A Next-Generation Ethereum-Based Gaming Metaverse
The Sandbox Metaverse is one of the established Ethereum-based NFT gaming metaverses ever created. It’s a virtual world where people from all walks of life—regardless of knowledge about tech and blockchain—can participate and play. And they do so by creating, selling, using, and monetizing their Sandbox NFTs. It is free-to-enter, but the higher level interactions take place when you, the player, owns a piece of the highly converted Sandbox NFT.
Besides buying and selling NFTs, you can also do anything you want in this virtual paradise. As its name suggests, the Sandbox Metaverse is a place where you can build art, start communities, lead movements, and just chill if you’re feeling tired of the real world. What sets it apart from other metaverse projects is that it’s built upon the belief and foundation that user-generated content should be simple and intuitive—something that even a 10-year-old can do.
If everything still sounds confusing and blurry to you, think of Roblox + Minecraft + The Sims + NFT Gaming in one package: that’s the Sandbox Metaverse. A universe where user-generated content is everywhere, easy to make, and even easier to sell and purchase.
In more recent times, more established web 2.0 brands have been entering The Sandbox metaverse by snagging up huge plots of land. Such include Adidas, The Walking Dead and even banks like Singapore’s DBS Bank.
How do you earn money in the Sandbox?
As user-generated content and NFTs are the main driving force of the Sandbox Metaverse, it’s important to know how to earn money in it and how to get set up before diving deep.
First, let’s discuss how Sandbox works and how you can earn money while playing.
The universe of Sandbox is entirely made out of voxels – a fancy work for 3D pixels. If you’ve played games like Minecraft and Roblox before, you’ll feel right at home in its pixel universe.
Moving on from its graphics, let’s talk about how you earn that cash inside Sandbox. Your main source of income in Sandbox is through creating unique items using its item builder, VoxEdit. I’ll get into more detail about this program in a bit.
The objects and artwork you create in VoxEdit can be displayed in the Sandbox universe and can be sold on the market for SAND, the Sandbox Metaverse’s cryptocurrency.
You aren’t limited to just creating artworks though. If you’re a veteran Roblox game developer, you’ll find it easy to transition to Game Maker (Sandbox’s game dev program) and create interactive and engaging games and levels for other Sandbox players to play in exchange for some SAND. You may also sell your game as an ASSET to other Sandbox players.
What’s LAND and how do I purchase one for myself?
Apart from building games, there’s also virtual land in the Sandbox Metaverse. Yes, you read that right – virtual land! You can purchase LAND in the Sandbox Metaverse as a way of investment and sell them in the future to players who may want to build their own communities, club, house, or bar on that LAND, just like in real life. You can familiarize yourself first with this handy Sandbox LAND map before making a purchase.
If you’re not that rich in SAND to own LAND yet, then fret not as Sandbox also has a rent feature. Just like the real thing, you can rent other players’ LAND with SAND. The fees are entirely decided by the LAND owner, their decision is also dependent on the LAND’s location, proximity to hotspots and other LANDs, and many other factors. With a rented LAND, you can build your own establishments, display your NFTs, invite other players to your games, and more.
To purchase LAND:
- Head over to the Sandbox LAND map and check the “For Sale” filter on the sidebar to see LANDs that are for sale.
- Look for LAND that you would want to buy.
- Decided on a LAND? Look out for its sale date which is displayed on the right-hand side of the screen. These are announced weeks in advance to give you time to prepare.
- Be online on the day of selling, negotiate with the LAND owner, and purchase your very own LAND using SAND.
You can also buy LAND on third-party NFT marketplaces like OpenSea but bear in mind that these are not regulated by The Sandbox Metaverse and are often more expensive, riskier, and dangerous.
How do you get set up for the Sandbox?
Now, let’s talk about getting set up for the Sandbox Metaverse.
Before jumping into the game, there are a few hoops that you’ll need to go through.
The very first thing you will need before you can play is a digital wallet to store your hard-earned SAND and virtual goods like NFTs, LAND, and ASSETs.
