Virtual World Arcade, a virtual reality studio based in California, is bringing two of its games to Yumerium, a blockchain gaming platform developed by Subdream Labs. The partnership represents a sign
Virtual World Arcade, a virtual reality studio based in California, is bringing two of its games to Yumerium, a blockchain gaming platform developed by Subdream Labs. The partnership represents a significant shift in how the game industry approaches player compensation and engagement. Developers are moving away from traditional pay-to-play and free-to-play models toward platforms that reward players with tokens and cryptocurrency.
Yumerium operates on what the industry calls an earn-to-play model. Players earn YUM tokens by spending time in games on the platform. They can earn additional tokens by reviewing games, sharing them with friends, or contributing to community activities. Those tokens serve as in-game currency, usable across every game in the Yumerium ecosystem. Players spend them on items, cosmetics, upgrades, and other content that developers choose to offer.
This approach contrasts with existing industry standards. Pay-to-play games charge players upfront for access. Free-to-play games allow free entry but monetize through in-game purchases and cosmetics. Yumerium works through a different mechanism. Players build equity in the platform by participating. A blockchain mining process generates tokens based on the time a player invests in a game. Community engagement also generates rewards. Players who write game reviews or share titles on the platform earn tokens. This structure rewards organic word-of-mouth promotion of new games.
Crystal Reign and CYCOM Cybernet Combat are the two Virtual World Arcade titles coming to Yumerium. Crystal Reign is a virtual reality tower defense game. Players defend a base against waves of woodland creatures attempting to destroy it. CYCOM Cybernet Combat is a multiplayer shooter. Players assemble a deck of power-up cards before each match and deploy them against human opponents and AI bots.
Virtual World Arcade chose Yumerium over the centralized platforms that traditionally control game distribution. Subdream Labs, which created Yumerium, has convinced developers that blockchain economics work better for both game studios and players. Jikhan Jung, founder and CEO of Yumerium, recently appeared at Virtual World Arcade's VR Arcade Conference in Mountain View. He discussed how blockchain technology could improve virtual reality games and transform the arcade business model.
Subdream is preparing its own library of games for the platform. Dream Pets VR, Kingdom Watcher, Mega Overload, and Hell Dimension VR will all launch on Yumerium. CryptoMine is set for the fourth quarter of 2018. It will be Yumerium's first fully integrated game.
Yumerium is part of Subdream Labs, an organization operating multiple gaming and cryptocurrency ventures. Subdream Studios develops virtual reality games. Exa Labs operates a cryptocurrency trading service. VR Plus manages a chain of virtual reality arcades with 29 locations in South Korea. Investors supporting Yumerium include Cognitive Investment, HTC, Macro, DeNA, Bridge Link Capital, and Genesia Ventures.
