Wednesday 09-03-2022 15:00
The South China Morning Post (SMCP) has announced the public launch of its inaugural metaverse experience bringing the Hong Kong Star Ferry’s past and present to life as part of The Sandbox’s Alpha Season 2.
The Post becomes the first media company and organisation in Hong Kong to launch its metaverse offering with The Sandbox, which has been building its metaverse for several years. Members of the public can sign up for the experience until 30 March.
In the metaverse, locations of historical interest can become universally accessible, and SCMP’s partnership with The Sandbox has created a distinct virtual world where players can build, own, monetise, and explore. One of the unique metaverse experiences around the Star Ferry is the ability to teleport back in time to learn about the landmark’s colourful history by completing various quests along the way.
“The metaverse is a digital world where real-world concepts of value and scarcity can provably exist,” said SCMP CEO Gary Liu. “SCMP’s 118 years of reporting and extensive library of photographs gave us the opportunity to breathe new life into historical locations in the metaverse. This serves as a bridge to connect with a new generation of readers and digital natives, and we look forward to working closely with our partners to continue serving our audience.”
“The South China Morning Post team is leading the way as a mainstream media into the Metaverse,” said Sebastien Borget, COO & Co-Founder of The Sandbox. “Through their collaboration with a local metaverse builder studio – Index Game – they have produced a very compelling and culturally rich experience in The Sandbox Alpha Season 2 that will take players through history and time of Hong Kong Central Pier”
SCMP’s collaboration with The Sandbox, a decentralised gaming virtual world owned by Animoca Brands, aims to create a unique experience focused on its home city of Hong Kong. Through the metaverse experience, participants will be able to relive iconic moments in the city from the 1980s and the present through SCMP’s contemporaneous reporting on the Hong Kong Star Ferry. They can also learn first-hand about the complexities of an international city at the crossroads of East and West.
To visit the Hong Kong Star Ferry Pier experience, go to The Sandbox website and sign up for a user account.
