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London-based startup Nothing is launching its first smartphone, Phone 1, on July 12. However, Americans who were eagerly anticipating the launch will be disappointed -- the phone won't be available in the US, the company confirmed to CNET. Leaker Evan Blass noted the absence earlier this week.
"Whilst we'd love to bring our second product to the entire community around the world, we will be focusing on home markets, including the UK and across Europe where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers," a Nothing spokesperson said in a statement. The phone will reportedly skip Canada, too.
Nothing is "definitely aiming to launch a US-supported mobile in the future," the spokesperson added, noting that a number of investors will be able to buy the Phone 1 in the US in a "closed beta program."
After launching in January 2021, Nothing released its first product, a pair of headphones called Ear 1. Its products' design have been marked by clear exteriors that provide a view of their innards.
Founder Carl Pei, who also co-founded OnePlus, has a history of designing high-quality phones that are cheaper than their rivals and has said Phone 1 will rival the iPhone. The phone will run on the Android-based Nothing OS and be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.
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Nothing Phone 1 Specs: How This Cheaper Phone Compares to the Pixel 6, iPhone 13
Nothing Phone 1 Specs: How This Cheaper Phone Compares to the Pixel 6, iPhone 13
There's a lot of hype surrounding the Nothing Phone 1 launch, especially considering its midrange price. But there are valid reasons for the fanfare. The Phone 1 is Carl Pei's first phone launch since his departure from OnePlus, which he led from a startup beloved by serious Android fans to a global purveyor of world-class phones.
Nothing says it's sold more than half a million pairs of its Ear 1 earbuds, its first consumer tech product, since its launch last August. And Nothing counts a glittering group of backers -- including iPod co-inventor Tony Fadell, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin and GV, formerly Google Ventures -- all betting Pei can create a big something out of his curiously named company.
The Phone 1, which is available in both black and white, went up for sale today, July 12. It's slated for a global release, hitting distributors across the world including the UK, Germany, India and Hong Kong. There's currently no plan for a US release, a spokesperson for the company said.
While pricing varies across markets, the Phone 1, starts at approximately $475 for the base 8GB RAM, 128GB storage variant and maxes out at about $590 for the 12GB RAM, 256GB storage variant after converting from international prices. With this price range, the Phone 1 is up against the iPhone SE 2022, the Google Pixel 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, among others. You can also scroll down to the bottom of this page for a side-by-side specs comparison, but make sure to check out our hands-on video of Phone 1 to glean first-hand insights of the device.
The Phone 1 includes a 6.55-inch OLED display, a dual-camera module, a fast-enough processor, a large battery with wireless charging and reverse charging. It also has an in-box charger, a feature that's increasingly uncommon even in premium phones. But one thing is obvious: The lion's share of Nothing's budget went towards design, although it may not be entirely unique considering the Phone 1's design, which echoes the iPhone's flat sides and rounded edges.
In an industry first, the Phone 1 has a transparent back panel, which gives you a peek of the device's components, including the camera, wireless charging coil and USB-C port. Procuring components that look good and function well under a transparent cover required meticulous customisation of components as well as rigorous testing, the company said. Rival manufacturer Xiaomi tried to create its own phone with a transparent design in the past, but its version used dummy components to mask the real ones.
The back of the Phone 1 is also home to the so-called "glyph" interface, the device's standout feature. The back of the phone literally lights up, thanks to hundreds of LED lights, which can be customized to tell you who is calling or indicate charging status. Given the design costs, Nothing said it was forced to make some tradeoffs to bring the Phone 1 to fruition at its targeted price. One of those is the chipset, which is the Snapdragon 778G Plus instead of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors. The company said it chose the midrange Qualcomm chipset because it's tried, tested and it "doesn't overheat."
The Phone 1 may not be as durable as some of its peers. Its IP53 rating is less than the IP67 rating of the similarly priced iPhone SE 2022, for example. The former rating means Phone 1 is protected against dust, and light sprays of water, but it is hardly waterproof. In other words, you'll be fine if you're caught in a light shower with this phone, but you shouldn't go running in the rain with it. Dropping it in the sink or toilet is a no-go, and you should definitely not take it anywhere near a pool.
To learn more about how Phone 1 stacks up against competitor phones, take a look at CNET's specs chart below.
Nothing 1 vs. competitors
Nothing Phone 1
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Google Pixel 6
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
iPhone 13
Display size, resolution
6.55-inch OLED display, 2,400x1,080 pixels
4.7-inch LCD; 1,334x750 pixels; 60Hz
6.4-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60 or 90Hz
6.4-inch AMOLED screen; Full HD Plus resolution; 2,340x1,080 pixels; 120Hz
Battery sized not disclosed (charger not included; supports wireless charging)
4,614 mAh
4,500 mAh (no bundled charger)
Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback
Fingerprint sensor
In-display
Under display
In-display
No
Connector
USB-C
Lightning
USB-C
USB-C
Lightning
Headphone jack
No
None
None
None
No (Face ID)
Special features
5G, IP53, Three years of Android updates, dual SIM, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
5G-enabled; supports 25W wired fast charging; water-resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
5G sub 6 (some carrier models also have 5G mmWave) support, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, five years' OS and security updates, IP68 rating for dust and water-resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (back), (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
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Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote
Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote
Roku has a new Ultra streaming device for 2022, but "new" is probably stretching things a bit far. It's really a very minor refresh of the 2020 Roku Ultra, basically a new bundle: The Roku Ultra now comes with the excellent Voice Remote Pro. The good news? The price is the same at $100.
The bad news? Unlike Apple, which last year updated the Apple TV 4K with fresher hardware and a faster processor alongside a new Siri Remote, Roku isn't actually changing anything about the Ultra streaming box itself. It's still the same box from 2020.
