During May, Ubisoft, a French multinational company responsible for some of the top games in the past decade, will launch an Assassin’s Creed (AC) ‘Smart Collectibles’ collection. The NFT set will have digital and physical components, including the ability for collectors to receive a 3D printed cube of their favorite AC character.
The process works like this: Interested users can purchase an AC NFT, known as a Digital Soul, then customize it with unique outfits and weapons. After the user is finished customizing, Ubisoft will ship a 3D printed cube with that character. Authentic Vision, an anti-counterfeiting company, will authenticate the cube, and it will come with a near-field communication device.
Holders of the physical cube will also be able to tap their cube with their phone and view their character in an app. This will also give the holders access to further utility within the project, though Ubisoft has not announced what this will utility be yet.
For the project, Ubisoft has partnered with Integral Reality Labs (IRL), a gaming company that seeks to reimagine the intersection between games and non-fungible tokens. While Integral Reality Labs has announced the mint date, it has not shared the price per NFT. Pre-sale started for the collection started three days ago.
Sarah Buzby, VP of Consumer Products at Ubisoft, said in a press release shared with Rarity Sniper that the company is thrilled to partner with IRL on this new exciting approach to provide Assassin’s Creed fans a new way to engage with the game’s universe. “The Smart Collectible platform is truly innovative, and we are delighted to be working with IRL to provide our fans with a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Ubisoft Teases ‘The Pieces of Eden’ NFT Collection
In addition to launching the Assassin’s Creed smart collectibles set, Ubisoft is working on another NFT collection: “The Pieces of Eden.” According to a Tweet, holders of these 1,500 digital passes will receive certain privileges, such as access to exclusive digital collectibles drops and priority access to 3D printing.
These are tied into the larger Assassin’s Creed smart collectibles project and the Smart Collectibles platform, which seems designed to encompass more than one project.
Ubisoft has been one of the gaming companies at the forefront of Web3 innovation and has partnered with Integral Reality Labs before. Together, the two companies have launched a series of IRL collectibles based on various Ubisoft titles, such as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six and For Honor. According to Statista, Ubisoft has sold hundreds of millions of units around the world.
The ‘phygital’ approach is popular among mainstream organizations, which try to pair their digital NFT collections with physical items, with varying degrees of success. It is particularly popular with fashion companies, who tie IRL designer items with a digital twin, often for use in the metaverse.
If Ubisoft’s drop is successful, perhaps more gaming companies will follow suit with their own collections. Rarity Sniper will be here to report back if they do.
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