Asia Pioneer Entertainment Launches Mini Macau Metaverse Project

Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Limited (APE) has launched its new metaverse experience, Mini Macau.

Built on The Sandbox Game platform, Mini Macau is a new APE business project targeting digital tourists who are unable to travel to major resort destinations due to COVID restrictions. Mini Macau’s virtual land consists of some of the most famous Macau tourist attractions such as the Macau Tower, The Senado Square, Ruins of St Paul’s and the Ah Ma temple; initially launched on The Sandbox’s Game Maker gallery.

Mr Tony Chan Chi Lun, CFO and Executive Director at APE Holdings, said: “The launch of Mini Macau is APE’s first foray into the metaverse via Sandbox. We are delighted to have three local real-life Macau brands in our Mini Macau: Choi Heong Yuen Bakery, Seng Fung Jewellery and O Junco de 9 Jades restaurant. The virtual mini-shops have been built to showcase our cooperation with real retail brands from Macau on the metaverse. To engage with players/digital travellers, we have designed two skill-based games: The ‘Fortune Cookie’ treasure hunt and ‘Avoid the Tourists’ games. Players that complete these challenges can win real life prizes redeemable in Macau. We hope to expand Mini Macau to other Macanese brands for advertising and for online to offline booking/ecommerce opportunities.”

Mr Chan added: “Mini Macau will serve as a prototype for the future development of our own metaverse travel and hospitality platform, called the ‘Resortverse’. In our Resortverse, we plan to bring real life resorts and travel destinations into the metaverse and provide a platform with gamification and rewards. Our travel and hospitality metaverse platform will enable resorts and merchants to engage with digital travellers with online gamification and offer real offline rewards and coupons that can benefit their businesses. An increase in virtual travel through our immersive metaverse would attract new foot traffic to real life resorts and travel destinations. Our plan is to launch our Resortverse travel and hospitality platform by year end 2022.”