THE WORLD S FIRST BLOCKCHAIN-ENABLED VR. CryptoCarz RACING EXPERIENCE

Transcription

1 THE WORLD S FIRST BLOCKCHAIN-ENABLED VR CryptoCarz RACING EXPERIENCE BLOCKCHAIN STUDIOS, APRIL 2018

2 ABSTRACT CRYPTOCARZ IS A MULTIPLAYER, VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)-ENABLED RACING EXPERIENCE, DEVELOPED USING THE ETHEREUM BLOCKCHAIN. To play, users will have to load the car assets into the game from an Ethereum wallet, where they are stored as an ERC721 token. The ERC721 token has paved the way for a new class of digital assets called non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These allow users to own, customise and maintain control in the same way as in the physical world. Blockchain Studios contends that this new asset class opens up new opportunities for user engagement and ownership. We believe that the first wave of innovation will come from gaming. CryptoCarz is the first platform to bring together blockchain, VR and gaming technologies. By giving gamers new options to visualise, own, adapt and race their own car, we think a new era in gaming has arrived.

3 CONTENTS I - CONTEXT 4 1. GAMING AND BLOCKCHAIN 5 2. GAMING AND E-SPORTS 7 3. GAMING AND VR 8 II - GAME AND TECHNOLOGY 9 1. CRYPTOCARZ CONCEPT GAME TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCKCHAIN INTEGRATION 17 III - ROADMAP 20 PHASE 0 - PRE-DEVELOPMENT STAGE 21 PHASE 1 - WALK 22 PHASE 2 - DRIVE 23 PHASE 3 - RACE! 24 IV - TEAM 25

4 I - CONTEXT WE BELIEVE GAMING IT WILL BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RISE AND INTEGRATION OF THREE TECHNOLOGIES: BLOCKCHAIN, E-SPORTS AND VR. Each of them, independently, represents a paradigm shift for game development and consumption. Their attributes will make technology more individual, inclusive and immersive. The combination of these technologies will give rise to new scenarios, where gamers can own, modify, trade and play in an unprecedented way. [ 4 ]

5 1. GAMING AND BLOCKCHAIN WE THINK DIGITAL COLLECTIBLES, AND ALL OF THE GAMES THEY ENABLE, WILL BE ONE OF, IF NOT THE FIRST BIG CONSUMER USE CASES FOR BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES. FRED WILSON, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, VENTURE CAPITALIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF UNION SQUARE VENTURES Blockchain Studios was created on the premise that blockchain technologies were set to break through into consumer use cases and technologies. First movers, such as CryptoKitties and Etheremon, have crossed into popular culture as new forms of collectibles. They are digital assets that can be owned and traded in the same way that comic books or artwork can be bought and sold in the physical world. Digital collectibles have paved the way for new applications of blockchain technologies. We now refer to these assets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) pieces of digital content that are unique, exist as a fixed number and can be bought and traded. In this context, a blockchain can also serve as a ledger that maintains ownership of NFTs. The most widely used NFT is the ERC721 standard, developed on the Ethereum blockchain. The novelty that ERC721 presents for blockchain-based games implementing non-fungible assets as part of the game dynamics is the minting mechanism, which is not controlled by smart contract code, but is instead under the control of the game developer. The first wave of collectibles, including Rare Pepe or CryptoPunks, received broad interest despite the poor user experience. What has pushed digital tokens into the cultural mainstream has been the digital collectible token standard, ERC721. This standard allows users to own individually identified digital assets in the same manner as physical ones in the real world. Users can identify, own, modify or manipulate a digital asset as they might do a piece of art or car, creating the category of digital collectibles. Human nature draws individuals to collect or value rare or unique items, from shells in the Stone Age, to paintings, coins or stamps in the modern era. It is not surprising that, even considering the short lifetime of the Ethereum ERC721, the number of NFT-based projects has already mushroomed to over 100. The ERC721 standard means that developers can harness this human desire and open up a new category of ownership. We anticipate that many cultural and artistic endeavours will make this leap through digital verification from unique art created and owned digitally, to the ownership of creative assets, such as films and images. Blockchain Studios was set up in anticipation of this move towards digital assets, but also in the understanding that gaming would be one of the first creative industries to make this transition. The breakthrough in digital collectibles came with the launch of CryptoKitties, an Ethereum-based platform for trading and breeding cartoon images of cats. It has already driven over two [ 5 ]

