Metaverse News

Valentino Rossi, the MotoGP™ world champion, and his company VR46 Metaverse have partnered with Animoca Brands and Gravitaslabs to collaborate on innovative gaming and Web3 activations across metaverse platforms.

VR46 is a group of companies owned by Rossi, which manages various projects in motorsport, including the VR46 Racing Team, VR46 Riders Academy, VR46 Metaverse, and VR46 Racing Apparel. These projects aim to support emerging riders, provide professional and sport-related support to young Italian riders, develop the VR46 brand in gaming and Web3, and offer sports merchandising inspired by Rossi’s revolutionary vision.

The three companies will work on a new motorsport experience called ValeVerse, available on Animoca’s The Sandbox platform.

In this regard, VR46 Metaverse CEO Jean Claude Ghinozzi said: “We are thrilled to partner with Animoca Brands and Gravitaslabs to jointly launch this exciting project to further extend the fandom of VR46 Metaverse experiences across other Web3 and metaverse platforms, and we are excited to offer fans new levels of connection and engagement with our world.”

World champion and motor racing legend Valentino Rossi stated that this partnership will expand VR46 Metaverse’s range of experiences, enhancing connections with fans worldwide.

Valentino Rossi’s collaboration project has a roadmap that includes the introduction of ValeVerse. ValeVerse Pass is also part of the plan, enabling fans to access digital items, collectibles, immersive experiences, and physical benefits.

By participating in quests, users can earn rewards. Users can also enjoy additional perks such as merchandise raffles, race tickets, and an exclusive session with Valentino Rossi by purchasing the ValeVerse Pass. To enhance the gaming experience, The Sandbox’s official collection will feature a variety of digital assets, including iconic bikes and avatars.

This new strategy led by VR46 Metaverse, Animoca Brands, and Gravitaslabs has been launched to spread digital assets and metaverse games in the automotive and motorsports industries. This is just the first phase of their comprehensive plan.

The initiative will also facilitate more partnerships with Animoca Brands’ vast network. Exciting projects include an exclusive collection with the esteemed artist Mad Dog Jones and a gaming project called ‘Moto Island’ on the Roblox platform.

The College of Architecture and Planning at King Abdulaziz University has recently revealed its latest project, “Building in the Metaverse.”

This innovative project offers an interactive and engaging experience for faculty and students in the education field. Ahmed Khoja and Abdulaziz Hashem, both students, used virtual reality technology to create a fully immersive environment.

According to Hashem, colleges and universities have not yet fully embraced the concept, but they may explore its potential in creating virtual classrooms and lecture halls.

According to Khoja, the project is in line with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to improve the quality of life, strengthen cultural infrastructure like museums, promote tourism, and help Saudi artists expand their reach globally. Despite the difficulties, Hashem and Khoja believe that these technologies can significantly reduce material costs.

The Metaverse is a virtual reality world where users can interact with each other in an immersive environment, transcending the limitations of the physical world. It includes multiplayer video games that allow players to come together, compete, and collaborate in virtual worlds. It can also be used for education, socializing, exhibitions, and online commerce. The Metaverse has the potential to accommodate an unlimited number of participants and facilitate the display and sale of products using digital currencies.

According to a study by Strategy&, a management consulting company, the metaverse is expected to contribute $15 billion to the economies of the Gulf countries by 2030 given that their governments are tapping into the virtual space.

Saudi Arabia topped the GCC countries in terms of metaverse contributions, as it is predicted to account for $7.6 billion by 2030 (more than half of the figure). While, the UAE came second with an expected share of $3.3 billion.

Italian fashion brand Gucci recently introduced its new creative director, Sabato de Sarno, with a unique approach. The brand recreated its Milan Fashion Week runway show on three virtual platforms in the metaverse – Zepeto, Roblox, and QQ, alongside the live show on September 22.

The fashion collection, called “Ancora,” an encore in Italian, was initially planned to be showcased near the Accademia di Brera, a well-known fine arts university in Milan. Unfortunately, unfavorable weather conditions forced the organizers to move the event indoors.

Nevertheless, the virtual version of the show remained faithful to the original concept, enabling people from all over the world to participate and engage without being affected by weather issues.

Gucci’s permanent experience on the Roblox platform was updated to resemble the physical location of the show in the Brera district. Additionally, the fashion brand provided three mini-games that visitors could play during the virtual show to win limited edition rewards.

The Zepeto platform live-streamed Gucci’s runway show and incorporated features from Brera and the show into its Gucci Ancora space. Users could even buy items from the physical show for their avatars from a virtual Gucci store.

Additionally, the Chinese social platform QQ hosted a screening for its Gucci community to participate in. Over the past few years, the luxury brand has delved into the crypto, NFT, and metaverse worlds. Since 2021, it has worked with Roblox and released a digital version of its Dionysus handbag on the metaverse gaming platform. The NFT accessories originally cost $6 per piece but have since skyrocketed to as high as $4,000, surpassing the cost of their physical counterparts.

In May 2022, the company announced that it would now accept crypto payments in at least five US-based stores, with plans to extend the service to all 111 locations in the US and Canada.

In March 2023, Gucci teamed up with Yuga Labs, the creators of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), following the launch of the Gucci Vault Metaverse on another gaming platform, the Sandbox.

Robbie Williams, a popular British singer-songwriter, has announced his entry into the web3 space by partnering with LightCycle, an AI-powered lifestyle metaverse platform.

He is all set to perform his 25th-anniversary live show in the metaverse, offering fans a 3D experience and further enhancing his legacy through digital means. LightCycle, scheduled to launch in Q4 of 2023, aims to become the ultimate destination for art, film, gaming, music, fashion, sport, property, and retail in the web3 space.

The virtual city boasts hyper-realistic visuals and employs AI technology to enable users, businesses, and brands to create commercial installations or purchase land and other digital assets.

A preview of the Robbie Williams metaverse event will be unveiled at the EDGE Global Web3 and AI Investment Summit in Hong Kong on September 26 and 27 as part of LightCycle’s preview night. LightCycle’s presentation will feature an augmented-reality showcase, with further details to be announced shortly.

“Staying connected with my fans has always been important to me. I’m fascinated by the web3 space — it’s full of creativity and mind-blowing potential. It’s also a big new market for music and discovery,” Robbie Williams said.

Sara Ezen, the CEO of LightCycle, expressed excitement about bringing Robbie’s devoted fanbase an enhanced concert experience with their state-of-the-art technology. She believes the concert is a unique and special event that LightCycle can provide a home for, allowing both old and new fans to engage with Robbie in a next-level interaction.

The collaboration between Williams and Vertexlabs.uk is a major achievement for Vertexlabs.uk’s AI-powered virtual world platform called LightCycle. This partnership also signifies a natural progression in Williams’ career, which started with his recent composition, “Angels (Beethoven AI),” assisted by AI technology.