The metaverse is an exciting concept that has the potential to change how we live our daily lives, but there has been a surprising amount of hesitance to embrace this new digital paradigm. Apps like FlickPlay are leading the charge to redefine how the public interacts with the metaverse, serving as a proverbial bridge between the real world and the virtual one, making this new frontier more accessible for a broader range of people.
One of the main ways in which companies are bridging this gap is through the integration of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Although there was initial hesitance to adopt NFTs, they have experienced meteoric growth, largely thanks to the social status that comes along with them. People love the feeling of exclusivity that comes with owning something valuable and expensive, especially when there are high-profile and celebrity adopters of those same trends. While the price tags of many NFTs have certainly lent themselves an aspect of exclusivity, many have questioned the value of that expense — until now.
Offering status through utility
Recent trends have seen NFTs giving the holder something of actual value, effectively turning them into users rather than merely holders. With added utilities from anything as simple as a membership card to an exclusive bar, to something more complex as being integrable in video games as a player’s avatar, people are looking for that extra incentive to purchase an NFT.
Indeed, the new name of the game in the NFT space is connecting the real world with the virtual one. Consumers are no longer satisfied with a mere string of code associated with a JPEG image; instead, they want a feeling of genuine ownership that rarely coincides with digital-only assets.
“Human beings have an innate appetite to possess and own things,” says Santiago Merino, FlickPlay’s Growth Marketing Manager. “The digital world could not have fully satiated this desire until these new developments in technology.”
Bridging the gap between the real and virtual worlds
FlickPlay is an app that allows users to bring their digital collectibles to life. Users can capture their “Flicks,” then rent, sell, create videos with, and share them. All of these processes contribute to the increased value of the asset, as the more ways that people have to use their digital collectibles, the more desirable — and therefore valuable — they become.
FlickPlay implements augmented reality, or AR, technology to achieve this effect, bridging the gap between the real and virtual worlds. Now, users are not only looking for a more immersive and interactive experience, but demanding it.
“With FlickPlay, owning NFTs becomes a more tangible experience,” says Merino. “The creation of simulated virtual spaces, generating an immersive and — in many cases — multisensory experience, is a trend that is here to stay.”
One of the main perks of FlickPlay’s system is that users don’t need to have a digital wallet to be able to receive their virtual collectibles. Learning how to use an Ethereum-based digital wallet is one of the leading detractors for the general public to embrace the NFT craze. Although convincing the general public to embrace and learn new and innovative technology is challenging, Merino mentions that using FlickPlay is not unlike using any other consumer app.
FlickPlay has already launched their genesis collection of NFTs, FlickyGang, now available for purchase on OpenSea. These NFTs come with the ability to make videos with them in the FlickPlay app and allow users to access certain real-world utilities tied directly to their traits. They are also currently in the process of developing the FlickCoin, a utility token that will power the FlickPlay ecosystem.
Forming an NFT community
All of these developments are in service of creating a community around NFTs, a pivotal factor in any NFT project’s success. “FlickPlay’s success is based on the fundamental sources of status for humans in the real world: community, popularity, and ownership,” explains Merino.
The metaverse revolution will not happen with one person — it will take building a community to foster innovation and connection. This, arguably, is the first step necessary to bring the world of NFTs to the masses who are generally curious about what NFTs can offer them, but are hesitant to embrace the trend without something more tangible to come along with them.
By allowing users to create an experience out of owning their NFT and connecting them with other like-minded NFT owners, apps like FlickPlay are paving the way for a future that is more deeply integrated with the emerging metaverse.