6 ERC721 WILL BE FOR NON-FUNGIBLES WHAT ERC20 WAS FOR FUNGIBLES. EXPECT A MASS PROLIFERATION, STARTING ON TOP OF ETHEREUM. CHRIS BURNISKE, FORMER LEAD AT ARKINVEST, AUTHOR OF CRYPTOASSETS AND PARTNER AT PLACEHOLDER million transactions in the network, with over $25 million exchanged, and has recently received significant venture capital investment from Andreessen-Horowitz and Union Square Venture. We believe this is only the start. The potential for collectibles goes beyond trading - users will increasingly look to manipulate, develop or play with their purchases. The gaming industry will be reoriented by digital assets that are unique, programmable and unequivocally owned by the user. This change, enabled by underlying blockchain technology, will provide the platform for new game formats to emerge. The transition to ownership of digital goods will force industry players in the existing $100 billion gaming market to adapt and drive the adoption of blockchain technology to cater for this need. Using NFTs, every character or context in a computer game will become a digital asset and will provide new incentive models for both innovation and engagement. Ultimately, all digital assets will be represented by NFTs. [ 6 ]

7 2. GAMING AND E-SPORTS TENS OF MILLIONS OF VIRTUAL GOODS ARE CREATED, SHARED AND SOLD IN VIRTUAL REALITY AND PEOPLE INVEST IN THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO CREATE SPACESHIPS IN SPACE THAT THEY BATTLE AGAINST EACH OTHER. SO, THE CONCEPT OF VIRTUAL GOODS, VIRTUAL WORLDS AND VIRTUAL CURRENCY ALL TIES TOGETHER. JEN-HSUN HUANG, AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR AND BUSINESSMAN, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF GRAPHICS PROCESSOR COMPANY NVIDIA According to statista.com, the worldwide e-sports market revenue last year reached $650 million and 350 million viewers. It is projected to reach over $1.6 billion in revenue and 550 million viewers by 2021, with the majority of participants in the above-average income bracket. League of Legends, a free-to-play game, had 100 million monthly active users last year and the e-sports championship final attracted 43 million viewers worldwide, with a prize pool of $5.7 million. In the car racing subsegment, the first season of the official FIA Formula One e-sports Series last year registered 63,827 drivers taking part in the qualifying stages, with most of the semifinalists coming from the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC gaming platforms. Formula One racing driver and double world champion Fernando Alonso has recently launched an e-sports team in partnership with Logitech, where he will be serving as a team principal. The broader sector of digital gaming is now the largest entertainment industry in the world, worth up to $80 billion a year. Most of the revenue is generated by the sales of in-game items and digital assets. Currently, gamers have few rights regarding the ownership of the items they purchase. In Guildwars, for example, if a user resells an item for real money they can be banned from the game. Game producers can decide to unilaterally revoke any user rights for the items owned on their own terms. THE HOLY GRAIL IN DIGITAL COLLECTIBLES IS A COMBINATION OF THREE CATEGORIES: COMPETITIVE GAMEPLAY, IP FROM PREMIUM CONTENT PROVIDERS (THINK SPORTS LEAGUES, ENTERTAINERS, ETC.), AND UNIQUE DIGITAL ART. NICK TOMAINO, FORMER COINBASE PRODUCT MANAGER, RUNA CAPITAL PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF 1CONFIRMATION If we move to an NFT-based framework, users will be able to resell, rent out or, when supported, move their assets to another game, creating liquidity in a market where assets are no longer locked to a single account or gaming platform. Since assets will be transferable, users can monetise or exchange goods from platforms where they have lost interest and use the liquidity to obtain assets in a new game, creating a cycle of increased adoption, engagement and innovation. Another interesting project which is currently in development is Hoard Exchange, a platform to facilitate ownership of virtual assets on the Ethereum blockchain. Other than a marketplace for NFTs, they will provide the tools to connect blockchain and gaming engines, such Unity and Unreal, making possible the integration of NFT assets inside videogames. A crowdfunding platform will also allow users to obtain NFTs assets in exchange for the funding necessary for a game developer to build the actual game, moving away from the current Kickstarter-style crowdfunding framework. [ 7 ]