Like
Improved Voice Remote Pro is a welcome addition
Remote finder is awesome
Speedy app launching
Don't Like
Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus is $30 cheaper with similar features
Weaker voice assistant than Amazon and Google streamers
No Bluetooth headphone or Wi-Fi 6 support
No USB-C charging for Voice Remote Pro
That's not necessarily a bad thing. I very much enjoyed the Roku Ultra when I reviewed it in 2020 and the device still holds up two years later. But for $100, it remains a hard sell not just against the best streamers from Amazon, Apple and Google, but also compared with Roku's extensive line of more affordable sticks and players.
Unless you really need a streaming device with built-in Ethernet, you're better off saving the money and getting Roku's other bundle, the $70 Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus. The Streaming Stick 4K's processor isn't quite as beefy as the Ultra's but it can do nearly all the same tricks like Dolby Vision HDR, it includes a Voice Remote Pro and it costs $30 less than the 2022 Ultra.
Despite its new remote the Roku Ultra still doesn't do enough to push the capabilities of what a streaming player can do. I'm still waiting for sizable changes to Roku's platform that adjust to the latest trends in streaming, such as gaming and more robust voice support. This update crosses one item off my Roku Ultra wish list, but there are four more.
Our updated review, largely based on the original 2020 review, follows below. You can read our review of the Voice Remote Pro here.
Read more: Roku Ultra vs. Apple TV 4K: Battle of the High-End Streaming Boxes
Small tweaks to a familiar design
The Ultra is the only Roku that can connect to wired Ethernet without an adapter.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Although it's much bigger than a streaming stick, the Roku Ultra box is still quite compact. It's made of tapered matte plastic and should be easy to fit in a cabinet or on a stand under your TV.
The remote finder button is on the right side of the device and the back has a USB-A port, HDMI output and Ethernet port. The DC power port is still proprietary, which is also fine but it would've been nice to see USB-C in case you lose the adapter.
The included Voice Remote Pro has the same plastic finish and rubber buttons as other Roku devices, with volume and mute controls on the right side. On the left is a switch to disable the always-on mic as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening. The included earbuds are basic, but they get the job done.
I like that the remote is rechargeable, especially since Roku remotes tend to chew through batteries quickly, but unfortunately, it still uses Micro-USB to charge and lacks backlighting. The only difference between the remote bundled with the 2022 Ultra remote and the regular Voice Remote Pro I reviewed is that the bottom two buttons now are for Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus as opposed to Hulu and Sling TV.
There is Bluetooth on the Ultra, but this can only be used for streaming audio from a phone, tablet or computer and not for pairing Bluetooth headphones. I'm not sure how useful the feature is, given how Roku has apps for a number of music services, including Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, not to mention the YouTube app. If you want to connect Bluetooth headphones you need to use the Roku app on a phone or tablet.
The remote finder feature remains one of my favorite features about the Ultra and one that I wish every streaming device would incorporate. It gets better with the Voice Remote Pro because, while you can still tap the side button on the box, you can also instead now say, "Hey, Roku, find my remote" to make the controller start beeping.
The remote also has two programmable shortcut buttons in addition to the Roku preloaded options for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. As before, you can set to repeat whatever your last voice command was, such as opening an app like Peacock, YouTube TV or ESPN or doing a task like searching for a favorite movie or TV show.
Impressive interface, weak voice assistant
The remote looks pretty much exactly like it did last year.
Sarah Tew/CNET
As you would expect, Roku's interface works great with the Ultra's quad-core processor. Apps, movies and shows opened quickly and playback looked good for 4K, 4K HDR and regular HD content on a 70-inch RCA TV as well as on a 65-inch LG C2 OLED TV.
Although you can control the Roku with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, neither voice assistant is built directly into the device, something that becomes much more glaring when comparing it with Amazon and Google's latest devices. Google's Chromecast with Google TV shines in large part thanks to Assistant, and I really missed the ability to just say, "Play The Tonight Show" or, "Go to the Yankees game" and have the Roku automatically switch to the proper app. Google does this integration well with YouTube TV and Amazon does it with Sling TV.
The Roku interface has remained basically the same for years.
CNET staff
Roku's voice assistant is also dumb when it comes to knowing when events are happening and couldn't answer basic questions like what time the Warriors and Grizzlies game is. Asking, "What time is the Warriors game?" brought up results for movies like Wushu Warrior, Solarbabies and the TV show Monster Rancher. I'm not familiar with any of these titles but this is far from what I was expecting when trying to watch a basketball game.
It also had a hard time understanding, "Play Moon Knight, Episode 1" and instead kept pulling up cartoons with "Midnight" in the title.
As Roku's streamer already works with both platforms, it would be great to see Roku add support for Alexa or Google Assistant directly to the software in the future.
When it comes to playback, the Ultra is still fast when you ask for specific titles. Getting the Roku to play Avengers: Endgame from the home screen took roughly 35 seconds on my old Roku TV compared with just 18 seconds on the Ultra, which benefits from having faster Wi-Fi chips and a better processor than the 2017 TV I was comparing it with (though the Ultra still doesn't include support for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard).
Getting it to play The Boys on Amazon Prime video took about 26 seconds on the Ultra, compared with roughly 39 seconds on my older Roku TV.
One thing that was slow on both the TV and the new Ultra, however, was asking the Roku assistant to do tasks beyond title searches -- from looking up a movie to switching apps. This takes a bit more time than using either Alexa or Google Assistant, with Roku having a default pop-up and 7-second countdown clock in case you want to stay in the app you are in. I still wish there were a way to remove or shorten this countdown but no such option exists in Settings.
Strong app support with Dolby Vision and Atmos
Roku continues to impress with support for nearly all major streaming services. Support for Apple AirPlay remains a nice perk and at least allows Apple users to stream the app from iOS and Macs, while screen mirroring remains an option for most Android users. Roku still lacks built-in Chromecast support.
Apps such as Disney Plus support Dolby Vision and Atmos (which makes sense as compatible Roku 4K TVs have had Dolby Vision support for a while), and both formats seemed to play fine on the LG C2 OLED TV. Netflix, HBO Max, Vudu and Apple TV Plus also have shows and movies available in Dolby Vision and Atmos.