The Sandbox Metaverse currently supports MetaMask, Bitski, and Venly, but I will be using MetaMask in this guide as it is the most popular and trusted digital wallet out there.
To install MetaMask:
- Go to metamask.io and click the blue “Download” button on the top right corner of your browser.
2. Next, select your OS/Browser and click “Install MetaMask for (Your OS/Browser)”.
3. You should be redirected to a download page. Click the “Get” or “Download” button and then “Add extensions” to install MetaMask in your browser.
4. After MetaMask is installed, you will still need to create a MetaMask account. Just click the MetaMask icon in your extensions bar and follow the instructions as shown.
Voila, your MetaMask account should be ready for use in Sandbox. To get started with investing or buying your first set of NFTs, you can convert your Ethereum (ETH) into SAND and go from there.
Buying NFTs and other virtual goods are made easy in this game because of its healthy marketplace where you can shop for equipment, apparel for your avatar, cars, LANDs, and anything under the sun.
What tools do creators need to create in the Sandbox?
As prefaced earlier, players and creators can use Sandbox’s VoxEdit to create NFTs and virtual goods for the game.
In VoxEdit, you can 3D design objects to your own liking. Think of it as digital art and the better your art looks, the more people will be inclined to buy it. Luckily for you, VoxEdit is beginner-friendly with high-quality templates to get you started on the right track.
The objects you can create aren’t limited to the templates though. You are literally free to create anything your imagination desires. From buildings to cars, to even portraits that’ll put Mona Lisa to shame.
If you’re more of a game developer, then you’ll be delighted to know that Sandbox also has its own game dev program, aptly named Game Maker.
It’s a very simple and basic tool for designing and building 3D games without coding, but that also makes it the perfect gateway for beginners and amateurs to share their levels and games with other players in the Sandbox Metaverse.
What is SAND? What is it used for?
I’ve been talking about SAND a lot in this article so let’s break down what it is and what its uses are. The Sandbox metaverse’s native utility coin is the SAND token (ERC-20).
To buy NFTs from public sales in-game, for example, you’ll need SAND in your wallet. All game assets, LANDs, and items must and can only be acquired with SAND tokens from the Marketplace. SAND is also used when designers and creators upload their creations to the Marketplace.
SAND is a governance token as well and SAND holders will have the power to vote on governance choices, such as feature prioritization when the Sandbox DAO is released to the public.
As of writing, 1 SAND is equivalent to $3.58 with a market cap of more than $3B. As time goes on, these numbers can fluctuate and change according to the game’s state, update, and many more factors that I won’t be able to discuss all at once in this article.
Apart from purchasing digital goods in the Sandbox Marketplace, you can also stake your SAND using Uniswap (SAND/ETH) and mSAND/MATIC (Polygon). If you aren’t familiar with the concept of crypto staking, it’s basically locking your crypto up for a certain amount of time to get rewards or interest.
How and where to buy SAND?
Looking to top up on SAND to buy LAND or NFTs? Just follow these steps to get ballin’ with your virtual goods in the Sandbox Metaverse:
1. Download Coinbase Wallet
Coinbase Wallet is a self-custody wallet that is required to purchase SAND. You can download Coinbase Wallet here.
2. Create your Coinbase Wallet account
After installing Coinbase Wallet, you will be asked to create an account first. During this step, choose a username that you aren’t using in any of your other accounts for the sake of security.
3. Store your recovery keys/phase somewhere secure
Once you’ve chosen a username, you will be given 12 random phrases or “recovery phrases” which will serve as the key to your cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and everything you have stored in your Coinbase Wallet. It is important to NOT share your recovery phrases with anyone.
As a general rule of thumb, it is best to write them down on a piece of paper and keep them somewhere secure in the real world instead of an online notepad or on your PC to avoid hackers and scammers from stealing your recovery phrases.
4. Understand Ethereum “gas” and fees
Crypto transactions can get confusing because of the ETH gas and fees that add to your expenses. It’s important to always plan and set aside extra money for fees as these can get notably bigger the higher the amount you transfer over ETH networks.