8 3. GAMING AND VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) WHY SHOULDN T PEOPLE BE ABLE TO TELEPORT WHEREVER THEY WANT? PALMER LUCKEY, FOUNDER OF OCULUS VR The starting point for the CryptoCarz platform is the desire to drive involvement from a room full of gamers. CryptoCarz is designed to mirror the obsession and personalisation of racing in the real world. Just as real racers cannot wait to race their favourite cars on the local track, the true enjoyment of the CryptoCarz experience will come with the display, modification and ultimately the racing of the digital assets in a fully immersive environment. VR is crucial to the development of this experience. It helps bridge the conceptual divide between something that is seen as a token or asset to something that should be owned and improved. By using this technology, users will be more inclined to stay involved with the assets that they own. This translates to more time spent on the platform and more resources for modifying and improving their unique digital libraries. Key improvements in VR hardware have dramatically improved physical immersion in virtual worlds while dramatically reducing the cost of entry for gamers worldwide. VR has not yet had its Star Wars moment, but we believe that through the implementation of NFT-based asset ownership, the time for true immersion in a virtual space has finally arrived. Year-on-year analysis shows that gamers are spending more of their leisure time playing e-sports and similar activities. For gamers in the US, the PC remains the primary device (360 Gaming Report, 2017), although mobile and tablet devices are showing an overall increase. The consumption habits of gamers make it likely that they will take in other content via their primary gaming device. Gamers, by definition, are looking for new content stimulation. This is particularly true in relation to VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies. Nielsen noted awareness of VR/ AR gaming devices at 63 per cent of gamers, compared to 51 per cent of the general population. There are encouraging signs in hardware demand that point to this appetite: Sony s PlayStation VR headset alone sold more than 1 million units as of June One of the most established projects that is specifically working on merging VR with blockchain technology is Decentraland, a virtual reality platform powered by the Ethereum blockchain. Decentraland is creating a 3D, interactive virtual world where parcels of lands are modelled as NFTs, in which users can retain full control over the content they produce, without a governing central organization. [ 8 ]

9 II - GAME AND TECHNOLOGY [ 9 ]

10 1. CRYPTOCARZ CONCEPT Cars, gaming and cryptocurrency are shared passions at Blockchain Studios, so combining them was a natural choice when we started working on CryptoCarz. We see strong synergies between the cryptocurrency community and gamers and we believe there is a market for a game that blends racing, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. CryptoCarz is a multiplayer, fully immersive, VR-enabled racing experience, powered by the Ethereum blockchain. To race in the game, a user will have to demonstrate ownership of a car that is modelled and stored as an ERC721 Ethereum token in the gamer s private wallet. The car will then be loaded into the game via integration with MetaMask and other proprietary tools. The game will initially offer 20 car models representative of the top cryptocurrencies. Each model will have a maximum of 650 units, hard-coded and numerically defined in the smart contract. No further cars in these models will be produced in the future. Characteristics of the corresponding cryptocurrency are designed to affect game dynamics. Initially, the cars will be sold via the official CryptoCarz website and will be bought from a smart contract using ether and a MetaMask Chrome plug-in. In the second stage, a dedicated CryptoCarz marketplace will enable users to freely trade their cars on a secondary market. [ 10 ]