As with other Dolby Vision devices, if your TV supports Dolby Vision, all menus and content are recognized by the TV as that standard regardless of whether the actual service, movie or show is in the premium viewing format. This wasn't a problem and non-4K HDR content (such as SportsCenter on YouTube TV or baseball games in the MLB app) still looked fine.
While the Voice Remote Pro makes for a better experience, here's hoping the next Roku Ultra update is a little more substantial.
§
Roku offers plenty of streaming devices, from the $50 Streaming Stick 4K to the $40 Express 4K Plus. The Roku Ultra box, however, is the most powerful. It has long been the streaming giant's showcase for its platform, offering advanced features, a beefier processor, a find-my-remote button and built-in Ethernet all for $100. Although, for many people, those extras aren't worth paying twice as much.
According to Cord Cutters News a new Roku Ultra may be coming soon. The site spotted a new model number among the list of Roku's supported hardware for its recent OS 11 release. The model number, 4802X, is one above the 4801X sported by the Roku Ultra LT and two above the otherwise current Roku Ultra (4800X) which last got a major hardware update in 2020. Roku has since removed the reference to the model, and when CNET reached out for comment about the report, a representative emailed back "nothing to share at this time."
So with the possibility of a new Roku Ultra in mind, here's a wish list of a few things I'd love to see Roku embrace for its next high-end player, whenever it might be released.
Read More: Apple TV 2022 Wish List: What I Want to See in a Refresh This Year
Game streaming
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into one subscription.
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
Roku tried to make gaming on its players a thing years ago, a fact that most people probably don't remember. But in 2022 Roku doesn't need to court developers to make games specific to its platform; it just needs to allow for game streaming services to run their apps and stores on Roku players and TVs.
Game streaming has not only become more commonplace with the rise of Xbox Game Pass, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce Now -- and soon Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium -- but it is increasingly becoming a table-stakes feature for streaming video platforms. Google's Android TV and Google TV play well with its own Stadia service as well as GeForce Now, while Amazon's Fire TV software and devices can tap into Luna.
Why not have an Xbox Game Pass channel on Roku? Microsoft gains a new avenue to boost its platform without requiring the costly purchase of a console, Roku gains a new partner and gamers pick up a new way to stream games onto their televisions -- or to be able to play on televisions outside their homes or on a second television without needing to move a console. Seems like it could be a win all around, and with a more powerful processor, the Ultra could probably run those services.
Game Pass is the most exciting to me, but it also makes sense for a more powerful Ultra to run Stadia or GeForce Now. Amazon might be reluctant to bolster Roku's features checklist by adding Luna, but it's probably technically possible, too.
Chromecast support
Yes, Rokus work great with Apple's AirPlay for casting content from an Apple device and with screen sharing available for streaming from some Android devices or Windows PCs. It would be great, however, if Roku got even more agnostic and embraced the ability to let people cast directly from their Android devices through Google's Chromecast protocol. This is not only easier than setting up screen sharing, but it would allow Rokus to work better with Chrome browsers and Chromebooks.
Roku and Google settled their YouTube TV beef last year. It's time for the two of them to make this happen and put whatever possible hardware is needed into the next Ultra.
Include the Voice Remote Pro
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Ultra is Roku's priciest streaming box, but the included remote is inferior to the Voice Remote Pro, a $30 upgrade. The Pro packs a built-in rechargeable battery and midfield microphone to allow you to bark "Hey Roku, find my remote" to locate the clicker when it's inevitably lost under the couch cushions.
If Roku really wants to move Ultra boxes, including a Voice Remote Pro in the box would be a nice touch. The company already has experimented with bundling the product through its Streaming Stick 4K Plus offering, which combines a Streaming Stick 4K with a Voice Remote Pro.
While we're at it, I'd love Roku to update the Voice Remote Pro with USB-C as opposed to Micro-USB. But that might be getting too greedy.
Alexa and Google Assistant support
Since we're talking voice support, why not have Roku's next box directly integrate other assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant? Roku's unnamed voice assistant is fine for basic tasks like searching for titles or actors, turning the TV on or adjusting the volume. On the other hand, it still lags far behind its rivals when you ask basic questions, such as "what is the weather?," tuning to a particular channel on a streaming service like Sling TV or YouTube TV or controlling smart home devices like lights.
I understand this particular item could be more software "wishlist" than something for the next Ultra, but combined with the Voice Remote Pro or adding far-field mics like those on the Amazon Fire TV Cube could be really valuable.
Roku already has integrations with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri for controlling its platform via other devices, like phones or smart speakers. Why not add it into the next Ultra directly? Give users a choice and an option for a better voice assistant.
TV calibration
Apple TV screen calibration using an iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Apple TV has a nifty feature for calibrating your TV through an iPhone, and a new Ultra could be the perfect place for Roku to debut a similar feature. Apple's feature requires holding an iPhone X or later up to your TV screen, though there is nothing to say Roku can't do something similar with iPhones or Android devices, like Samsung's Galaxy S line. It could also be something available via the Roku phone app, similar to the company's audio lip-sync calibration features added in OS 10.5 and OS 11.
The Ultra is designed to give people a premium experience. Adding TV video calibration capability could go a long way toward making sure they see that experience, even if they aren't comfortable fiddling with their TV picture settings.
For the last few years Roku hasn't delivered any major features that differentiate the Ultra from its other devices. Adding any (or all!) of my wish list items could change that and make Roku's best player even more Ultra than ever.
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Beyond Axie Infinity: 'Web3 Games' Hope to Convert Crypto Skeptics
Beyond Axie Infinity: 'Web3 Games' Hope to Convert Crypto Skeptics
The moment Chris saw Axie Infinity, he was hooked. He was once an avid gamer, playing hours of League of Legends every day, but stopped after deciding he was sinking too much time into an unproductive hobby. Axie Infinity promised something different. Inspired by Pokemon, it's a video game about training and battling monsters. That sounds like hundreds of other games, but one element distinguishes Axie Infinity. It's built on the blockchain.
