an 80-20 structure to provide players with both in-game fun and on-chain value. It combines the full value of digital assets with the transparency of the blockchain, and creates a unique combination of gameplay and real-world connectivity. If successful, the game is expected to become a leading example of sustainable blockchain games.
What are things only Sandbox Network can do?
Technically, Sandbox Network is not a AAA game studio. However, the company has its own unique strengths, and we believe that those strengths lead to a very polished result, “Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA”.
Relationships with creators
Sandbox Network said that it has been able to create a better product by consistently receiving quality feedback from its creators and being flexible enough to act on it in swiftly. The majority of Sandbox Network's creators specialize in professional gaming, especially in casual games like Minecraft and Roblox. Their higher understanding of casual games, even higher than the creators of “Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA”, has significantly contributed to a better output. In addition, the virality of a product is important regardless of the field. Since creators can not only give relevant feedback but also be expected to produce content with the game, we believe that this is a competitive advantage that other game companies cannot match.
Web3 Adoption know-how
Sandbox Network says their previous game “Meta Toy City” was a lesson learned. "Meta Toy City" is a casual mobile MMORPG with NFT elements that is already showing respectable numbers. Through its operation, Sandbox Network has been able to see how blockchain games work and the patterns of its users. They were able to gain confidence that Korean content can scale internationally without feeling foreign to global users. In the blockchain game market, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Such experience is priceless, as small successes are sure to lead to achieve big results.
Conclusion
There are still many challenges and risks in the uncertain blockchain gaming market. Political risk and monopolistic market control are just a couple of examples. Nevertheless, Sandbox Network sees that these risks have made a blue ocean that hasn't been entered by large game companies, and is confident that this is an opportunity to set a new precedent in the market.
Until now, many blockchain games have attempted to find the sweet spot between the enjoyment of traditional games and the new elements of blockchain games. We believe that “Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA” has found that sweet spot through an incredible amount of effort. These results can provide the starting point for mass adoption, the only solution that can bring an end to blockchain’s current predicament. By improving their game further from global feedback obtained by their CBT, we believe that Sandbox Network will be able to release a game that can create a new wave in the blockchain game market.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or other advice. It is not a recommendation or endorsement of any investment in any particular asset, and you are cautioned not to make any investment or other decisions based solely on the content of this article.