11 1. BITCOIN 2. RIPPLE 3. ETHEREUM 4. BITCOIN CASH 5. CARDANO 6. LITECOIN 7. IOTA 8. NEM 9. STELLAR 10. DASH 11. MONERO 12. NEO 13. EOS 14. TRON 15. QTUM 16. ICON 17. WAVES 18. OMISEGO 19. OX 20. DOGECOIN EACH MODEL HAS A SERIES OF CHARACTERISTICS THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOUR AND PERFORMANCE OF A CAR DURING THE RACE. These characteristics can be altered in time with the addition or replacement of certain components, such as engine and suspension, making each car truly unique. Ownership of the components will be established by token ownership inside the user s wallet. [ 11 ]

12 PLASMA CC POWER STABILITY SPEED CORNERING ACCELERATION BRAKING Speed 61 Acceleration 78 Braking 73 Cornering 88 Stability 82 Power 96 Servicing 69 NEBUCHADNEZZAR CC POWER STABILITY SPEED CORNERING ACCELERATION BRAKING Speed 71 Acceleration 98 Braking 79 Cornering 64 Stability 92 Power 65 Servicing 90 THE CORE GAME WILL FEATURE SINGLE AND MULTIPLAYER MODES, A RACING SIMULATION TOOL, TIME TRIAL AND PRACTICE RUN OPTIONS AND A GARAGE ROOM WHERE PLAYERS CAN MODIFY, VIEW AND REPAIR THEIR CAR BEFORE AND AFTER RACING. After the release of the core game, additional features will be added based on player feedback. The aim is to provide an open and collaborative platform that actively grows a supporting ecosystem and fully involves the talents of a broad community to open the platform for third-party development. We want to engage a new ecosystem to build game components, such as race environments, new and custom-designed cars and options to organise and set up racing leagues. [ 12 ]

13 2. GAME TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT STAGE 1: CORE GAME ASSET BUILD All game development happens in established phases, starting with asset building and ending with a fully immersive, real-time environment. The core game asset build phase is where we create the various models, effects and interface design that will be put into the gameplay environment. There are four key components to this phase: modelling, animation effects, components and marketplace. This is the foundation on which the rest of the game will be built. CAR MODELLING, COMPONENT MODELLING, RENDERING AND DEVELOPING THE LOOK Using our suite of 3D modelling applications, we will create the library of core digital models on which the game will be based. These include the base structure for all cars, different interiors and paint jobs, different engine and assembly components, modification packages, upgrade options and any other prospective distinguishing physical attributes for each car model. This phase will also include the design of a test track, with 3D models for the road and environment being developed alongside the car models. ANIMATION CYCLES, DYNAMIC EFFECTS AND COLLISIONS Next, we will focus on developing a library of effects that can affect the cars. These include simple animations like wheels spinning and turning and lights flickering, to more complicated effects like crash damage, road dust, rain and realistic exhaust. These effects are created using commercially available 3D animation tools together with our customised build of the Unreal Engine. UPGRADES AND SWAPPABLE COMPONENTS Components will be modelled individually and mapped to the car models. While some components will not physically appear on the cars, others like new exhaust systems, paint jobs, engine mounts and tyres will be made visible on car models as they are selected by the players. Our production process will ensure that new visible components can be properly combined with the available car models. MARKETPLACE UI/UX DEVELOPMENT One of the primary goals of our development is to keep the cars upgradable with interchangeable components and accessories to be released over time. In the early stages of development, we will focus on completing the UX/UI of the Garage market system. Our design team will work together with our production team to scope out various models of a Garage marketplace, integrating the functionality and look and feel with the overall style guides for the game. [ 13 ]

