They would be able to explore tourist sites, play engagement games offered by the venue’s attractions, and win prizes, which could come in forms of discounts or souvenirs, all before arrival.
Upon landing, visitors could be directed to pick up their prizes at the sites, which would drive footfall to attractions and venues.
In addition, they could be redirected back into the metaverse through the physical venue by earning points or getting additional rebates that could benefit them in the virtual space.
In healthcare, smart technology could be used to track a user’s health and eating habits, Mr Woon said. Grocery shopping could be a curated experience with artificial intelligence (AI) suggesting items based on consumption patterns and health needs, he added.
“MAKE FARMING SEXY” FOR YOUTH
Another physical-digital venture is Xctuality’s gamification of the agriculture industry. The firm set up Metafarms, a Web3 phygital farm in the Philippines which involves gamers in the virtual space and farmers in the fields.
“We connect physical farms – the farmers, the operations, the lifestock and the cash crops, with the metaverse and gamification side of it. So kind of think of it like FarmVille, but connected to real farms,” he said, referring to the popular video and mobile game where users farm and harvest crops.
In Xctuality’s phygital reality, users play a farming game in the metaverse, and part of the earnings go directly to the farmers, who can use the cash to buy more crops and equipment to generate more income. A part of the revenue then goes back into the game.
Mr Woon said it is a win-win situation for the players and the farmers, in both the digital and physical realms.
“There are real tangible benefits behind playing this game and the farmers benefit as well. We are trying to help the farmers – the small guys – because a lot of times they are ‘unbankable’, especially across Southeast Asia,” he said.
