Just a few years ago the crypto world was very different: people were skeptical, reserved and did not believe in the success of blockchain projects. You probably heard people speaking about Bitcoin with regret: ‘If only I had invested…’ It was not so long ago that you could buy Bitcoin for pennies. Introduced in 2009 it was worthless, but it reached $0.09 in 2010, exploding to $1 the very same year and kept growing. The rest is history: the price of 1 Bitcoin is now around $47,600, and, even with fluctuations, it is undeniably a lot for something you could have gotten with your lunch money.
We live in a fast-paced modern world. New things come and go and it is hard to keep track of them. Blockchain technology gave us Bitcoin, but it did not stop there. From various other cryptocurrencies emerging to NFTs, blockchain keeps us on the edge, curious and attentive.
The latest fad is NFT play-to-earn games. By employing NFTs, these games strive to give users tools to earn by simply playing the game. In the past profiting from gaming was only possible for a few lucky people, such as professional esport players, streamers and content creators. NFT games aim to change that. Now everyone with some free time on their hands and a passion for gaming can make a living playing video games - or at least earn some additional income. It is only fair to monetize your skills.
If you want to pinpoint when play-to-earn games started, you have to keep in mind that even before blockchain technology was booming, there were play-to-earn elements incorporated into various games. For example, you can potentially earn from playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. By playing you obtain items that can be traded or sold to other players. Holding to these items sometimes raises their price as they become rarer and harder to acquire. Not too bad for something you can receive for free - but not enough to fully invest yourself into gaming just to make additional money.
NFT game projects usually integrate several different strategies to enable the player to profit as they strive to give users the most from the gaming experience. In this article, we will look through the Mars4 project and compare it to the popular Sandbox game to see how they create their play-to-earn mechanism.
Mars4: Survive on Mars, earn money
The upcoming Mars4 game can best be described as a survival game. Players will struggle against the harsh reality of the Red Planet, build stations and other constructions, gather resources such as water and oxygen, and group up into full-fledged habitats to increase the chances of survival. This all will take place on interactive Mars land NFTs and will allow players to earn from playing. The first release of the game will contain a single-player experience. A multiplayer version will be launched after perfecting the mechanics of the game, making Mars a metaverse where players can visit each other, work together, explore galleries, offices and other exciting places.
Sandbox: Unleash your creativity and employ it
Sandbox is an open-world game where users can create different structures, roam and explore the world around them with no clear mission or goal. Players can easily create their own games within Sandbox without any coding knowledge. It is similar to Minecraft: both aesthetically and genre-wise. You can earn SAND, the cryptocurrency of the game, by creating assets and selling them to other users, so this game is especially attractive to artistic and imaginative people.
Mars4 vs Sandbox: Economy
When it comes to NFT games, it is important to understand how their economies work to get the best results.
Mars4 employs double tokenomics: Mars NFTs and MARS4 dollars.
Mars land NFTs are land plots created using NASA data that you can own and use on virtual Mars, in the Mars4 game. You will be able to explore it, gather resources from it and terraform it to make it your home. The game will be free to start playing as some lands will remain public but having land increases your profit. Mars NFTs are already available for purchase directly from the Mars4 website. These land NFTs are on the Ethereum blockchain.
The MARS4 dollar is a cryptocurrency that can be traded or staked to profit from it. It will also be used as the in-game currency: all transactions on Mars will be done in MARS4 dollars. As a player, you will be able to buy vehicles, resources, pay others to complete tasks for you and even get cosmetic items.
Sandbox is quite similar to Mars4 when it comes to tokenomics: it also incorporates two tokens, LAND and SAND.
In Sandbox, LAND is an NFT land plot you can purchase directly from their website or Opensea. They come in various sizes and can be treated as digital real estate. On top of LAND NFTs you can build your mini-games or experiences. Just like Mars NFTs, LAND is built on the Ethereum blockchain.
