Bandai Namco Research Inc. ventures into blockchain gaming by unveiling its AI-powered virtual pet NFT game "RYUZO" on the Oasys Network. Bandai joins gaming giants Sega and Ubisoft in leveraging the benefits of blockchain technology in gaming.
With the launch of its AI-powered NFT game, Bandai Namco Research just joined other major game publishers - Sega and Ubisoft - on Oasys, a blockchain network centered on gaming. Bandai also developed the new virtual pet NFT game with Attracture, a startup firm based in Japan. The game was then published by Double Jump.Tokyo.
NFT News Today reported that Bandai Namco and Oasys unveiled the new RYUZO game title this week, dropping 10,000 NFT eggs called MARYU. This was an advanced release of the digital eggs to holders of Oasys' first series of digital tokens in the "Oasyx" project.
The RYU will transform into a soulbound token when these eggs are hatched. This token is locked to its original wallet; thus, it is non-transferable and cannot be sold. In an AI-driven evolution, the eggs will turn into RYU creatures that can be fed and raised as pets.
With the artificial intelligence feature, the creatures can learn and develop new capabilities over time, and their personalities will depend on how the players interact with their RYU pet. It can be said that this is an upgraded Tamagotchi game that has been popular from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.
The Oasys Network is popular among gaming companies because it specializes in hosting blockchain-based games. It has already attracted several major players in the gaming industry, such as Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Sega.
Finally, it was mentioned on eGamers that on top of these cooperations, Bandai Namco would continue to look into the metaverse and web3 for other possible ventures in the future. Starting from its $130 million investment in creating its "GUNDAM Metaverse" last year, the company will develop more virtual experiences for its fans and customers.
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