Around
Around the world a new type of
worker
Around the world a new type of worker has emerged.
They
They make
They make big profits for
companies
They make big profits for companies but really leave home
or
companies but really leave home or break into a sweat.
They
They generate millions playing
a
They generate millions playing a new breed of online video
game.
For
For me
For me it
For me it comes as a blessing.
In
In a
In a virtual world where work
and
In a virtual world where work and play are one and the same.
Could
Could this be our future in the
Metaverse?
The
The Philippines has been hit by
its
The Philippines has been hit by its deepest recession since
records
its deepest recession since records began.
Dom
Dom rescued his family by
playing
Dom rescued his family by playing an online video game
called
playing an online video game called Axie Infinity. With
millions
called Axie Infinity. With millions of others, he earns
money
millions of others, he earns money breeding and battling
fantasy
money breeding and battling fantasy fairy creatures called
Axies
fantasy fairy creatures called Axies in their digital
universe,
Axies in their digital universe, Lunasia. In his first
month
universe, Lunasia. In his first month he doubled the money he
made
month he doubled the money he made in his previous job as an
accountant.
To
To play
To play you must form a team of
three
To play you must form a team of three Axies. New then do battle
and
three Axies. New then do battle and if you win, you are
rewarded
and if you win, you are rewarded and in game currency
called
rewarded and in game currency called Smooth Love Potion and
when
called Smooth Love Potion and when you have enough you
Recently,
Recently, players were robbed
by
Recently, players were robbed by crisis. It has been quiet
for
by crisis. It has been quiet for too long, SLP has been
going
for too long, SLP has been going down
love potion was hit, wiping out as entire value. Many scholars
refuse
as entire value. Many scholars refuse to produce love potion
and
refuse to produce love potion and were sacked or left the
game.
and were sacked or left the game. However, others remained
loyal.
And
And now
And now he is doing his part to
recruit
And now he is doing his part to recruit players to the Guild to
work
recruit players to the Guild to work in the Axie economy.
This
This is
This is Gail, Dom 's sister.
He
He has
He has enlisted his own brother
to
He has enlisted his own brother to work as a scholar for the
Guild.
Kabee
Kabee is
Kabee is unable to get a job
using
Kabee is unable to get a job using his computer science
degree.
But
But his
But his Axie earnings have
taken
But his Axie earnings have taken a nosedive and they must
rely
taken a nosedive and they must rely on side hustle to pay the
bills.
However,
However, Axie Infinity is still
worth
However, Axie Infinity is still worth over $2 billion and
remains
worth over $2 billion and remains one of the most popular
play
remains one of the most popular play to earn games in the
world.
play to earn games in the world. Be this success is down
to
world. Be this success is down to its ingenious design that
has
to its ingenious design that has transformed everything in
the
has transformed everything in the game into a financial asset
that
the game into a financial asset that can be owned and bought
and
that can be owned and bought and sold. Stop every bouncing
Axie
and sold. Stop every bouncing Axie is, in fact, a non-
fungible
Axie is, in fact, a non- fungible token, or NFT, a
unique
fungible token, or NFT, a unique piece of digital data
that
unique piece of digital data that represents ownership and
value.
that represents ownership and value. Stop and every drop of
Smooth
value. Stop and every drop of Smooth Love Potion is a unit of
crypto
Smooth Love Potion is a unit of crypto currency, or digital
money.
crypto currency, or digital money. Stop both exist on a
blockchain,
money. Stop both exist on a blockchain, an online ledger
that
blockchain, an online ledger that is stored on computers
around
that is stored on computers around the world and is
protected
around the world and is protected by powerful
cryptography.
protected by powerful cryptography. Making assets and
love
cryptography. Making assets and love potions digital assets
that
love potions digital assets that can be owned and traded
incentivises
that can be owned and traded incentivises players to take
time
incentivises players to take time and money on the game and
as
time and money on the game and as they are exchangeable
assets,
as they are exchangeable assets, assets and love potion
can
assets, assets and love potion can be traded for other crypto
and
can be traded for other crypto and traditional currencies,
such
and traditional currencies, such as dollars. Every time
this
such as dollars. Every time this is done by its millions of
players
this is done by its millions of players the game 's owners
charge
players the game 's owners charge a fee, turning play into
a
charge a fee, turning play into a highly efficient way of
making
a highly efficient way of making profits.
Many
Many think that the fusion of
play
Many think that the fusion of play and work in virtual
economies
play and work in virtual economies like Axie Infinity is
our
economies like Axie Infinity is our future.
And
And a
And a new
And a new business opportunity
for
And a new business opportunity for the Philippines.
