Macau-based gaming equipment supplier Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Limited has launched its new metaverse experience, Mini Macau, aimed at allowing people to explore the city’s tourist attractions digitally.
Built on the Sandbox Game platform, Mini Macau is a new APE business project targeting digital tourists who are unable to travel to major resort destinations due to COVID restrictions. Its virtual land includes some of Macau’s most famous tourist attractions such as Macau Tower, Senado Square, The Ruins of St Paul’s and Ah Ma temple.
“The launch of Mini Macau is APE’s first foray into the metaverse via Sandbox,” said APE’s CFO and Executive Director, Tony Chan Chi Lun.
“We are delighted to have three local real-life Macau brands in our Mini Macau: Choi Heong Yuen Bakery, Seng Fung Jewellery and O Junco de 9 Jades restaurant. The virtual mini-shops have been built to showcase our cooperation with real retail brands from Macau on the metaverse.”
Mini Macau also includes two skill-based games – “Fortune cookie” treasure hunt and “Avoid the Tourists” – allowing players to win real life prizes redeemable in Macau. Other partnerships with real-life Macau brands are planned in the future.
“Mini Macau will serve as a prototype for the future development of our own metaverse travel and hospitality platform, called the ‘Resortverse’,” Chan said.
“In our Resortverse, we plan to bring real life resorts and travel destinations into the metaverse and provide a platform with gamification and rewards. Our travel and hospitality metaverse platform will enable resorts and merchants to engage with digital travellers with online gamification and offer real offline rewards and coupons that can benefit their businesses. An increase in virtual travel through our immersive metaverse would attract new foot traffic to real life resorts and travel destinations. Our plan is to launch our Resortverse travel and hospitality platform by year end 2022.”
