The Sandbox
The world of video games, by now, takes with both hands from everything that surrounds us. Not only past and present artistic currents, or current themes, are also various phenomena that arise on the web or in everyday life that come to life within virtual worlds. Among these we also find The Sandbox, a game based on Blockchain, a service of exploration of what are defined as cryptocurrencies and which supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum.With its artistic side cubettosso, in this Minecraft continues to teach, The Sandbox bases all its experience on Blockchains. Under a very simple first visual layer, this title hides a very complex system that allows players to start managing a series of products and services dedicated to the creation, management and finally to play a whole series of adventures and experiences; all using Blockchains to give value to one's own creations and those of other players.
The wide possibilities make The Sandbox a game in which you can invent everything, just like the aforementioned Minecraft or the explosive phenomenon of Roblox that continues to fly on the stock exchange. After a 3-year development, the first map was released in The Sandbox, which was featured in several sales. Each plot of land, in fact, can be purchased and offers various possibilities with different values depending on the importance of that area of the map.
Several lots have been sold in just one month, reaching a total value of around 2.8 million dollars. Furthermore, winning a lot in the vicinity of big brands will make that piece of digital land attractive that will be salable to other customers looking for a better plot of land to move to. A truly fascinating project that mixes creativity, thanks to the Game Maker mode, a whole series of videogame mechanics and Blockchain.
If you love sandboxes, you can buy Minecraft on Amazon at this address.
NKU cuts ribbon on ‘The Sandbox’ an innovation lab and home to its Esports and ready for competitions
Northern Kentucky University celebrated the opening of The Sandbox — an innovation lab and home to NKU Esports — with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.
NKU Esports is a new varsity sports program for students to compete in live video game events like Madden NFL or Rocket League, an arcade-style game blending soccer and vehicular mayhem. The Sandbox serves as the official arena of NKU Esports and a hub for students to practice and compete. The space features 11 state-of-the-art gaming stations and periphery equipment, as well as large monitors for fans to watch live competitions and game replays.
“The esports program is a tremendous opportunity for all of our students and has found incredible success so far,” said Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President Bonita Brown. “Our new arena is a unique way NKU continues to impact student success and directly create a better student experience. Despite the many new obstacles, we remain committed to serving students and equipping them with the necessary resources.”
The Honors College led a team of faculty, staff and students to compete in the university’s Innovation Challenge last January. As a result, the team received a $75,000 grant through NKU’s Innovation Challenge last January to build The Sandbox. The Innovation Challenge awarded funds that supported student success initiatives. With its continued growth in popularity and university support, NKU also announced scholarships will soon be available to recruit talented esports student-athletes.
The Sandbox will additionally be home to a production studio for streaming matches and developing content to promote NKU Esports, such as student shoutcasters providing live play-by-play entertainment during games. Many students have received internships with NKU Esports through the Honors College to create video and graphic content for productions and broadcasts.
“All of this will provide students with opportunities to learn skills in streaming and content creation, as well as playing esports,” said Dean Jim Buss, with NKU’s Honors College and director of NKU Esports. “Collegiate Esports has exploded over the past three years, particularly in light of the pandemic, but it offers much more than competitive and recreational gaming. NKU is poised to become a leader in preparing students for careers in this area through community-based learning and programs.”
The NKU Varsity Rocket League team recently finished their fall regular season with an undefeated 10-0 record and ultimately secured a spot in the Collegiate Rock League Wild Card as one of the top 24 teams in the nation.
NKU currently supports a varsity program in Rocket League with plans to expand to a varsity Overwatch team next fall. The university will also be offering scholarships for the first time to students involved in NKU Esports—both in competitive play and the production of streaming content. The Sandox will be open to students involved in the varsity Esports program, as well as students in the NKU Esports Club who can use the space to practice and compete or hone their shoutcasting and production skills.
All NKU Esports Matches can be viewed on Twitch.tv. To learn more about The Sandbox and NKU’s Honors College, see the website.
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Carmen Lawrence-Billé at (859) 572-7711 or lawrencec11@nku.edu