Other
Other countries have silicon
valley.
Other countries have silicon valley. In Korea there is
Samsung.
valley. In Korea there is Samsung. In Vietnam a lot of
people
Samsung. In Vietnam a lot of people are creating new
technology.
people are creating new technology. So in the
Philippines
technology. So in the Philippines we want to be known
as
Philippines we want to be known as the centre of the play to
earn
as the centre of the play to earn concept. Be it change the
narrative
earn concept. Be it change the narrative that Philippines is
not
narrative that Philippines is not just for call centres. Now
we
not just for call centres. Now we are becoming the centre of
the
we are becoming the centre of the play to earn Metaverse
games.
By
By 2018,
By 2018, Venezuela 's economic
crisis
By 2018, Venezuela 's economic crisis pushed nearly 90% of its
citizens
crisis pushed nearly 90% of its citizens into poverty. The end
for
citizens into poverty. The end for first-time dad Magill
Margot,
for first-time dad Magill Margot, scarcity became a way
of
Margot, scarcity became a way of life.
With
With hyperinflation rampant,
alongside
With hyperinflation rampant, alongside millions of others,
Magal
alongside millions of others, Magal tried to escape his
misery
Magal tried to escape his misery abroad.
--
-- Miguel. He hitched and
walked
-- Miguel. He hitched and walked 2000 kilometres to Peru,
but
walked 2000 kilometres to Peru, but was unable to make a
living.
But
But on
But on his return to Venezuela,
he
But on his return to Venezuela, he discovered the Axie promise.
Venezuela's government has even
set
Venezuela's government has even set up its own Axie Academy, to
give
set up its own Axie Academy, to give people like Ana away of
surviving.
And
And to
And to earn crypto currency for
itself.
But
But until
But until recently, the regime
saw
But until recently, the regime saw the game as a threat.
However,
However, for Miguel, doubts
crept
However, for Miguel, doubts crept in when he realised the
Axie
crept in when he realised the Axie economy is no more stable
than
Axie economy is no more stable than Venezuela's.
It
It made
It made him question the whole
idea
It made him question the whole idea of play to earn gaming.
Some
Some even
Some even think that Axie is a
form
Some even think that Axie is a form of digital piecework, but
done
form of digital piecework, but done when you think you are
playing.
And
And what
And what use is an Axie asset
if
And what use is an Axie asset if there is no Axie game?
So
So he
So he turned to another job to
survive.
So he turned to another job to survive. Miguel is a very
efficient
survive. Miguel is a very efficient assassin in his home
town.
He
He grinds
He grinds away up to 15 hours a
day
He grinds away up to 15 hours a day playing an online video
game
day playing an online video game called Old School
Runescape.
game called Old School Runescape. Although never
intended
Runescape. Although never intended to be away for players
to
intended to be away for players to money, today, many
Venezuelans
to money, today, many Venezuelans rely on it to
survive.
Miguel
Miguel does this for wealthy,
mostly
Miguel does this for wealthy, mostly foreign players, who pay
him
mostly foreign players, who pay him to boost their avatars'
status
him to boost their avatars' status in the game. He
completes
status in the game. He completes missions, defeating
monsters
completes missions, defeating monsters and other players in
battle,
monsters and other players in battle, and collect valuable
items
battle, and collect valuable items such as armour, weapons
and
items such as armour, weapons and gold that can be sold to
other
and gold that can be sold to other players.
And
And RuneScape is much better
suited
And RuneScape is much better suited to Miguel's world than
Axie
suited to Miguel's world than Axie Infinity. Venezuelans
endure
Axie Infinity. Venezuelans endure constant power
blackouts,
endure constant power blackouts, high data costs and
low-grade
blackouts, high data costs and low-grade computer hardware
supplied
low-grade computer hardware supplied by the government.
But
But this
But this is no problem for
RuneScape,
But this is no problem for RuneScape, which uses simple,
old-fashioned
RuneScape, which uses simple, old-fashioned graphics to
please
old-fashioned graphics to please its nostalgic players.
Miguel
Miguel works long hours to
provide
Miguel works long hours to provide for his son.
But
But playing is taking its toll.
However,
However, RuneScape is much more
than
However, RuneScape is much more than just work for Miguel.
A
A better
A better way to escape.
With
With one
With one catch.
Even
Even though RuneScape, again
made
Even though RuneScape, again made just for having fun, is a
safer
made just for having fun, is a safer bet than Axie Infinity,
Miguel
safer bet than Axie Infinity, Miguel knows he can take
nothing
Miguel knows he can take nothing for granted.