Axies are the Pokemon of Axie Infinity, but they're owned as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. A cryptocurrency called Smooth Love Potion is earned by battling these Axies. Players can also breed Axies, then either sell or battle with them. Chris, who declined to give his real name and goes only by the pseudonym Cryptobarbarian, felt he could justify playing video games again -- as long as it paid.
"It was fun for the first few weeks, but it gets boring really fast," the 28-year-old said. From there, he said, Axie Infinity became purely about making money.
Axie Infinity is a browser game. Accessing it is free, but you need to buy a team of three Axies to play. At its peak of popularity, bottom-tier Axies cost around $350 each, meaning playing the game once required a four-figure investment. The game allows Axie owners to lease out their monsters to other players, however. A longtime crypto investor, Cryptobarbarian told me he bought $30,000 worth of Axies and loaned them out in return for 40% to 70% of the profits. (CNET wasn't able to verify his purchases.)
The strategy paid off at first. Axie Infinity was a hot ticket in CryptoTown, generating over $15 million a day last August. But thanks to a combination of poor in-game economics, inflation threatening the real world's economy and a $600 million hack reportedly caused by a fake job posting, the price of Axies and the game's Smooth Love Potion cryptocurrency collapsed. The same monsters that cost hundreds of dollars last year now fetch under $10.
"I got around 100 players playing for me with high-end Axies," Cryptobarbarian said to me over Twitter, "which overall cost around $100,000 at the height and are now worth nothing."
To gamers, stories like this provide ample reason to reject "Web3 gaming," a term referring to the integration of NFTs and cryptocurrency into games. The significant carbon footprint of ethereum and bitcoin adds to the resentment. Be it Ubisoft bringing NFTs into Ghost Recon or Square Enix launching Final Fantasy 7 NFTs, gamers have fiercely resisted the blockchain coming anywhere near their industry.
Three Axies in Axie Infinity.
Sky Mavis
The fear is that crypto and NFTs will deform gaming into a side hustle, transforming its purpose from entertainment to moneymaking. Play-to-earn titles such as Axie Infinity prove the point; they're not games as much as they are financial speculation with the veneer of a game.
"I've never met anyone that played it just for fun," Cryptobarbarian said of Axie Infinity, "only to make money."
But Axie Infinity doesn't represent the future that many Web3 developers envision for gaming. Video game firms, both small and large, are developing titles they hope will clean the slate of Web3 gaming. All are on carbon-neutral blockchains such as polygon or solana, which are far more efficient than ethereum. (Whether they're as secure is an open question.) The goal isn't to make titles that entertain crypto speculators, but rather to make games fun enough that people can justify playing them regardless of whether they earn crypto.
"I've long been a believer that gaming is one of the consumer internet categories that is most likely to bring on mainstream adoption of crypto," said Amy Wu, head of gaming at FTX Ventures, the investment arm of the FTX crypto exchange. "But I also believe when you have a hit game with Web3 elements, it's very likely that the majority of players will never actually trade those tokens. They're just playing the game."
Free to play, play to own
The upcoming wave of Web3 games will range from free-to-play mobile titles to big-budget AAA games for PC and console. On the simpler end of the scale is Shatterpoint. With an art style inspired by Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it's an action RPG for Android and iOS that, on paper, looks like many top App Store games. There's a single-player campaign plus a PvP multiplayer mode. You earn new weapons and gear as you progress and, much like Fortnite and Call of Duty, the multiplayer is broken up into different "seasons."
But these seasons, segmented by "the shattering" in the game, is where the blockchain comes in. Players will be given a certain list of goals each season. If they complete one -- say, being one of the first 100 players to reach level 50, or staying atop of the PvP leaderboard for a certain amount of time -- their character will be converted into an NFT. Only a limited amount of NFTs will be minted per season.
There are two reasons why players might want to bother scoring an NFT. The shattering acts as an in-game reset, so any gear you've collected will vanish. NFT characters, of which there will be a limited amount each season, are permanent. However your character looks when it's minted into an NFT, with whatever combination of gear equipped, that's how it'll look in perpetuity. The second benefit is that these NFTs can be sold on a marketplace -- if there's a market for them.
A screenshot from Shatterpoint.
Estoty Games
There are three crucial elements that make this model sustainable, says Shatterpoint developer Benas Baltramiejunas. First, the game is free to play -- unlike P2E games like Axie Infinity, which requires the upfront cost of three Axie NFTs. Second, none of the items retained as an NFT can resemble "pay to win" mechanics. There can only be cosmetic benefits to owning it, not a competitive edge. Last, and most important, the game is designed with the assumption that most people playing won't be interested in minting their character as an NFT. It has to be fun for them too.
"We're using the NFT approach to create a bit of competitiveness, to incentivize players to play," he said. Shatterpoint is monetized by traditional microtransactions and from taking a small cut of NFT sales -- 2.5% is the traditional cut creators take. Baltramiejunas hopes that focusing on NFTs will result in both better game design and fairer prices. If developers can create a compelling game, revenue can theoretically be sorted out organically through whatever the player base sets as the value of the NFTs.
"In free-to-play games you have whales which account for 10% of the player base but 90% of the revenue," Baltramiejunas said. "If you only have those microtransactions for monetization, you are only focusing on those whales during the content creation, and you're leaving everybody behind. However, with NFT integration, you don't need to monetize that aggressively. The market decides."
NFT brands expand into gaming
While Shatterpoint is a mobile game that produces NFTs, the coming years will see many examples of the reverse: NFT collections turning into games. NFT drops, such as the famed Bored Ape Yacht Club, are doubling as crowdfunding platforms that produce games. Creators earn millions in royalties from sales, and use that money to expand the brand, theoretically boosting NFT prices in the process. Some brands are expanding into TV and film. Many are dabbling in gaming.
