Today we’re covering a game that is starting to gain coverage for young investors on Reddit
and TikTok, some are even calling it the next Bitcoin.
Earth2.io is described as a futuristic concept for a second earth, a metaverse between virtual
and physical reality in which real-world geo locations on a sectioned map correspond to
user generated environments.
Ok, so what does all that mean?
Basically, earth2 took the world in satellite view and laid a grid over it so each tile
can currently be bought or sold, with the developers saying there’s more game developments
coming in the near future.
This concept of selling tiles is actually not new, and if you were on the internet back
in the early 2000’s you might remember the “Million Dollar Homepage”.
In 2005, a college student named Alex Tew created a website with a 1000 x 1000 grid
and sold each pixel for $1 each.
In 4 months he made $1 million dollars, and the people who bought them treated it like
a marketing stunt or advertising since the site got a lot of press.
With Earth2, the Game creators say it is in Phase 1- meaning you can buy land, with each
tile being priced differently around the world.
Starting to look around the map, you’ll notice that many major cities have already
been bought out.
While some are saying it could be a scam, we did a lot of research to figure out who’s
behind it and how players are currently investing in this game, to figure out what it could
become.
Buying land is very easy, you can register for an account and deposit funds with PayPal.
Currently the game has what they call E$, and 1 E$ is equivalent to 1 USD.
The game will most likely create their own crypto currency, which is stated in their
Terms Of Service and they can do it at any time.
This would make sense, allowing users to own a cryptocurrency that could, in theory, be
traded in and outside the Earth2 game.
Browsing around under Buy Land, the first place most people will look is their home
country and neighborhood.
Many players are speculating and buying expensive cities in the US, Europe and islands.
The most expensive country has been the USA, with tiles costing nearly $45 each.
Meanwhile, some of the cheaper countries can go for as little as 0.10 to 0.30 cents per
tile.
We don’t know how the pricing of the tiles work, and while the devs are saying it’s
an algorithm, the prices can be controlled by the developers and manipulated by the players.
And while Earth2 appears to be just selling tiles right now, the creators have a much
larger plan for the game.
They have described a phased approach, with Phase 1 starting with Land.
The satellite view of the current Earth allows users to pick locations based on what they
know today, and the conceived value of those locations.
This is actually working, causing users to concentrate on buying near each other in order
to create what many are calling “Megacities”.
The land is also classified between classes 1-4, with Class 1 being the initial land that
players bought when the country first became available.
Over time, they are saying Class 1 land will be the most useful, and it currently pays
small dividends called Land Income Tax.
However, there’s still a lot of questions to be answered.
For example some places such as the 7th wonders of the world have been blocked off.
Some countries are not available yet due to geopolitical reasons like Dubai, while religious
locations like churches and mosques have also been blocked.
We don’t know if these monuments will still exist in the future, and what the developers
will do with the land.
In Phase 2, Land will start to generate resources that will be vital for building and economic
purposes.
They will also introduce “Essence”, which will be the basis of everything.
It reflects the place you own, what’s in the ground and - in later upgrades - will
be able to reproduce it.
The Developers have said in updates that every tile in Earth 2 will be usable, every tile
will produce something.
However, it is possible that its special usefulness will only be revealed in a later tier.
Many users have been speculating by purchasing virtual land on top of oil, gold mine, diamonds,
forests and more.
The developers have said that if you’re sitting on a literal goldmine, yes, that surely
will come in handy soon.
But they also said that resources will be randomized, and some people may be sitting
on a metaphorical gold mine without even realising it for years.
However, basic raw materials will be produced by every bit of land anyway.
In Phase 3, the developers say they will introduce the 3D terrain which will also take the game
outside of just a browser and to gaming consoles like Xbox and Playstation.
The game will be built on top of the Unity engine, which will allow players to easily
and quickly build structures.
We think that Players may be given only a few certain assets in the beginning, so they’ll
have to work on their land to attain better assets in the future.
While this sounds like a pipe dream, you’d be surprised at how quickly games built on
the Unity platform can scale.
Two of the developers on the Earth2 team look to have previous experience building games
such as this one called D.R.O.N.E, so you can expect the building editor to look something
like this.
For scale, you look at games like Minecraft or Civilization games such as SIV6 6, or Anno
in the way of resources.
The community will be the key in the success of Earth2, along with the consistent release
of new features from the developers.
Already, there are guilds and clans forming around Earth2, and megacities being planned.
But it is possible for the developers to struggle with releases, and players could lose interest
before it reaches critical mass.
There’s also risks that the virtual economy in the game could be used for money laundering
and pump and dumps.
However, the developers have stated they are being very careful to monitor this and PayPal
monitors for it as well.
For taking money out of the game, you first need to sell your land in the marketplace.
Currently, the size of the market seems small and many people have their tiles priced at
a premium.
To withdraw funds, Earth2 uses TransferWise which is a separate service that uses bank
transfer.
You will also need to give them all your personal information in order for them to process the
payment.
Currently, it seems like it’s fast and easy to deposit funds and slower and more complicated
to withdraw money.
Which can make you wonder, is Earth2 a scam?
It very well could be, but we wouldn’t know for sure.
Right now, it looks like a real game that the developers are passionate about building,
with a growing community.
We think Earth2 is a very exciting concept, especially after the pandemic we realize how
much can be done virtually.
Earth2 is not constrained by things in real life, so you can expect players will do all
sorts of interesting things.
Keep in mind that Earth2 is a game, not an investment.
And while some players might end up becoming the next “e2 millionaires”, the game will
most likely be designed to spend your credits.
Just like a casino, you’re in their house and you play by their rules.
This isn’t like a cryptocurrency that is decentralized.
You should only gamble money you expect to lose - play the game and have some fun in
the process.
So, what are your thoughts on Earth2?
let us know in the comments below.
And if you’re going to try the game, check out the link in the description for more details.