The Sandbox is an Ethereum-based gaming system that allows players to design a virtual world where they can create, play, and monetize their gaming components without any central authority. It consists of a group of products that allows users to create objects (non-fungible tokens, or NFTs). They can upload and sell these ASSETS in the Marketplace and can use them to play virtual games using The Sandbox Game Maker.
The platform activities are governed and supported by the native token, SAND, that has multiple utilities inside The Sandbox ecosystem. SAND token holders can participate in governance activities via a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). They can also delegate their voting rights to other users.
By utilizing the core capabilities of blockchain technology, The Sandbox aims to gather the attention of game lovers from both crypto and non-crypto user groups. The platform objects/assets created by the players will be non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will help in maintaining the uniqueness, immutability, and ownership rights of the creator. Players are also rewarded in SAND tokens for participating in gaming activities.
A User-Generated Content Ecosystem
For better user-generated content (UGC) production, The Sandbox ecosystem has integrated the following three products together:
- VoxEdit
- Marketplace
- Game Maker
VOXEDIT: Voxedit is a 3D modeling package that allows the users to create and animate 3D objects such as people, animals, foliage, and tools.
MARKETPLACE: As the name implies, The Sandbox Marketplace will allow the users to upload, publish, and sell their objects (ASSETS) that they have created in VoxEdit as tokens (both ERC-721 and ERC-1155 tokens).
GAME MAKER: The Game Maker is the third product in The Sandbox ecosystem. Game Maker is used to both create games and to play available games. This product can be launched in Game Maker mode that will allow users to place their objects in their respective LAND (an ERC-721 token) that they have created in the virtual world. As we have mentioned earlier, users can create these objects either using VoxEdit or they can purchase them from other users. To set up a holistic gaming environment, users can program their ASSETS through visual scripting nodes. They can accessorize their LAND and objects for different gaming experiences.
SAND
SAND is an ERC-20 token, and it acts as a core component that offers multiple functionalities within The Sandbox. The token has the following utilities within The Sandbox environment:
- Platform Usage – Different actors in The Sandbox games can use the SAND token for multiple purposes. Players can use their SAND token to play games, as well as buy objects or accessories for their Avatar. They can collect SAND by playing games. Creators use SAND to acquire ASSETS, LANDS, and through staking. Artists use the SAND token to upload their ASSETS in The Sandbox Marketplace and can buy Gems that will add a new element of dimension to make the product rare and unique.
- Governance – SAND holders can participate in governance activities. They can either vote themselves or delegate their voting rights to other players.
- Staking – SAND allows for staking, which allows for passive revenues on LANDS; you get more SAND by staking it. This is also the only way to get valuable Gems and Catalysts, needed for asset creation.
- Fee capture model – Out of the total transaction fee paid in SAND tokens, 2.5 % is allocated to the staking pool as rewards and another 2.5% is allocated to the Foundation.
- Foundation – The Foundation provides monetary support to different entities involved in The Sandbox ecosystem. It offers incentives for high-quality game and content production. Till now, the Foundation has funded over 15 game projects and granted 100 artists to produce NFTs.
Use Case of SAND
LAND and the LANDS Map
LANDS are also virtual tokens (using the ERC-721 standard for NFTs). These are the physical spaces in The Sandbox Metaverse that players can own and use in-game. Players can play games on their LAND or they can rent it to other players.
The Sandbox Metaverse is based on a map of 166,464 LANDS (408*408). Each LAND has a set of predefined terrains that can be modified by the owner. The Sandbox is planning to embed features that will enable players to combine LANDS together to form ESTATES, and the ESTATES will be owned by multiple players to form DISTRICTS.
The Sandbox map consists of two different types of virtual real estate:
- LAND – It is the basic unit available on The Sandbox map. Each LAND has a dimension of 96×96 meters.
- ESTATE – Combination of multiple LANDS.
These LANDs can be purchased using only SAND tokens. Users are required to hold a sufficient amount of $SAND and $ETH (pay gas charges) tokens in their The Sandbox account to purchase a LAND.
Avatar
The AVATAR is the voxel representation of a player in a game, and it comes with some predefined animations such as walking, running, jumping, and fighting. Each avatar has certain defined characteristics but can be modified by its owner. The avatar can be modified by adding different compatible ASSET tokens such as helmets, arms, torso, legs, etc.
Benefits of Blockchain Gaming With NFTs
The Sandbox uses blockchain technology and NFTs to provide special authority to the game players. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are unique digital items, and hence, they cannot be interchanged with other objects.
Due to the use of NFTs, The Sandbox is offering the following benefits to the game players as compared to the current non-blockchain based systems:
- Ownership – Blockchain provides ownership rights to the player who owns assets. Each asset is tokenized, and an asset’s owner can freely decide how and when they want to trade their assets. The ownership rights will still remain with the asset’s owner even if the game got terminated.
- Security and Immutability – Powered by blockchain technology, the NFT gaming assets are secured and immutable. Each asset can be tokenized and traded in the crypto marketplace with security as opposed to the non-crypto game where scarcer items are prone to fraud or theft.
- Trading – Blockchain gaming platforms allow the users to have complete control over their gaming assets like any other crypto tokens. Users can trade these assets freely without any concern.
- Interoperability – Game items like ASSETS, avatars, LANDS, etc. will not be restricted and can be shared across other games that will allow their usage.
Different Tokens in the Sandbox Gaming Environment
The Sandbox gaming environment will be divided into 5 types of tokens:
- SAND – Game currency, used across the system.
- LANDS – Virtual worlds used to organize games.
- ASSETS – 3D voxel models created by players/users and can be listed and traded in The SandBox Marketplace.
- GEMS – ERC-20 tokens, burnt to define attributes to the ASSETS. Attributes add characteristics to the ASSETS, i.e., the more attributes an ASSET has, the more value it will hold. An ASSET can have 25 attribute points using one Gem. Users can add more attribute points to the ASSETS by adding Catalyst, and at max, they can add 100 attribute points if they choose Legendary Catalyst that allows four Gem sockets. Below are the possible attributes that you can add:
CATALYSTS – ERC-20 tokens, burnt to define an ASSET’s tier and scarcity that will be displayed on the Marketplace. Catalysts append blank sockets to the NFTs that can be filled with Gems. The power of the Catalyst defines the number of sockets that an ASSET can embed.
Catalysts have four different tiers:
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- Common Catalyst: 1 Gem socket, up to 25 Attributes, and 20,000 copies of the ASSET.
- Rare Catalyst: 2 Gem sockets, up to 50 Attributes, and 4,000 copies of the ASSET.
- Epic Catalyst: 3 Gem sockets, up to 75 Attributes, and 1500 copies of the ASSET.
- Legendary Catalyst: 4 Gem sockets, up to 100 Attributes, and 200 copies of the ASSET.
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