The Voice debuted a metaverse gamified experience that lets fans coach singers on a virtual stage, win NFTs for their predictions on the live show, and gain access to exclusive experiences.
Fans of global singing competition show The Voice can now experience the thrill of coaching their own star in a new Metaverse experience that connects the actual show with virtual reality.
On May 8, decentralized gaming platform developer The Sandbox revealed the launch of “The Voice Coach Battle” in partnership with Virtual Brands Group (VBG) and ITV Studios, the production company behind the show.
This metaverse experience allows fans to sit in the show's iconic red chair as a celebrity coach and press big red buttons to coach future stars - similar to the process on the actual show, with the game adjusting based on every choice made by the virtual coach.
In addition to being a gamified version of the hit show, the Metaverse experience encourages fans to play along with NBC’s 25th season of “The Voice” within the game.
This is done by using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to incentivize gamers, who can earn tokens each week for correctly predicting which players will advance to the next round and ultimately who will win the competition.
Voting in a contest in the Metaverse. Source: The Sandbox
Those who enter the NFT-powered contest will also have the chance to win a chance to attend a live taping of the show in one of the five different countries where the show airs — building a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
Cointelegraph spoke to Justin Hochberg, CEO of Virtual Brand Group, who said this moment, along with experiences like “The Voice Battle,” are setting the stage for “transformation in television”:
"Today, the average age of a gamer is 34, nearly 20 years younger than the broadcast television audience."
Hochberg added: "Social gaming platforms create opportunities for content to connect with that elusive younger demographic, which will extend the lifecycle of the TV format and make it more valuable globally."
He noted that the Metaverse and Web3 interactive social games are “tailor-made” for the content consumption patterns of a generation that grew up with social media and the creator economy.
"Now, viewers can participate in the show and even become contributors to it."
Hochberg speculates that in less than 24 months, “all of the top global series” will begin offering parallel gamified experiences that will run in real time and be integrated with the actual physical shows.