One such example is My Pet Hooligan. It's a product of AMGI Studios, an animation studio where former Pixar animator Colin Brady serves as chief creative and technology officer. The studio sees Unreal Engine 5 and blockchain technology as the next technologies that will drive entertainment, Brady told me at the recent NFT.NYC conference.
AMGI Studios' goal of 2021 was to use Unreal Engine 5 to create an animated film for Netflix at half of the traditional cost. While the film was being greenlit, Brady explained, AMGI technical lead Kevin Mack approached him about starting an NFT collection.
The result was My Pet Hooligan, a set of 8,888 3D rabbits. "We sold out in less than a minute, and all of a sudden people started saying, 'hey, when movie? When TV show? When video game?'" Brady said. The studio, filled with Unreal Engine programmers, already had a game in the works.
The result is Rabbit Hole, a sandbox game that looks like a mix of Grand Theft Auto and Ratchet and Clank. Rabbit Hole is currently in closed alpha, available only for My Pet Hooligan NFT holders with only one map functional. The build of the game I saw at NFT.NYC was intriguing. It was certainly incomplete, with noticeable frame-rate issues, but had the clear foundation of a fun sandbox game.
My Pet Hooligan NFTs on the OpenSea marketplace.
AMGI Studios/OpenSea
Rabbit Hole will eventually be available for PC and console. Brady says the goal is to reach 1 million players by the end of the year. To encourage the type of in-game socialization seen among players of Fortnite and Roblox, the studio developed a companion facial-recognition app for phones. If you perch your phone where a webcam typically is on a computer, it'll track your face and replicate all facial movements on your on-screen Hooligan.
Unlike Shatterpoint, which will integrate just NFTs, Rabbit Hole will use both NFTs and crypto. It will have a play-to-earn mechanic -- or play and earn, as technical lead Kevin Mack prefers to say -- in the form of in-game currency Karrots. These will be used to buy clothing, dances and more for the Hooligan avatars, but it doubles as a cryptocurrency that can be exchanged for ether or bitcoin. You can earn money playing Rabbit Hole, but Brady said it's not going to be life-changing cash.
Then there's the NFT element. This is primed towards holders of the 8,888 My Pet Hooligan NFTs. While players who download the game will start with a generic Hooligan, My Pet Hooligan owners will be able to use their NFT as an avatar in the game.
If the game gets popular enough, Mack said, there will be a certain prestige to owning one of these avatars. But he recognizes that to make that happen, the team has to make a game that people actually want to play.
"Superman No. 1 is valuable because Superman was a great comic," he said. "I think the NFT space for a while started to get that a little backward, where they thought the things were valuable just because they were collectable."
To infinity...
Of all the NFT brands expanding into games, Bored Ape Yacht Club is the biggest. BAYC creators Yuga Labs are developing Otherside, a "metaverse" MMORPG. The term "metaverse" is nebulous, but in this case it refers to an open world where items are owned as NFTs and in-game currency is crypto that can be exchanged for dollars. Details on Otherside are scant, but Yuga has a huge warchest for it. The game's map will be made up of 200,000 plots of land, which players can buy and own. Over $350 million was raised from selling land back in May.
Otherside may be the Web3 game with the highest budget, but perhaps the most ambitious is Star Atlas.
In development since 2020, the Eve Online-inspired Star Atlas is crafted like a traditional AAA game. Michael Wagner, CEO of Star Atlas development studio ATMTA, told me there are around 200 developers working on the game. It's scheduled for release in 2026.
Like Eve Online, Star Atlas is half game, half space simulator. Players ride spacecraft through the galaxy, socializing and battling with each other, exploring exoplanets, mining lands and meteors for resources and so on.
Games like Eve Online are giant, big enough for players to lose themselves in for years. Star Atlas hopes to mimic that feat. On the way to doing so, it uses almost every new tool Web3 offers.
It starts with funding. Wagner said $185 million in revenue was raised in 2021, through the sale of an Atlas token and NFT ships, with a "substantial margin" of that funding development. In the game, ships, items and land will be owned as NFTs. There will be a comprehensive crypto economy built atop the game, which Wagner says will allow for not just a market, but a labor economy too. The economy isn't just in the game; part of Star Atlas will be built on the blockchain, meaning elements will be open source. People will be able to develop apps on top of this data, for things like spacecraft maintenance or resource management.
Part of Star Atlas' economy will involve taxation. Just like in real life, a certain percentage of all sales will go to a treasury. There will be a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization, in which token holders can vote on how these funds are used, be it to fund a new marketing campaign or a user engagement campaign. Then there will be another DAO specifically for the game itself, where token holders can vote on changes to the game, like additional features or ways to balance combat.
"We've structured the economics of the DAO such that we don't lose control in the near term," Wagner said. "But in the future, it would even be possible for them to vote us out as the principal developer of the game and bring in somebody new if they think they could deliver the product in a superior fashion to us."
Risks and rewards
The potential of Web3 gaming is tremendous, but its challenges are enormous. An examination of Star Atlas alone highlights many issues Web3 developers are likely to face.
First and foremost, making video games is hard. Making high-quality AAA games is harder still, even for veteran game studios, and the Star Atlas game alone is audacious in its ambition. The Web3 components offer additional opportunity for failure: An imbalanced economy, for instance, has the potential to completely break the game. Then there's security and regulation. Crypto has been a digital Wild West for years, with scams endemic. Regulators are slowly changing that. It's an open question whether Web3 gaming can survive in a regulated environment.
"In many countries, consumer protection is the No. 1 driver of regulations. Given gaming is so mainstream, it will be a topic," said FTX Ventures' Wu. "100%, these assets are going to be regulated."
The final issue is the very commodity that fuels crypto tokens and NFT projects: hype. Games are often promised on NFT project road maps before a single second of development has been undertaken. As Brady noted, it took less than a day for My Pet Hooligan holders to demand the announcement of a game, movie or TV show to sustain hype and lift the NFT value. Vaporware is sure to be common.
Games will need to be developed in a way that insulates players from the crypto-rich speculators. Speculators outbidding each other can artificially raise the value of in-game items, which blocks players who actually want to play the game from accessing them. Recall the speculative bubble that caused the cost of entry to Axie Infinity to inflate to over $1,000.