14 STAGE 2: UNREAL ENGINE DEVELOPMENT THE SECOND PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT WILL BEGIN ONCE ASSET PRODUCTION IS NEARING COMPLETION. While there is some overlap in the production schedule between asset production and staging and layout in the Unreal Engine, the bulk of work in this phase requires enough assets to import into the game engine. This is the stage where we will integrate the performance data for each car stored on the blockchain into the Unreal Engine. At the end of this phase, players will have a fully functioning Garage marketplace to customise their own CryptoCarz, as well as a basic test track to drive their car in single-player mode. The library of components and models available to players will still be limited at this stage, but it will be expanded over time to incorporate new components and features. SHOWROOM DEVELOPMENT Our team will take the assets built for the Garage and develop the showroom environment. A beta version has already been developed. The showroom includes a turntable, where the user will be able to view their car from different angles, and menu access windows to interact with the component marketplace. ANIMATION TRIGGERS, TIMING AND INTERACTION DESIGN Various interactions within the showroom will trigger different animation effects together with timing and physical manipulation commands. All of these will be mapped together in the appropriate sequences. TEST TRACK SIMULATION Basic racing on the test track simulation will begin at this stage. The process of developing the interactive driving experience is similar to integrating physics and animation effects with 3D modelled assets for the Garage. We will work simultaneously to build control, handling and physics modelling to drive the cars. These include environmental conditions, such as walls and barriers on the race course, slipping surfaces and crash effects. UPGRADES AND SWAPPABLE COMPONENTS Components will be viewable as 3D models with a special viewing command, allowing the user to see and inspect what they would like to buy as if they were standing next to a mechanic. Windows will connect to different models explaining the technical specifications and capabilities of each component. EXPLODED VIEWS : A visualisation tool will allow the user to view their car in the Garage with a potential new component installed before finalising their purchase. Exploded views combine different 3D-modelled component assets tied together with an animation sequence to show the user how their components fit together in their car. MARKETPLACE BACKEND DEVELOPMENT The underlying architecture of data carrying the characteristics of the cars and components in the smart contracts will be integrated into the Garage marketplace back-end framework as needed. All 3D component assets will be organised within that architecture accordingly. BLOCKCHAIN INTEGRATION Once the back-end architecture is harmonised, our team will integrate the final connections pulling data stored at token level and using that data to build a unique CryptoCarz. [ 14 ]

15 STAGE 3: WEB DEVELOPMENT AND E-COMMERCE THE FINAL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT WILL INVOLVE CONNECTING MULTIPLAYER CAPABILITY, DESKTOP/VR ACCESS AND PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC USER INTERFACES TO THE CORE GAME. Mobile and tablet access, as well as PlayStation VR access, may take additional time as the core game is modified to meet specific platform needs. Once multiplayer and multiplatform access is complete, we will move into an administrative capacity, adding development in sprints over time to create (1) new race tracks and challenges, (2) new components for the Garage marketplace and (3) new and special-release car models. Future development of CryptoCarz will, in part, be guided by player experience. We anticipate a robust interaction with our players and will open up new ideas for development with the community. MULTIPLE PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT Desktop/web (2D) Mobile/tablet App (2D) Vive (VR) Oculus (VR) PlayStation (VR) Gear (Mobile VR)

16 PUBLISHING PIPELINE OVERVIEW LOOK DEVELOPMENT DESIGN PRODUCTION BUILD INTEGRATION DEPLOYMENT PROGRAMMING CINEMA 4D OCTANE MAYA Z-BRUSH UNREAL ENGINE WEB (LIGHT) VERSION WEB APP (IOS) APP (ANDROID) PHOTOSHOP SUBSTANCE PAINTER STEAM VISUALS WIREFRAMES UNREAL ENGINE VIVE (HEAVY) VERSION GEAR PLAYSTATION [ 16 ]

