# Metaverse Chronicles: Decentraland & Beyond

**Published by:** [Metaverse Chronicles: Decentraland and Beyond](https://paragraph.com/@metabeast/)
**Published on:** 2023-05-10
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@metabeast/metaverse-chronicles-decentraland-beyond

## Content

Dear Metaverse Explorers, Welcome to "Metaverse Chronicles: Decentraland & Beyond"! We're excited to explore the dynamic world of Web 3, Decentraland and the broader metaverse with you. Each issue, we'll bring you exclusive interviews, news, event highlights, puzzles, and captivating location features. Our goal is to keep you informed, entertained, and inspired as you navigate these virtual realms. I asked Jarod to join me in this endeavor and I am excited to collaborate with such an excellent writer and passionate Decentraland resident. Only the main articles from the newsletter will be posted here. Other information such as events, metrics, etc. will be included on the actual newsletter. If you wish to obtain a copy please reach out to me on Twitter. A link is attached at the end of the first article. Just click on author. We appreciate your support and welcome your feedback as we grow and develop our publication. Happy exploring! Intr oduction: A Chance Encounter with the Nyolings Project One day, as I was browsing through Twitter, I came across a tweet by Hirotokai, a respected and renowned figure in the Decentraland community, about a game he was developing for an intriguing NFT project. Having collaborated with Hirotokai on a wearable before and knowing his legendary status in Decentraland, I was instantly drawn to the project and decided to acquire one of the NFTs. To my surprise, I discovered that Category Five, a metaversal DJ with whom I had crossed paths during the "Beattrekkers" DJ battle I hosted, was also involved in the project. This unexpected reunion of the three of us, who shared a passion for the project's success, further piqued my interest and led me to uncover the fascinating story of the Nyolings and their remarkable community-driven turnaround. Hearing how the Nyolings project nearly failed and how the community had come together to carry it forward, I felt compelled to share this story. Far too often, projects in the Web 3 space fail and never recover. The tale of the Nyolings serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, showcasing the transformative power of community-driven passion and the reuniting of three passionate individuals. Here is their inspiring story. The Nyolings NFT Project The Great Nyolings Revival: When Community Passion Transforms an NFT Project In the rapidly evolving world of NFTs, the Nyolings project stands out as a testament to the power of community-driven efforts. I had the opportunity to speak with Category Five, a metaversal DJ, NFT collector, and Web 3 enthusiast, who played a pivotal role in the project's turnaround. Category Five shared their initial encounter with the Nyolings project, stating, "I discovered the Nyolings project soon after its minting and was captivated by the incredibly intricate, lively, and adorable 3D artwork." Regrettably, even with its distinct and dynamic 3D visuals, the project almost collapsed due to poor management and the intrusion of individuals pursuing fast gains. The turning point came when the founding team offered ownership to the community, who eagerly accepted the challenge to breathe new life into the project. Category Five explained, "The founder realized that they could not keep up with the demands of the community, so they made the decision to offer ownership of the project to the community, which we accepted." With control of the smart contract transferred, the community worked tirelessly to add new utilities to the project. Category Five shared that, "The main utility now of Nyolings is owning one of the best PFPs on the blockchain and having access to our amazing community of friends and builders." The community also eagerly anticipates the release of NyoVille, an open-ended crafting and survival adventure game featuring Nyolings as main characters and NPCs, designed by Hirotokai. Category Five described the gaming experience as one that is "very customized towards user preference; you can chill and build a farming empire or go fight wizards with magic spells in caves!" Through the project's trials and tribulations, the community has learned the importance of communication and transparency. Category Five and the board of directors now prioritize involving the community in every decision, hosting open board meetings in Discord where members can participate and have their voices heard. With the community's unwavering passion and dedication, the Nyolings project is now thriving, boasting an engaging, diverse community that has found success through social adoption and user experience. Category Five reflected on their measure of success, stating, "To me, that means new people using Nyolings PFPs on Twitter and Nyolings owners having a great time with their community members on Twitter and Discord." The project's story serves as an inspiring example for other NFT projects facing similar challenges, emphasizing the potential of harnessing the love and care of those who genuinely appreciate the art and intellectual property. Category Five offered advice to other NFT projects, saying, "Find the people who love and care about your IP and art and build with them. The global and diverse connections that Web 3 enables are unlike anything on earth!" As the Nyolings community continues to grow and evolve, they look forward to upcoming developments such as the launch of their new website, mobile staking integration, and the continuation of their successful weekly poker tournaments. With a renewed focus on community engagement and a strong foundation built on passion and collaboration, the Nyolings project has become a shining example of how a dedicated community can turn a struggling NFT project into a soaring success. Author: 1Existence Nyoville Game courtesy of Hirotokai From Science Fiction to Reality First coined in the 1992 cyberpunk novel Snow Crash by author Neal Stephenson, the word "Metaverse" has been used to describe a shared virtual experience that connects the intangible digital world with society's chaos. At the time of Snow Crash's writing, the Metaverse was little more than a digital dream. For perspective, the smartphone in your pocket is at least 1000 times more powerful than the fastest supercomputer, The Paragon at Caltech, at the time of the book's publishing. Since its inception, the idea of a metaverse has been technologically out of reach. That tends to be the nature of science fiction. While it feels foolish to acknowledge it out loud, it is easy to lose the forest for the trees and forget we are discussing something considered Science Fiction within our lifetime. While there has always been a divide between what the term "metaverse" means and what is possible, in an ironic twist, as we move closer to realizing its potential in recent years, "the metaverse" has become one of those overused buzzwords that can mean any number of things to the person using it and is often presented in a way intended to sell you something that remains just out of reach, even as the march of technological advancement continues to bring us closer to the digital promise land. Selling a dream is easier than building something that changes the world. That isn't a particularly controversial statement, but as we go from a science fiction dream to realized social experience, there continues to be a significant divide between what the Metaverse is and how it is sold to the masses. If making the dreams of our imagination into something of tangible substance was easy, there would be no bad movies. If building a better future was easy, the world wouldn't be a dysfunctional mess filled with needless suffering. Unfortunately, we live in reality, and you can't reimagine society in a decade. It is all too common to hear people speaking about projects that have only existed for a fraction of that time as though they are abject failures—or discussing the merits of the entire space based on the work of a single project. No one company is going to make "The Metaverse." In the same way that Facebook isn't "The Internet," Meta isn't going to be "The Metaverse." Instead of framing the idea of the Metaverse as something that can be created and owned by an individual or business, understand that it will be a mosaic with individual contributors in the millions, if not billions, very much, in the same way the internet exists today. No one can tell you what the Metaverse is definitively; it isn't done yet. There will be centralized hubs and decentralized spaces. There will be places that honor all your digital goods, no matter where you purchased them, and there will be projects that don't. Some people will live their entire lives in the Metaverse without embracing digital ownership. In the same way, some people like working in Linux and understanding everything there is to know about how their computer works, and some people don't mind paying extra to have Apple; this will manafest in the form of people who are passionate about an Open Metaverse and personal ownership and people who don't care who owns their music as long as it plays when they want it to. Whatever final form the Metaverse takes, it will need to have a home for everyone. Author: Jarod

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