Neal Stephenson, the creator who coined the time period “metaverse” in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash,” is debuting a brand new metaverse venture known as Artefact. It’s a collaboration between the blockchain platform he co-founded, Lamina1, and Wētā Workshop, the particular results firm behind motion pictures like “Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar.”
The brand new venture goals to develop mental property (IP) for a blockchain-powered metaverse, in response to a launch shared with Decrypt. Lamina1, which Stephenson co-founded with Peter Vessenes, launched in 2022 to help digital content material creators.
The platform has gained 65,000 lively customers since its mainnet launch in Might 2024, indicating a rising curiosity in decentralized platforms for creator-driven content material. Per the announcement, “Artefact” will function the platform’s flagship venture, leveraging Stephenson’s literary works as the inspiration for the “Artefact” metaverse.
“By collaborating with Wētā Workshop, we’re forging a brand new path in digital worldbuilding. Lamina1’s dedication to a creator-driven economic system and open metaverse supplies a basis that ensures long-term worth and inventive high quality,” Stephenson stated within the press launch.
After the venture’s launch this fall, Stephenson and the Wētā group will invite creators and followers to take part on the Lamina1 platform. Customers will discover a set of “Artefacts” related to themes from Stephenson’s books, probably contributing to the enlargement of this digital universe.
This method goals to blur the road between customers and creators within the metaverse, providing customers extra involvement within the inventive course of than conventional IP growth fashions. The platform additionally plans to incorporate options comparable to digital merchandise possession, questing mechanics, co-creation alternatives, and synthetic intelligence-powered device integration.
Rebecca Barkin, CEO of Lamina1, promised that the partnership will exhibit how decentralized networks can ship inventive content material within the metaverse whereas giving creators and communities extra management and higher financial alternatives.
The report follows fast-food behemoth McDonald’s Singapore launching its model of the metaverse in early June. The metaverse world in query is named “My Pleased Place” and was developed in collaboration with Bandwagon Labs—and individuals who personal official Grimace NFTs launched in 2023 get particular perks within the digital locale.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