"I'm personally not interested in someone who's paying $100,000 for an NFT," said Brady. "That's a certain echelon. That's not normal society. I'm only interested if this helps every person."
Of all the developers I spoke to, a recurring theme was mistrust of any games company that promises a regular income, or dangles the possibility of earning enough money to quit the rat race. "Play-to-earn is not sustainable and is going to die off," said Baltramiejunas. Instead, the goal is for Web3 games to be more engaging than the games you play today, with the benefit of some pocket money on the side.
"If the game was good I would be satisfied with a little money as long as it's not totally a time waste," said Cryptobarbarian, reflecting on how much money he'd need to earn to justify playing games again.
"If I could earn some lunch money with it, that would be nice. But I think that will take at least a few more years before it happens."
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WWE SummerSlam 2019: Results, new champion, match rankings and full recap
WWE SummerSlam 2019: Results, new champion, match rankings and full recap
Don't count WWE out. While NXT is considered to be the better wrestling show and AEW is the hot new thing in Grapple Town, WWE's SummerSlam proved that the company can still put on an outstanding show. The show had no bad matches, though one was saved that dubious only by the hot crowd, it flowed well and had a outstanding main event. Oh, and by the way, Seth Rollins is your new Universal Champion.
Maybe the biggest surprise of the night was Trish Stratus, whose return match against Charlotte Flair was a highlight. Elsewhere, Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston fought to a double countout, and Becky Lynch retained her Women's Championship in a hot opening match against Natalya.
And The Fiend. Oh boy. Bray Wyatt's in-ring re-debut as The Fiend was something that words can't sufficiently convey. Watch the gifs below, or better yet sign up to the WWE Network and check it out for yourself.
Us wrestling fans always give WWE a hard time -- and mostly they deserve it -- but credit where it's due. SummerSlam 2019 was fantastic. Read below for a full recap and match ratings, from the end of the show to the beginning.
Seth Rollins slays The Beast... again!
Boos for Rollins, cheers for Lesnar. Rollins' ribs are heavily taped, as per the beatings Lesnar gave him on the last two episodes of Raw.
Lesnar works Rollins over in the corner. Rollins superkicks Lesnar, briefly stunning him. Lesnar yanks Rollins for a German suplex, but Rollins flips out for a curbstomp. Two count. Lesnar rolls out. Rollins hits him with a flying knee, Lesnar rolls back in the ring. Lesnar attempts a second German, Rollins flips out and hits two superkicks. Rollins shoots for a second curbstomp, but Rollins catches him and hits an F5.
Lesnar is rocked and can't cover Rollins. Lesnar gets up, grabs Rollins by his rib tape and swings him around. Now it's time to go to suplex city. Three German suplexes. Rollins rolls out. Lesnar follows him for another suplex, this time on the floor. Lesnar goes for an F5 into the turnbuckle post, but Rollins counters and pushes Lesnar, head first, into the post. Then again. Rollins throws Lesnar into the ring. Springboard flying knee to Lesnar.
Rollins goes for another flying knee, Lesnar doges and throws Rollins with a release German suplex. Dueling chants for "suplex city!" and "burn it down!" Lesnar takes off his preposterously large gloves, slams Rollins into the corner and latches on a bear hug. Lesnar works him over and goes for a tackle into the turnbuckle, but Rollins dodges and Lesnar hits the post shoulder first.
Rollins dropkicks Lesnar off the apron and hits two suicide dives. He goes for a third but Lesnar catches him and rams him into the ring post. Absolute beast. Lesnar undresses the Spanish announce table, then eats a superkick from Rollins. Rollins hits a frogsplash on Lesnar, crashing both through the announce table.
*Record scratch* Yep, that's me.
WWE
Crowd is not heavily into Rollins, a far cry from his original reaction. He lands another frogsplash in the center of the ring and another curbstomp. Two count. He stomps the ground for a third. Crowd chants "burn it down" with him. Lesnar catches him for an F5, but Rollins lands on his feet. Superkick, curbstomp, 1, 2, 3. New champion.
Rating: 4.5 stars. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great intensity, Rollins is incredible, Lesnar worked hard and the crowd was super invested. As good a 15-minute match as you'll ever see.
The Fiend debuts
It's time to get freaky. Wyatt comes out with a remixed version of his old Live in Fear theme song. He's wearing the Fiend mask as a flashing spotlight follows him. He still has a lantern, but it's a severed head. If I was a child, I would be terrified. Finn Balor is about to get killed harder than Dolph Ziggler.
Wyatt slams and clubs Balor. He did a scary looking neck-twist move, the type you'd see in a movie where one character snaps the neck of another. Wyatt goes for Sister Abigail, but Balor fights back. Slingblade, shotgun dropkick. Another shotgun dropkick. He attempts a coup de grace but gets caught with a mandible claw. Wyatt wins.
The announcers say Wyatt has Undertaker-levels of intimidation. I guess new Wyatt is going far.
Rating: No rating. Essentially a squash match. The Fiend is amazing, though. Legitimately terrifying. The crowd chants "that was awesome" after The Fiend's cinematic exit.
Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton ends in double countout
Kingston comes out with the New Day throwing pancakes. One of his pancakes hits a woman who's on her phone. Good start. Split crowd for this match. As the two begin there are dueling "Kofi's stupid!" and "Randy sucks!" chants. Crowd is into it, but they're starting slow -- probably to ease the crowd into the match after the Stratus/Charlotte match.
Kingston goes for a springboard attack but Orton pushes him to the outside. Orton takes the champ over to the announcer's tables and slams him about. They move back in the ring. A European uppercut from Orton sends them back outside. Orton tries to Irish whip Kingston into the steps, but Kingston jumps over them, runs back, jumps off them and strikes down Randall Keith Orton. Kingston attempts a cross body from the ring apron but Orton ducks. Orton slams Kingston on one of the announcer's tables.
