Trybbles: Blockchain-Enabled AR Pets
The title of this proposal only describes half our vision. Our plan is to build a traditional story-driven gaming experience, coupled with a companion blockchain-enabled AR virtual pet dapp.
The focus of the first stage of production, which is the scope of this proposal, is the world-building and prototyping stage and recruiting the right team of world-class talent to do so.
Ultimately out of this we envision 2 games being born, each one with a very distinct role and mechanics. Both drawing from, and building upon the same fictional universe but constructed in a way that enables them to enrich and complement each other.
Why We See This as Being a Necessity:
The objective of this Catalyst challenge is to onboard mainstream gamers onto the blockchain and expose them to the advantages and the plethora of new things that DLT can enable in gaming.
However, there is a, relatively unaddressed, obstacle to achieving this goal, namely that, for a variety of reasons, a large percentage of mainstream gamers and game developers are reluctant or actively opposed to blockchain technology.
The most notable of these reasons are:
A belief that everything that is connected to blockchain, cryptocurrencies & NFTs are pyramid schemes or scams.
That the majority of art minted as NFTs is “stolen” and as a result, all NFTs and blockchain should be discounted (one of many examples: <https://twitter.com/NFTtheft> )
And/or that blockchain is doing irreversible damage to the environment. <https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22328203/nft-cryptoart-ethereum-blockchain-climate-change>
These are compounded by the fact that demand for GPUs by PoW crypto mining operations has had a severe impact on the PC gaming hardware market over the last several years (during the latest two crypto market rallies), leaving many gamers feeling disgruntled because of the negative effects they personally experienced (ie being unable to engage in their favorite pastime or having to pay considerably more to do so).
Information and education are ineffective when those it is intended for are not willing to expose themselves to it and are unshakeable in their beliefs, however misinformed or under-informed they may be.
The thing to keep in mind is that for the most part, especially when it comes to game developers, they are all very educated & capable people, who believe they are correctly educated on this topic.
That’s why we observe that this problem can not be tackled head-on - by simply building and shipping a blockchain game and trying to market it to a mainstream audience directly. If the game is really high quality that may work to some extent, but it will be far less effective due to the challenges we described above.
It’s also worth looking into a recent decision of one of the biggest players in the industry, Steam (the world’s largest digital gaming distribution platform for PCs, operated by the Valve Corporation) which seems to have cemented, at least for now, the anti-blockchain and anti-NFT stance.
<https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/steam-is-removing-nft-games-from-the-platform-3071694>
The official reasoning given for this decision is that the platform doesn’t allow things with “monetary value” in games, which NFTs were deemed to represent. This may have some validity to it, as a few years back, before NFTs, they got sued for enabling gambling on their platform and since then they haven’t officially allowed outside trading of in-game items. Yet the market for in-game digital items is booming.
Even if this time it isn’t a crusade against blockchain and NFTs, it’s certainly a good PR move on their part given the general stance of their customer base.
The adage of “build it and they will come” will almost certainly not work in this context and we need to approach the challenge differently.
Our Solution:
What better incentive is there for the human mind to try out new things than wanting to experience a captivating world and an immersive story?
To achieve this, and bridge the divide between mainstream gaming audiences and blockchain-enabled, NFT incorporating or based games, we plan on producing and releasing two separate titles.
1. A story-based game for PC/console to introduce & establish the world, characters, and lore.
2. A virtual pet AR experience that will be the main blockchain event and the primary way of interacting with the NFTs.
We plan to make the AR app a free download on all major platforms.
The free version will feature a virtual pet with a few basic traits to choose from. All basic functionality will also be available at no cost.
However, connecting your Trybbles NFT holding Cardano wallet to it will grant the player with new functionality and cosmetic options (skins) for his pet bot, based on the traits of the NFT(s) he/she is holding.
We aim to move beyond breeding and fighting, which seem to be the current focus and limit of blockchain games. These were good starting points but there is a whole universe of other, yet unexplored, game mechanics that can be adapted and enriched by DLT.
We view the AR experience as seamlessly interwoven with our main storyline.
For example: In our main storyline Trybbles are robotic pets built as caretakers and companions to the one-man crew of deep space exploration vessels.
The AR experience would be presented as a virtual replica of the robotic pets, designed specifically to allow Earthborn children to experience their companionship and to gather data that would be fed in the neural networks of the bot.
To accomplish this, the AR Trybbles we are aiming to create will have to give the impression of a living being that has a will and life of its own, that goes on beyond the active interaction session. One way we are planning to achieve this is by constructing a set of refined, subtle, and adaptable animations.
We plan on developing the games in Unreal Engine, as it’s a game engine that we have experience with, produces incredibly high-quality results, and has a vast ecosystem of resources and support material.
When it comes to the story-driven experience, a few games to serve as a reference for the general look, feel and gameplay of what we would be going for, are:
The Turing Test (2016) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turing_Test_(video_game)
The Talos Principle (2014) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Talos_Principle
Firewatch (2016) - <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewatch>
Transference (2018) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transference_(video_game)
Scope:
Our aim with this Catalyst proposal is to build a solid foundation for our medium and long-term vision for the project.
The most fundamental component of this is recruiting the right team for the job.
