Hong Kong rail operator MTR Corporation announced Thursday that it will partner with The Sandbox on a metaverse project to build a subway-themed virtual world theme park.
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Fast facts
- The rail operator said it will partner with The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, to “build a railway-focused virtual space to create unique, fun and immersive experiences through gamification.”
- MTR said it had acquired a plot of land in The Sandbox metaverse to build an immersive virtual station to provide games where players can drive trains and operate a train station.
- The site will also include a railway museum “to showcase the moments that MTR intersects with the communities and cultures of Hong Kong” and make use of the virtual environment to foster education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
- MTR said it will collaborate with Studio Collective to finalize the roadmap for the project.
- Several Hong Kong landmark buildings have been brought into The Sandbox, including the city’s aquatic theme park Ocean Park and the iconic Star Ferry.
- The Sandbox is looking to raise US$400 million at a more than US$4 billion valuation, according to a report earlier this week by Bloomberg.
- In November, The Sandbox raised US$93 million in a fundraising deal led by SoftBank.
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