Back in the ring, the dueling chants begin again. Orton goes for a superplex but Kingston fights him off and lands a tornado DDT from the top rope. Two count. The two stagger up and Kingston starts with strikes on Orton. Tom Phillips says we're in the fourth quarter, and Cory Graves says we're in overtime. That worries me, because it feels to me like we're just getting to third gear.
Kingston starts clapping for a trouble in paradise kick. Orton counters with a backbreaker. Orton starts clapping to taunt Kingston, and goes for a draping DDT. Kingston counters, though, and drops Orton to the outside. Huge trust fall on Orton. Back inside the ring, Kingston hits a frogsplash crossbody. Two count.
Kingston attempts offense in the corner, but Orton trumps him with a draping DDT. He sets up an RKO, but Kofi turns it into a backslide pin attempt. Kingston goes for a trouble in paradise, but Orton dodges. Kingston jumps from the turnbuckle and gets caught with an RKO. Before Orton can pin him, though, Kingston rolls outside. Kingston's kids are in the crowd. Orton begins to taunt them and Kingston, enraged, attacks Orton. Double countout finish. Crowd chants "bullshit."
After the match, Kingston dominates Orton with a Kendo stick and hits him with a trouble in paradise kick.
Rating: 3.25 stars. Nice match. Ended as it was on the cusp of getting great. Crowd hated the finish, though.
Charlotte Flair defeats Trish Stratus
The announcers are hyping this as a clash of two eras. This match is Rocky 6, essentially. Crowd is into Stratus, who's from Canada. They start the match by chanting the Canadian national anthem.
Stratus starts off with some acrobats, including a springboard hurricanrana, leading to a "you still got it!" chant. Charlotte gutwrenches Stratus but Stratus counters with an armdrag outside the ring. Stratus hits a wrecking ball dropkick to the outside. A woman in the crowd loudly proclaims to be "very Stratusfied." Flair pulls Stratus into the steel steps, then absolutely smashes her into the barricade.
Charlotte slaps a shoulder hold onto Stratus inside the ring. Charlotte hits a suplex. She goes for a backdrop, but Stratus counters with a crossbody. Nice. Charlotte isn't happy about it, and throws Stratus head-first into the ground. Everything Stratus does, she's doing well. But there's a lot of nothing going on, with Charlotte taunting a lot in between moves.
Stratus interrupts a taunt with a takedown and hits punches on the turnbuckle. Stratus flips over to the apron, where she eats a big boot from Charlotte. Stratus narrowly avoids being counted out. Charlotte attempts a moonsault but Stratus rolls out. Stratus torpedoes through the ropes for a reverse DDT. She starts chopping Charlotte, Flair style.
They end up on the turnbuckle, where Stratus goes for a hurricanrana. Charlotte looks to counter with a powerbomb, but Stratus shifts her weight at the last minute for the hurricanrana. It doesn't keep Flair down though, and Stratus gets clocked with another big boot. Now Charlotte begins working over Stratus' leg. Flair attempts a figure four, but is countered by Stratus. Stratus then locks Flair in a figure four, and then a figure eight, of her own. Charlotte gets the ropes, though.
Figure eight.
WWE
Charlotte kicks Stratus by the knee, and the crowd chants "this is awesome!" Charlotte misses a spear, and Stratus hits a Stratusfaction (springboard bulldog) for a two-count false finish. Another "this is awesome" chant. The two exchange chops. Stratus goes for a jackknife rollup, Charlotte rolls out at two and Stratus nails her with a Chick Kick for a two count. Stratus goes for another, but Charlotte counters with a big boot.
Charlotte locks Stratus in a figure eight, and Stratus taps. After the match, Stratus gets a "thank you Trish" chant and a well-earned hero's sendoff.
Rating: 3.75 stars. A bit slow at the start, but absolutely over delivered. Stratus did great, and Charlotte Flair is terrific.
Kevin Owens beats Shane McMahon
If Shane wins, Owens has to retire. Owens, from Quebec, is mega hot with the crowd. Shane says the match will have a special guest enforcer, to make sure the match is all fair, Elias. (Elias is essentially now Shane's henchman.)
The match begins with Elias distracting Owens on the outside, leading to Owens almost getting counted out. Not the smartest guy, apparently. Owens gets back in the ring and throws hands with Shane, then hits a cannonball in the corner. Shane rolls out of the ring, and Owens goes for a suicide dive but is blocked by Elias. The distraction then allows Shane to throw Owens from the ring apron to the outside barricade. Owens almost gets counted out.
Crowd loves Owens, hates Shane.
WWE
Shane strikes Owens in the corner as the crowd chants "Shane, you suck!" Apparently he's a really nice guy in real life, Toronto. Shane slams Owens with a Russian leg sweep. Toronto chants "you can't wrestle" at Shane. Well, you ain't wrong, Toronto.
Owens attempts a pop-up powerbumb, but Shane dodges and lands a DDT. Shane goes to put Owens into a sharpshooter, but Owens powers out and manages to hit a pop-up powerbomb. He pins Shane, but Elias distracts the ref -- and then Owens gets distracted too. Shane rolls Owens up for a two count, then eats a clothesline from Owens.
Elias slides a chair to Owens, encouraging him to smash Shane and get DQ'd. Shane slaps Owens in the face. Owens goes for a swing, but thinks better of it at the last minute. He superkicks Shane, hits a senton from the top rope and then a frogsplash from another turnbuckle. He pins Shane, but Elias pulls the ref out before the three count. Owens cannonballs Elias on the outside, but takes out the ref in the process.
With the ref out, Owens picks up the chair. Before he can take out Shane, though, Elias drags Owens out of the ring. Owens kills Elias with chair shots. Back in the ring, Owens goes to swing on Shane with the chair but the ref slides in to stop him. As the ref takes the chair off Owens, Owens kicks Shane square in the crotch and then hits a stunner for a highly symbolic win.
