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Yumon has launched what it calls the player creator’s first fantasy world. The game turns YouTubers and streamers into fantasy heroes through verified digital collectibles.
The collectibles can be played and traded for or by fans. It’s a game where streamers and YouTubers (like CamOnTheCob) are the heroes, Yumon founder Mathias Salanon said in an interview with GamesBeat. In January, the company raised $2 million from creators and business angels of Meta, Epic, Unity, Webedia, Ubisoft, Twitch and The Sandbox.
Using blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Yumon combines digital ownership, mainstream game mechanics and the creative economy, Salanon said.
The game aims to get influencers on their side by building a new revenue stream for creators while providing them with innovative ways to interact with fans and providing a solid alternative to their ad-only revenue model, Salanon said. About 98% of content creators’ revenue comes from advertising.
In the game, the Yumon World has been destroyed by a mysterious dark force. Some unknown heroes have decided to take revenge and save this world loved by their inhabitants. Those powerful heroes are based on real influencers. Yumon is often described as the Pokemon for streamers, Salanon said.
“We manage to leverage the popularity of big streamers, on perhaps less popular streamers. For those who are super productive, the assets can be quickly distributed to them,” Salanon said.
Fans can use their assets to play and earn money in the virtual tournaments offered by the game. They can also freely trade their items and enjoy exclusive experiences that allow them to earn money and prizes. In this way, Yumon is an enhanced form of patronage that better aligns the interests of creators and fans while making digital ownership mainstream, Salanon said.
The startup has some mainstream support in this mission, as it has been admitted to the Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Laba Paris-based accelerator that has been promoting blockchain startups for years.
Through a presale event, Yumon has sold its Booster Packs with 3D maps to popular content creators. Immediately after the public sale and from September 2022, the Yumon alpha game period will begin. Players can play with their favorite streamers and use their cards in the pretend play. In the collectible card game, you play with creators as you would with Pokemon cards.
For creators
Yumon has selected 18 creators to kickstart the Genesis season. Yumon allows creators to appreciate the brand they have successfully created on Twitch and YouTube through a pretend play where they are heroes. Because they get a discount, creators can rely less on ads to fuel their business.
Yumon allows creators to be 100% aligned with the products they promote on their channels, as well as feel comfortable and proud of the products they communicate about, Salanon said. It allows creators to promote customized digital products, fully personalized and integrated into their creative universe.
“We like this idea of patronage plus, where you can donate, touch your favorite maker in a different way, and receive things you own in the future,” Salanon said.
Yumon removes the current discrepancy between the product sponsored by the creators on their channels (NordVPN, HelloFresh, etc.) and the content they create. Yumon allows creators to enter 3D worlds, expand their reach and take their audiences to new entertaining horizons.
For fans
Yumon gives viewers access to digital property without any knowledge of Web3. And it allows superfans to express themselves, be recognized as such and receive exclusive and customized benefits.
The company allows fans to tap into the in-depth knowledge they have about their favorite creators when playing the creator fantasy game. Yumon allows fans to navigate digital worlds with the people they know best on the web: their favorite creators.
With this plan, Yumon hopes to bring accessibility and enjoyment to the Web3 technologies that today are mainly intended for crypto-educated users.
Salanon wants to democratize blockchain technology and treat it as a mainstream technology that deserves to fade into the background because it is integrated into something with utility. Salanon said Yumon applies a strict carbon neutral rule to all blockchain-related technical choices.
In addition to Salanon, the co-founders are Quentin Le Drean and Edouard Ruiz. They started the company a year ago and have 10 people. Salanon previously worked on blockchain technology and games at Ubisoft and Voodoo. Advisors include entrepreneur Rémi Rousseau, Nicolas Pouard (Ubisoft) and Sébastien Borget (Sandbox).
“I really want creators to find new meaningful revenue that won’t harm the content,” Salanon said. “We can actually transform the creators into video game characters. We make it powerful new entertainment for fans.”
The signup process is meant to be seamless. If you don’t have a cryptocurrency wallet, you can create one seamlessly with a Twitch account.
Not all creators or gamers are fond of NFTs, Salanon acknowledged. But the company has attracted makers who believe in the new technologies. The company uses ImmutableX’s blockchain technology.
“We want to be the next Patreon, with more benefits,” Salanon said. “You can own part of a maker’s brand through the NFT.”
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