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Assassin’s Creed, one of Ubisoft’s most popular gaming franchises, has announced a series of customizable “smart collectibles” that include both digital and physical components.
The collectibles are due May 16 and consist of a transparent 3D-printed cube with a character figurine inside, as well as a polygon-based NFT called “Digital Soul” that provides proof of ownership.
End/ . . . It’s that simple!
Our goal is to add new layers of collecting to allow fans to truly showcase their personality and rarity tastes. Digital identifiers pairing with physical identifiers will allow for this ✔️
Make sure you get involved with our project!
— Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles (@ACSmartCollect) May 11, 2023
Fans of the series will need to purchase the NFT Digital Soul, which comes in two levels of rarity. From there, they can then customize their character with various poses, outfits, and weapons, with the final product delivered to their door.
The number of customizations available, of course, depends on the level or rarity a person is buying.
The “smart” aspect of the collectibles is achieved through an embedded Near Field Communications (NFC) chip housed in a 3D cube and a companion IRL app.
By scanning or clicking on physical collectibles, users can access the app to complete achievements and earn various “items, recipes, loot boxes” and other utilities.
The collection is part of a larger project in partnership with Integral Reality Labs, which the Assassin’s Creed team describes as a “shared reality platform”.
A marketplace for trading Assassin’s Creed collectibles will soon appear on the platform, and the sale of the NFT “Pieces of Eden Pass” will also be organized.
The collection consists of 1,500 tokens that offer access to exclusive perks and experiences, as well as a “unique limited edition” Digital Soul NFT.
“. . no greater glory than fighting to find the truth.”
Discover iconic gear sets, personalities, and challenges that will test your mind more than the blade. Are you ready to explore deeper ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/TTtBmiQqhG
— Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles (@ACSmartCollect) May 12, 2023
MechaFightClub suspends operations indefinitely
On May 12, the NFT game MechaFightClub, founded by Irreverent Labs in Solana, announced that it would be “indefinitely suspended” due to a lack of clarity regarding regulation in the US.
It’s time for Sol 4 Cocks: we’re repurchasing your Mechabots and putting MFC into indefinite hibernation. This was a tough decision.
For more details, visit our official announcement here: https://t.co/TPfb1VP2C7 pic.twitter.com/6YnO4g50T4
— MechaFightClub (@mechafightclub) May 11, 2023
The game was supposed to revolve around NFTs and AI-powered fighting robot chickens, however, the project has expressed concerns about launching a blockchain-based in-game economy in the current regulatory climate.
As part of the closing process, starting May 15, MechaFightClub will begin repurchasing NFTs sold to the community for 18 Solana (SOL).
“We are an American company and the lack of clarity makes it difficult for blockchain companies to work here. In the current confusion with regulations, we simply could not create an in-game economy without caring about regulatory implications,” the firm said in a statement.
New Yuga Labs CEO Buys BAYC NFT Well Above Floor Price
New Yuga Labs CEO Daniel Alegre contributed 50 Ether (ETH) to the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT #3575.
The purchase on May 10 was $90,000, well above the low price at the time of $78,000 or 44 ETH. The move indicates a strong demonstration of the CEO’s faith in the massive Yuga Lab project, given that BAYC’s floor price has dropped from 75 ETH to 44.5 ETH in the last 90 days.
To my kids: meet a new member of the family. Proud to Ape into BAYC #3575.
Does #ApeFollowApe still work? pic.twitter.com/OSH8jsVDXS— Daniel Alegre (@dalegre) May 10, 2023
Alegre joined Yuga Labs on April 1 and is the former president and chief operating officer of gaming firm Activision Blizzard.
As part of the April announcement, the CEO stated that “the company’s product line, partnerships and intellectual property represents a huge opportunity to define the metaverse.”
Chubby penguins raised $9 million
Just days after signing a Hollywood representation deal with WME, the Pudgy Penguins’ Blue Chip NFT project closed a $9 million seed funding round.
The round was led by early-stage investment firm 1kx, featuring Big Brain Holdings, Kronos Research, and the founders of LayerZero Labs.
The funds will be used to scale the project’s intellectual property and expand its offerings across the community and ecosystem.
“We’re very pleased to be able to maintain the strong momentum we’ve built over the past year, even in a bear market,” Pudgy Penguins head of investor relations Wee Powils said in a May 9 statement.
We’re not waiting for mass adoption…
We’re creating it. May 18th. pic.twitter.com/FjCS0WgTtd
— Pudgy Penguins (@pudgypenguins) May 7, 2023
Related: Web3 community building meets music tech at Wavelengths Summit 2023
Other great news
South Korean tech company LG Electronics has filed a patent for its blockchain-based Smart TV that allows users to trade NFTs.
On May 10, American business mogul Elon Musk tweeted a meme created using images from the Milady NFT collection. Shortly thereafter, Milady NFT’s floor price jumped from 3.8 ETH (ETH) to 7.3 ETH before dropping to 5.69 ETH apiece at press time.