Once that is achieved our efforts will turn to world-building and game prototyping for the next few months, with a focus on three main pillars:
1. Completing and adapting the world-building and character development - writing & concept art
2. Game mechanics prototyping
3. Tokenomics & NFT distribution models
During the first 18 months, we had previously worked on the project (2009-2010) we have completed much of the backstory and have written an extensive script for what was to be a AAA quality adventure game. A wide range of concept art was also created to support the world (see the attached images for examples). In fact, the NFT series that we have released this year is based on that concept art.
However, the work needs to be adapted to fit the new direction in which we intend to take the project.
As part of this effort we are also looking at ways the player/user might generate new NFTs, for now, potential directions we are exploring are based on upgrading through gameplay and/or collecting.
The purpose of this Catalyst proposal is not only to hopefully secure the funds needed to lay the foundations of a potentially successful fictional universe, but also to serve as a way of introducing our project to a wider audience and to perhaps serve as a launchpad for further funding opportunities. All that while also being a great way of gathering constructive feedback.
We intend to use the Catalyst process and funds to validate the project and to build solid foundations that will allow us to freely experiment and iterate, and ultimately deliver the best results.
Although developing code is not planned for Phase 1 of the project, the scope of this proposal, we plan to open-source any blockchain-related technology we later develop - i.e. the smart contracts and other components our NFT based experience will rely on.
Why Trybbles?
Trybbles already has a proven track record of popularity, with over 4000 NFTs minted by the community since the launch of the project this summer. We have a relatively large organic following on Twitter & a Discord community of members actively invested in the project.
Approach
On the blockchain infrastructure, we have the ability to create a new paradigm of digital interactions, one based on provable, trackable ownership & contributions, and start laying a small part of the foundations of what can become a future open and inclusive metaverse.
But while doing so we also have the opportunity to reevaluate and rebuild how our legacy social constructs function, particularly those related to corporate governance, equitable compensation, and the relationships between the entities in an organization.
We plan to experiment with new approaches, both in our relationship with our community and our potential future team.
For our community, we have already introduced the Trybbles Club based on NFT Key, a Cardano NFT authenticator service that grants special access to holders of Trybbles NFTs, and we see multiple ways in which this could evolve in the future.
While assembling the team to work on this project we will look for teammates, not employees, and seek to compensate them fairly and equitably according to their realistic desires, not their needs. Humans should be treated as more than self-replicating workers. Humans are not a resource to be extracted. (HR)
We will do so not only for efficiency’s sake, as we have discovered through experience that a hierarchically flat and an equitable setting leads to increased productivity and overall better outcomes in a creative setting (where the production of a creative product is the end-goal), but hopefully also to set an example to be followed in the transition to a new social and digital paradigm.
What’s the importance of DLTs if we use them just to replicate current economic models? Should we just adapt the practices of the status-quo, where creatives are paid exploitative rates by studios with a model where creatives are paid exploitative rates by blockchain communities while others profit?
Why are we dedicating ourselves to Catalyst, is it simply for technological reasons?
It is likely that we will continue to develop the Trybbles universe for the foreseeable future in some form with or without Catalyst funding, however being funded would enable us to dramatically scale up our efforts, at a much faster pace and move the project into the development of interactive entertainment products built on top of the Cardano blockchain.
Conclusion
The incredibly positive impacts of gaming on blockchain adoption and usage are well documented. Without going into a very detailed analysis of the subject, we would like to point out that Axie Infinity, currently the most popular blockchain game in the world, has been responsible several times for the highest volume of transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.
We will add that we view Axie Infinity as a great showcase of what is technically possible when combining blockchain and gaming, but not so much as a truly fleshed-out game in itself. It’s not a product that would attract an audience in the mainstream gaming community, simply based on its merits as a game, without the promise of large amounts of money that can be earned playing it.
We have also written a Twitter thread on this subject, please see for reference.
<https://twitter.com/newmindflow/status/1454376147203002369>
A game that features NFTs needs to be, first and foremost a fun and engaging experience. NFTs should be treated as "infrastructure" elements, that enable new game mechanics and not be treated as the main focus of the game. That's why what's currently on the market, even the most popular titles, feel more like showcases for NFTs, rather than actual games.
Note: Throughout this proposal, and in general, we will avoid using the term “metaverse”, as currently it’s misunderstood & misused. Building the foundations of, and fighting for an open metaverse, accessible to all, is embedded in our mission, however in most cases today, the term is simply used as a hype inducer, not as an actual descriptive or useful word. The metaverse will be the totality of all digital experiences seamlessly integrated into one continuous flow and does not characterize a product, set of products, or a company. To say something along the lines of “we are building our metaverse” is simply dumb and/or dishonest. (It would be like saying “I’m building my own universe” when starting the construction of a house - sure it’s a nice metaphor, but it would be almost certainly interpreted as such, which is not the case here.)
Otherwise, we’re just calling games & digital experiences “metaverse(s)” for the sole purpose of hyping them.
The biggest risks we identify at this stage are difficulties in finding and recruiting the right people for the team.
Given that recruitment of highly skilled individuals is a fluid, dynamic process, based on circumstance, chance, and a large number of unquantifiable variables it is nearly impossible to make an exact, honest estimate.
The worst-case scenario that could come about as a result of this risk is a delay in the project timeline, but we don’t see that as ultimately jeopardizing the project's success. In short, our approach to this will be to take our time if needed and completely eliminate the risk of the emergence of the “bozo effect” later on.
The time we allocated for this process is 3 months. We feel that, currently, it represents a good average between the shortest and the longest timeframe required to complete this step.