SAND is the cryptocurrency used in Sandbox. Just like the MARS4 dollar, it can be traded and staked. It is used to buy LAND NFTs and to interact with Sandbox experiences or purchase various in-game assets.
Mars4 vs Sandbox: Build your dream constructions
Sandbox is especially captivating for players that want to build their own worlds. You could say that the main objective of the game is to unleash your creativity and build anything you want. It allows users to monetize their creativity by opening up the market for user-made creations.
Mars4's main objective is immersive fun as it is a survival game, but it also allows users to construct buildings and terraform their Mars NFTs. By shaping Mars land NFTs you will increase its value as well. Not only that but developers are working on a platform that will enable Mars4 users to create their own cosmetic NFTs. That way it is the best of both worlds: it both creates an exciting experience and gives a chance for artistic people to apply their imagination.
Mars4 vs Sandbox: Metaverse
Like many other NFT games, both Mars4 and Sandbox aim to create an immersive Metaverse where players can explore lands and visit each other.
Both Mars4 and Sandbox allow commercial activity on their lands: companies can buy NFT real estate and build their offices, galleries, shops and use it to promote their products or services. Entertainment is also welcomed in both metaverses. Sandbox is already well known for hosting Snoop Dogg as the rapper has his land on the platform. The Mars metaverse will also allow concerts and parties, enriching the experience for players.
The striking difference is that the Mars4 project aims to give people access to virtual Mars and Sandbox has no set location. The aesthetic of the Mars4 project follows the Red Planet as the game developers try to create an accurate experience on a Mars metaverse using the same environments, weather patterns, geography, spacesuits, etc. Mars land NFTs were created using NASA data. From the macro perspective, topography in the game will be accurate rendering mountains and other terrain features where they are on Mars. Mars4 enables humanity to experience Mars from the safety of their home.
Mars4 will be a survival game, where Sandbox does not give players any defined goal and lets them use the platform to create their own mini-games within the game.
Mars4 vs Sandbox: Play-to-Earn
Both Mars4 and Sandbox are play-to-earn games but their earning mechanisms differ quite a lot.
Sandbox allows users to earn from these sources:
Make custom assets and put them on the marketplace.
Create mini-games on LAND and receive fees from players that want to access them. You will need LAND to be able to earn this way: you can either purchase your own LAND or rent from someone else.
Rent out your LAND.
Keep in mind that current Sandbox LAND prices are relatively high. The prices start from 3.2 ETH, so if you want to earn passive income from Sandbox, prepare to spend big.
Compared to Sandbox, Mars4 NFT prices are way lower. Currently, you can grab your piece on Mars for 578 USD. It is the best time to start investing in the Mars4 Metaverse project.
Mars4 project allows players to earn from various sources:
Earn passive income from the community pool just from holding the Mars NFT. The community pool is a tool used to distribute the revenue: a part of all of the revenue Mars4 gets goes into the pool that can later be opened up to distribute the contents to NFT holders.
Gather various resources from land and trade them.
Complete tasks for other players.
Create custom NFT assets and sell them on the marketplace.
Rent out land to land managers.
Sell your lands for a higher price.
As the game is not released yet, the Mars4 team is working on adding more income sources for players. The plan is to develop a game where players from various backgrounds and interests can have fun and earn from playing. You can join the Mars4 Discord community to get the freshest news first and prepare for your landing on Mars.
Conclusion
We looked into the Mars4 and Sandbox projects in depth. They share quite a few similarities as both are play-to-earn NFT games incorporating double tokenomics. Both games allow players to construct buildings, but Sandbox is more about creativity as it does not have any clearly defined objective and permits players to create custom games. Mars4 is a survival game that creates a rich and exciting experience on a Mars metaverse. As Mars4 is a new project, the prices for Mars NFTs are way lower compared to Sandbox. It is the best time to become an early investor before the project skyrockets and reaches Sandbox prices.
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