Bandai Namco, a leading video game creator, has collaborated with Oasys, a blockchain network focused on gaming, to develop an AI-driven virtual pet game featuring NFT-based digital creatures called RYU.
The game, RYUZO, was developed by Bandai Namco Research in partnership with Japanese startup Attructure and published by Double Jump.Tokyo. It was launched on Wednesday, and prior to the release, 10,000 digital NFT eggs (known as MARYU) were distributed to holders of Oasys' first series of NFTs in the "Oasyx" project.
These RYU creatures will transform into soulbound tokens, a unique type of token that is bound to its original wallet and cannot be transferred or sold.
The game's approach is similar to the classic Tamagotchi virtual pet game, where the RYU will develop a personality and unlock abilities based on user interaction. They can be fed and raced, and they learn new capabilities through artificial intelligence, offering a potentially more advanced virtual pet experience.
Players can also create further generations of MARYU within the application. The nurturing phase of the game is set to end in a year, but the creatures will remain active beyond that.
Oasys has announced collaborations with "notable game projects" and further NFT releases, including a crossover event with blockchain game Brave Frontier Heroes, developed by Double Jump.Tokyo.
Bandai Namco, a well-known traditional game publisher, has been behind iconic franchises like Pac-Man, Soulcalibur, and Tekken. They also released the hit action role-playing game Elden Ring last year.
RYUZO was co-developed by Bandai Namco Research, founded by Hajime Nakatani, a former game director and studio supervisor. Other significant game makers like Ubisoft are also building on Oasys, developing a tactical RPG called Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles.
In March 2022, Bandai Namco unveiled its first NFT project, World of Den-On-Bu, allowing users to purchase tokens based on a Japanese dance music game series. They also confirmed plans for a metaverse experience based on the popular "Gundam" anime franchise, with an expected investment of over $130 million, set to launch this October.