17 3. BLOCKCHAIN INTEGRATION CRYPTOCARZ IS A DECENTRALISED APPLICATION (DAPP) THAT COMBINES CUTTING-EDGE DECENTRALISED DIGITAL ASSET GAMING PLATFORMS WITH STATE-OF- THE-ART WEB APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES. It is built on the Ethereum blockchain, using smart contracts written in Solidity programming language. The web app front end is utilises Angular and Bootstrap, whereas the back end uses NodeJS and PostgreSQL. The Ethereum Web3.js library is used to communicate with both blockchain and centralised server realms. As well as handling the acquisition of cars, the Ethereum smart contracts will also enhance the gaming experience through a set of embedded functionalities that will be built in phases. Our roadmap outlines the four phases to be delivered: Phase 0: Significant progress has been made in the auction and the ERC721-based smart contracts. Phase 1 and 2: The CryptoCarz marketplace will be built where end consumers will be able to trade cars and ingame components. Car rental services will request ether from the end consumer s wallet to drive a car for a set period of time. Phase 3: There will be new features at Smart Contract level. For example, a Fast and Furious racing feature will escrow the cars through our smart contracts where tokens (cars) from both players are stored. Once the competition is over, the smart contract will transfer the tokens to the winner. Other functionalities based on a handicap system will also be implemented, making the races more competitive. [ 17 ]

18 TECHNOLOGY AND DATA LANDSCAPE THE CRYPTOCARZ ISSUANCE PLATFORM WILL PUT TOGETHER THE FOLLOWING: Ethereum Network NFT using ERC721 Smart Contracts Auction Engine using Smart Contracts Web Application and User Authentication Why the Ethereum network? The Ethereum programmable blockchain allows us to enable a trustless auction process and transfer the ownership of digital assets without the need of a third party. The recent boom of dapps being developed on Ethereum gives us confidence in the sustainability of the network. The CryptoCarz NFTs will be issued by a smart contract and stored in the Ethereum blockchain based on the ERC721 token standard (reference: blob/master/eips/eip-721.md). The auction engine will be handled by Ethereum smart contracts. Each CryptoCarz will be bonded to an NFT, along with the car s specifications and state-of-the-art graphics. End users can bid and claim them at the end of the auction cycle. The smart contract will handle the car auction lifecycle: Creating an auction. Managing and sorting bids. Selecting auction winners and losers. Transferring ownership of the tokens to the winners and processing refunds. Besides the client server application programming interface and its web 2.0 components, the addition of web 3.0 Blockchain components increases the complexity of the architecture technology stack. User authentication is relegated to any third-party client wallet, such as MetaMask. LAYERED ARCHITECTURE To contextualise the technology landscape, the following high-level overview diagram shows what the system architecture with the blockchain component will look like. CRYPTOCARZ WEB APP ANGULAR DATA BASE NODE API VAULT TRX/QUERY QUERY STATE ETHEREUM BLOCKCHAIN AUCION SMART CONTRACTS ERC721 SMART CONTRACTS PRIVATE ETHEREUM NODE GET/POST TRX/QUERY METAMASK-LIKE WALLET CLIENT BROWSER [ 18 ]

19 DATA STRUCTURE STORING DATA ON THE ETHEREUM BLOCKCHAIN CAN BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE FOR END CONSUMERS AND COMPANIES. Initially, all data that is not stored at smart contract level (e.g. car graphics) will be stored in a centralised server, while decentralised storage solutions (e.g. InterPlanetary File System) will be used in the future. To keep data consistent over time, the CryptoCarz data layer consists of five data structures that interact with the Ethereum smart contracts. ENTITY DESCRIPTION Carz Main entity that stores all car names and specifications Garage Enables the association between car owners, cars and customisations Car Graphics List of all available car graphics in 2D and 3D Auction Master details of any auction process Bid Bidding transactions associated with potential owners and cars [ 19 ]