Rating: 2.75 stars. A lot of tomfoolery here, and the actually wrestling was only OK. But the crowd loved Owens and was into the match, which made it fun. The inverse of Bayley's match, in other words. The worst part was how easily Owens was distracted by Elias throughout. He looked like an idiot.
Bayley pins Ember Moon
It's going to be tough for these women to follow the three previous matches, all of whom had big stars. Better now than in three hours, though.
Moon hasn't made much of an impact on the main roster, but she's super good. She starts off the match with strikes and acrobatic offense. She puts Bayley in a bow-and-arrow style submission. Some of the crowd claps for Bayley, but there's significantly less heat here than in previous bouts.
Bayley hits a clothesline to turn the tide. She lands a suplex and starts working Moon over in the corner. The crowd is bored, and starts singing the "Hey Bayley" song. Bayley hangs Moon upside down over a turnbuckle and nails a springboard elbow drop. She then puts Moon in an inverted boston crab.
The two fight by the ropes. Moon does a top-rope hurricanrana and then a gutwrench codebreaker move for a two count. Crowd is absolutely dead. Moon counters a Bayley kick with a nice powerbomb. Moon goes to the top rope, but is met by Bayley who hits a top-rope Bayley to belly for the win.
Rating: 2.75 stars. The women worked hard, and wrestled a good match. They were killed by the indifferent crowd, though.
AJ Styles defeats Ricochet
AJ Styles and Ricochet are arguably the two best wrestlers in the whole company. They've had several matches thus far, including one at least month's Extreme Rules event, but none have been as great as you'd expect. Hopefully this is the one.
The two start off quick. Within the first minute Ricochet literally bounces off Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to hurricanrana Styles. Back in the ring, Styles cuts off Ricochet and starts working over his leg.
Ricochet makes a comeback after an enziguri. He then hits a springboard lariat on one foot, selling his injured leg. Styles gets control back, though, with a kick to Ricochet's leg. Styles beats him down, and every time Ricochet tries to mount a comeback his knee fails him. Styles locks him in a calf crusher, which Ricochet counters into an anaconda vice. Punk'd. Styles powers out, though.
Ricochet hits an impressive northern lights suplex into a falcon arrow. He then takes out Anderson and Gallows on the outside then ascends the turnbuckle. Ricochet goes for a phoenix splash which Styles counters with a beautiful Styles clash.
Rating: 3.75 stars. The start was great, as was the finishing spot. All the work has crisp, but the middle was a bit plodding. The finish itself was also abrupt, even if the Styles clash was sweet.
Goldberg kills Dolph Ziggler
It's smashing time. Dolph Ziggler is out first. He grabs a mic and tells the crowd he's the best thing on the show and in WWE. He's the best thing to happen to pro wrestling, DZ says. I am ready to see this man get killed by Goldberg.
Crowd is super hot for Goldberg. Everyone knows Dolph Ziggler is great at being speared, and Goldberg is great at spearing.
The two square up. Ziggler backs off, then hits Goldberg with a surprise superkick. One count. Goldberg gets up and eats a second superkick. Ziggler goes for a third one and Goldberg hits a huge spear. Jackhammer nailed, 1, 2, 3.
Goldberg walks up the ramp but before he can walk backstage Ziggler calls him back to the ring. Goldberg obliterates him with another spear. Happy days. Goldberg walks through the back, but Ziggler gets the microphone again and says Goldberg is a laughing stock. Goldberg comes back out and hits a super spear.
Rating: No rating. Their match, while not a real match, was everything it should have been. Goldberg looked great. Ziggler calling him back once was fine. The second callback was overkill.
Becky Lynch retains Raw Women's Championship
SummerSlam is going to be a long show, which means the performers who go out earlier in the show have a much fresher, more energetic crowd to work with. Becky Lynch and Natalya are the lucky two to start the show: It's Becky Lynch, arguably the most popular wrestler on the roster, against home-country hero Natalya.
Natalya enters draped in a Canadian flag, just for that sweet cheap pop. Crowd is split, but into both women.
Lynch starts out strong, and goes for an armbar that one of the announcer's errantly call a Disarmer. Then then transfers into a triangle choke. I believe Lynch dabbles in Jiu Jitsu, and it shows. Natalya heads for the ropes, but there are apparently no rules in this submission match, meaning catching the ropes doesn't lead to a rope break. They tumble outside, though, and Natalya takes control.
Sharpshooter.
WWE
Natalya works down Lynch in the ring, which leads to a big chant for Lynch. First big spot of the match sees Natalya lock a sharpshooter on the turnbuckle, through the ropes. Eventually Natalya breaks, and the two end up outside again. They brawl, with Lynch slamming Natalya shoulder-first into steel steps, the idea being this sets up her Disarmer. But Natalya fights back and hits a superplex.
Back in the ring Natalya goes for a low dropkick, but Lynch counters into a sharpshooter. The crowd roars. Natalya counters, rolling through and pushing Lynch to the turnbuckle. Crowd chants "this is awesome." A bit early, but so far so good. Lynch goes for a high kick, but Natalya counters and puts Lynch in the Disarmer. Crowd roars again.
Lynch rolls out, but Natalya catches her in a sharpshooter. The crowd erupts for it. There were big Becky chants earlier, but it now seems like Toronto wants to see a new champ. Lynch manages to escape, and sweeps Natalya into a Disarmer. Natalya taps out.
Rating: 3.75 stars. This match was all action, and it was all great. But it was a touch short, as an extra few minutes could have made it truly great.
Preshow results
SummerSlam's two-hour preshow had three matches, two of which were for titles. Here are the quick results.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross retain Women's Tag Team Championships: They defeated former champs The IIconics.
Buddy Murphy vs. Apollo Crews ended in disqualification when Erick Rowan attacked Murphy: It follows a key WWE storyline right now, as on SmackDown Murphy revealed Rowan to be behind a string of mysterious attacks on Roman Reigns.
Drew Gulak beat Oney Lorcan to retain Cruiserweight Championship: Gulak pinned Lorcan.