You can learn more about ETH fees here.
5. Buy ETH and transfer them to your Coinbase Wallet
To buy ETH in Coinbase Wallet, you’ll need to add a payment method first. This can be via bank account, debit/credit card, or wire transfer.
After setting your payment method up, you can start a trade by pressing the trade button and selecting the “Buy” button afterward. Then, look for Ethereum (ETH) by typing the “Ethereum” in the search bar. Once Ethereum pops up, press it to proceed to the purchase screen.
Now, you will be asked to enter the exact amount of ETH you want to buy. Coinbase Wallet will automatically do the currency conversions for you, so don’t worry about that.
And finally, you can finalize your purchase by pressing the “Preview buy” button. Coinbase Wallet will show you the details of your purchase, and once everything looks good, you can confirm your purchase and have ETH in your wallet.
6. Use your ETH to buy $SAND (The Sandbox) cryptocurrency
From the trade tab, click the “Convert” button and search for “The Sandbox”. Once The Sandbox shows up, click on it and enter the amount of ETH you would like to exchange for The Sandbox. Always remember to be mindful of the fees and have some leftover for them.
And voila! Just follow the remaining instructions on-screen to confirm your purchase.
Creating a Sandbox Avatar
Alright, so you’ve got the basics down and you’re finally booting the game up. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to jump into the action just yet as you’ll need an avatar – the character model that other players will see when you’re online in Sandbox.
To create a Sandbox Avatar, head over to the game’s Avatar Creator. Here, you can create your virtual you! There are a variety of predesigned avatars to choose from which are all unique foundations to start building your virtual character.
The cool thing about the Avatar Creator is that you can start fiddling with the creator even without a Sandbox account. It also allows players to really express their inner designer as there are tons of apparel and faces to mix and match. For example, if you’re feeling youthful, you can opt for the predesigned Z Boy and go from there. If you’re more on the understated side of things, you can go for a plain shirt paired with blue jeans and sports shoes.
Once you’re set with how your avatar looks, just click on the blue “Save changes” button and your avatar should update real-time in-game.
Is investing in Sandbox NFTs, LANDs, and ASSETs worth it?
There are definitely lots of ways to make money in the Sandbox Metaverse. For artists, NFTs are the best way to express your creativity while also making cash on the side. For players who have the SAND to buy some LAND, it can be a lucrative business when the opportunity strikes. There’s also SAND staking that can give you insane APYs and returns.
But the question remains: is investing a penny in the Sandbox Metaverse worth it?
The truth is: nobody can give this question a definite answer. Just like with any sort of investment, the Sandbox Metaverse is unpredictable and volatile, especially since it operates under blockchain technology. However, seeing that it combines the graphics and gameplay of some of the world’s best games like Minecraft and Roblox, there is indeed potential for the Sandbox Metaverse to be the next big thing (not financial advice).
Conclusion
The Sandbox Metaverse looks promising and fun thanks to its colorful graphics, Minecraft and Roblox like-gameplay, and environment that only games like The Sims can provide. It’s a 3D pixel heaven that players from all aspects of life can play for free.
With the game giving its players the freedom to create artworks and objects as well as the ability to sell these very assets, it’s truly a breath of fresh air in the crypto world. Aspiring artists can have a place in this wonderful virtual world and players with the mind of an entrepreneur can purchase LAND, hold it, and sell it later for massive returns.
However, since The Sandbox Metaverse operates under the Ethereum blockchain system, it is susceptible to unexpected events that may put SAND upwards or downwards in price. With that being said, it’s definitely a game with the potential to be the next Axie Infinity and can be a place where early adopters could see their investment skyrocket.
Just remember to only invest the money you can afford to lose, and to play the Sandbox Metaverse with fun as the first thing in your mind as opposed to profits.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency and blockchain gaming involves real-world financial investment at the user’s risk. This article is provided for informational purposes only.