20 III - ROADMAP CRYPTOCARZ WILL BE DEVELOPED AND RELEASED IN THREE STAGES, FOLLOWING PRE-DEVELOPMENT WORK. It will start with the creation of a virtual garage and an interactive race track. Next, we will release a marketplace and add single-player time trial modes. Finally, we will enable multiplayer and tournament modes while extending the game on VR-enabled platforms. PHASE 03 RACE! PHASE 01 WALK PHASE 02 DRIVE Single Track Time Trial Additional Components Marketplace for Components Online Multi-player Content Creation Multi-platform and VR 6-8 MONTHS PHASE 00 PRE-DEV Technical Foundation Car Design Marketplace for Cars Car Components Test Track 3 MONTHS 3 MONTHS Smart Contract Development [ 20 ]

21 PHASE 00 PRE-DEV TECHNICAL FOUNDATION The first step in the CryptoCarz journey is the set-up of a secure and scalable technical architecture that will adapt in line with later stages of the roadmap. This includes the installation and configuration of back-end components, development of the smart contracts, creation of the CryptoCarz underlying data model and connectivity, integration with the wallet (MetaMask) and interfacing with the Ethereum blockchain. Users will have access to the CryptoCarz website, where they will be able to see 3D models and specifications of cars in a virtual showroom. Users will be able to log in using their wallet information to acquire and manage their favourite models. These will then be available in their personal garage. SMART CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT Each car model released will be a unique ERC721 NFT. An initial version of a CryptoCarz smart contract will be released in the pre-development stage that will include car definition, issuance and transfer methods, as well as methods to ensure the secure processing of smart contract transactions. The smart contract code will be audited by an independent third party before opening beta testing to the public. CAR DESIGN Most of the models will be released in the early stages of the project, while others will be added later in batches. Some very limited edition cars will be included as special features. In this initial phase, users will be able to interact with both high-resolution 2D and 360 3D views of the cars. [ 21 ]

22 PHASE 01 WALK VR GARAGE Building on a pre-existing VR garage developed in phase 0, we will develop a more advanced VR visualisation tool that will be fully integrated into the game s graphical environment. Users will be able to zoom in or out, rotate around three axes, display components and have a first look at the customisation and upgrade possibilities that will be available at a later stage. CAR COMPONENTS As part of our efforts to deliver a unique experience to each player, car customisation will be an important part of the game. In this phase, we will build car components that will be made accessible to users and interchangeable in their car (e.g. engines, aerokits, exhausts, rims). ANIMATION In parallel to the development of car parts, we will work on the dynamic rendering of animations that will affect the cars during a race (e.g. wheel rotation, lights, car damage). MARKETPLACE TO BUY AND SELL CARS The pre-development phase version of the website will only allow users to acquire cars. Now, in phase 1, users will be given access to a marketplace where they can buy and sell cars. Components integration will be visual and technical, integrating with the CryptoCarz data model framework. The first release of car components will be limited and will serve as a proof of concept. Additional delivery of components will be done in phase 3. [ 22 ]

23 PHASE 02 DRIVE THIS STAGE WILL REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS TO DEVELOP AND LAUNCH A MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT OF THE TEST TRACK. BLOCKCHAIN TO TRACK INTEGRATION Given that each car is modelled as an NFT, it will be possible to leverage smart contract integration within each race track. The test track developed in this phase will be used to test the integration and to trigger smart contract transactions depending on specific events that will happen during the race or at the finish line. This will be particularly useful for the multiplayer stage of phase 3. SINGLE TRACK TIME TRIAL A first version of the race track will be available to players for single-player time trials. Users will be able to race with their own cars stored in the Garage and track their performance. Closed beta testing with incentives will also be made available to early users to improve the gaming experience for future tracks and multiplayer modes. ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS After the delivery of the initial car components in phase 1, we will focus on creating new content to extend the players customisable experience. Car components will be external and internal, impacting both visuals and performance. Advanced visualisation of components will also be available to give players full control of their customised parts and to offer them relevant upgrades. MARKETPLACE FOR COMPONENTS All car components will be integrated into the CryptoCarz marketplace, meaning that players will be able to buy and sell not only cars, but also custom car parts. The marketplace will be integrated with the Garage via upgrade and personalisation suggestions. Also, the users will be able to sort the cars by most viewed and/or popular components and see the latest transactions. SMART CONTRACT RENTING FUNCTIONALITY To make the CryptoCarz experience even more engaging, players will be able to rent out their cars to other players, through automated processing via a smart contract in the background. They will be able to specify rental agreement terms (e.g. length of rental period, price). This functionality can then be extended to car components. For example, a user could rent custom parts just to run a specific race. [ 23 ]

