BNB Chain Spotlight: Meta Apes

Today we present a very exciting BNB Chain Project Spotlight with the very first blockchain game to launch on our new BNB Application Sidechain (BAS). That’s right, a new era ruled by Meta Apes has begun!

Let’s learn more about this brand new free-to-play, play-and-earn MMO strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Enjoy our interview with the Meta Apes team below.

IMPORTANT: Please note the following content does not constitute an endorsement or approval of any of the products or services of the project, organization, or individual.

1. Please describe Meta Apes to those unfamiliar with it. What's your vision and mission?

Meta Apes is a free-to-play, play-and-earn MMO strategy game designed for mobile. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has ended and a new era has begun. Next is space domination, and each player will have to work closely with other primates to win the ultimate race to space. It is available on Google Play and App Store, and operates on BNB Application Sidechain (BAS).

As a player and consumer, we believe that you are entitled to greater transparency, ownership, and freedom and a fun, high-quality gaming experience with a community. Our vision is to create a differentiated blockchain game that marries the benefits of both Web2 and Web3 games.

2. When was the idea behind Meta Apes born, and what led to it?

We saw an opportunity in the current Web3 gaming landscape to create an experience that appeals to both traditional and blockchain gamers alike. Meta Apes was born out of this idea of creating a community-oriented game that offers both audiences something valuable - 1) an opportunity for the traditional gamers to earn and truly own their in-game assets and 2) a much more interactive and enjoyable experience for blockchain gamers who are primarily looking to earn.

In order to reach a broader audience, we designed Meta Apes to be a mobile-first experience and decided to offer a free-to-play option. Our goal is to make Meta Apes as widely accessible as possible and for it to be a game that people want to play because it is fun.

3. Tell us something about your team's background.

Meta Apes is a Web3 game developer and publisher based in Singapore and comprises individuals with experience working in the gaming industry, at companies like Ubisoft, Gameloft, Zynga, EA, AppLovin, and Epic, for 10+ years.

4. What are the main advantages of Meta Apes for users, compared to a similar Web2 gaming project?

The biggest differences between Meta Apes and another Web2 mobile game are decentralization and ownership. This means the game-related data lives on the blockchain instead of a centralized server that the game studio fully controls. As such, players can truly own the assets they earn from investing their time and/or resources. With true ownership, players can trade or sell these assets freely and earn while playing.

5. Let's say I want to start playing Meta Apes. Where do I start? Where can I find some how-to guides?

We will be sharing more information in the coming months, but please visit these sites below to download the game and find more information:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mkbanana.gp

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/meta-apes/id1621913848?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=iOS

Website: https://metaapesgame.com/

Whitepaper: https://meta-apes.gitbook.io/meta-apes-whitepaper/introduction/meta-apes

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/metaapesgame

6. Why did you decide to build on BNB Chain, and specifically the BNB Application Sidechain (BAS)?

BAS is a next-generation developer infrastructure that allows developers to build large-scale applications with much higher throughput and significantly reduced transaction fees. By having our own chain on BAS, we are able to achieve much greater customization, higher performance, and greater scalability, all with the sound architecture and security of BNB Chain. Ultimately, this allows both the developers (us) and the gamers to have a much better experience by avoiding common issues with blockchain games, such as network congestion.

In addition, the strength of the Binance brand as well as its large, vibrant community is another reason we decided to build in this ecosystem.

7. Where do you position your brand in the NFT / GameFi / Metaverse space?

We consider Meta Apes a next-generation blockchain game that sits at the intersection of Web2 and Web3 gaming. We have taken the best practices from Web2 gaming, such as high-quality graphics/player experience, ease of use, and accessibility, and integrated the Web3 features, such as NFTs and tokens which can be fully owned and controlled by players themselves.

8. How can GameFi users get started with your product?

Anyone with a mobile device can get started by simply downloading Meta Apes from Google Play or App Store. Anyone can play for free or participate in the play-and-earn economy by connecting their wallet to the game.

9. What are the benefits of interacting with your play-to-earn model?

The biggest benefit is the ability to earn while playing a genuinely entertaining game with outstanding graphics and participating in the growing community of Meta Apes.

10. Do you have a roadmap, whitepaper, or relevant links to share?

Our current roadmap is as follows:

Please see here for v1.0 of our whitepaper, We will be refining & sharing more information in the coming weeks.

11. Can we talk about the tokenomic model?

Meta Apes has a dual-token model - SHELL (utility token) and PEEL (governance token).

SHELL is the utility token that serves as the in-game currency. It is primarily generated by holding NFT fighters but can also be earned via in-game rewards or in-app purchases. It is then used to purchase in-game items necessary to upgrade the player’s NFT fighters (e.g. levels, stars, skills, etc.) and other in-game resources (e.g. iron, food, etc.). SHELL is already integrated into our testnet beta and will be available in the upcoming official game launch.

PEEL is the governance and native gas token. All NFT purchases will be used to buy back and burn PEEL. Additionally, PEEL token holders will be able to stake their PEEL and spend it on select critical in-game activities, such as the final upgrade of the NFT fighter. We will also reward PEEL to top-performing and contributing clans and players. PEEL will be introduced in the coming months.

12. What is the latest news about Meta Apes?

We successfully launched the official game on BAS mainnet on May 31, 2022! Follow our launch announcement here to fully explore Meta Apes!