24 PHASE 03 RACE! IN THE FINAL STAGE OF PRODUCTION, WE WILL APPROACH A FULL ONLINE MULTIPLAYER RELEASE, INCORPORATING FULL VR FUNCTIONALITIES. THIS STAGE WILL REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. ONLINE MULTIPLAYER The ultimate goal of CryptoCarz is to offer a comprehensive multiplayer experience in which the users leverage their own cars. Phase 3 will focus on adding multiplayer functionalities to the game. This will include handling interactions between cars, tracking race progress and adding tools for communication between players. It will also involve building a race statistics system to provide rankings of the best drivers and best-performing cars. CONTENT CREATION During this phase, new race tracks will be delivered by the CryptoCarz team. However, to ensure continuous creativity, software development kits will be delivered to allow external developers to create their own content that can be integrated into the game (e.g. car designs, race tracks) generating a revenue stream for the content creators. Original racing modes will also be created. Partnerships will be leveraged with racing tracks and leagues, which will be integrated into the game via smart contracts. MULTIPLATFORM AND VR The CryptoCarz game will initially be delivered on a desktop/ web platform. The last stage of the roadmap will include delivery of the game on other platforms (e.g. mobile, tablet) and VR-enabled environments (e.g. Oculus, Gear). Since we already have extensive experience in VR development, we will show proof of concepts during various events held in the earlier phases. We aim to enter into partnerships with VR theme parks across the world, to showcase the technology and to attract more gamers. [ 24 ]

25 IV - TEAM THE CRYPTOCARZ CONCEPT AND PLATFORM ARE DEVELOPED BY BLOCKCHAIN STUDIOS, A VENTURE PRODUCTION STUDIO SPECIALISING IN BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT. This is a joint venture between established partners in their respective fields: Active Genes, Diginex and Shadow Factory. Blockchain Studios brings together engineering and visual innovation, combining technologies in new ways that are being enabled by the blockchain revolution. CryptoCarz is Blockchain Studios first project that brings together unique domain expertise from these three parties: Active Genes, blockchain strategy and software development; Diginex, industry-leading blockchain design and development; and Shadow Factory, in-depth virtual reality and gaming experience. Active Genes Is a solution consultancy based in Hong Kong and Dubai, combining expertise in strategy, software and product development. Active Genes strength is in the development of original concepts from the design stage, followed by straight-through processing to develop a complete product and bring it to market. Shadow Factory Is a B2B virtual, augmented and mixed reality production services company with operations in Hong Kong and Toronto. Shadow Factory offers new and exciting ways to engage audiences with quality, story-driven, fully immersive and interactive experiences and digital solutions. These span VR, AR and MR games, cinematics and apps. With its extended panel of products, Shadow Factory is the creative backbone of Blockchain Studios. Diginex Is a leading blockchain and digital services platform, with offices in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany and Japan. The company covers all aspects of the distributed ledger technology ecosystem with smart contract design and provision, Initial Coin Offering (ICO) advisory, mining and high-performance computing operations in Asia, Switzerland and Sweden. Diginex leads the design, development and deployment of CryptoCarz smart contracts, while keeping the focus on the securitisation and scalability of the product.