Short Story Party

Short Story Party is an event flyer and rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on AtomicHub.

Is this a metaverse event flyer or an animated piece of art? Yes to both.

While the below event has concluded, you can still visit this site for an out-of-this-world fine art, gaming, and reading experience.

ArtVndngMchn presents:

Short Story Party!

When: Friday October 22, 2021 from 7pm to 8pm UTC.

What: Come to ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park and read exclusive (very) short stories as part of this interactive fine art, gaming, and literature experience in our 3D virtual world.

Where: Minecraft Java Edition in The Uplift World server called Gratitude at coordinates 3320 2370. This metaverse is currently in closed alpha phase, meaning only land owners and those whitelisted can participate. To get whitelisted, direct message your Minecraft username to joeychips on Twitter before event starts.

Receive Free NFT: Complete all steps to receive free NFT:

1. Take in-game selfie screenshot reading one of the short stories.
2. Post screenshot as a Quote Tweet to joeychips' tweet from day of event.
3. Write a 2-sentence review of one of the short stories.
4. Include your WAX address.

Short Stories: At this in-game event, 7 super-short stories by Chiappetta (an award-winning author) and others are on display to be read in the main gallery. These stories are not available anywhere else and can only be accessed in the ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park. Stories include...

• Another Story Daddy (Silly Daddy short story)
• ArtVndngMchn Woman on a Mission (sci-fi)
• Me and Edgar Lee (poem)
• A Mountain of Snow (Silly Daddy surreal slice-of-life song lyrics)
• The Parable of the Creator's Kingdom (a fine art allegory)
• The Parable of the Five Elements (sci-fi)
• Starleah (sci-fi)

NFT Releases: To celebrate this event, the ArtVndngMchn NFT Collection will simultaneously release 10 new NFTs. This includes 9 unique Superblends at Neftyblocks as well as 1 new NFT on Ethereum Network called Art and Gaming Wisdom for the Ages.

Follow joeychips on Twitter for more updates.

NFT Events in The Uplift World

Art Jump is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on NeftyBlocks. At ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park, players can come to do art jumps through multiple elevations of fine art... if only they dare!

While the below events have concluded, you can still visit all of these sites for an out-of-this-world fine art and gaming experience.

Through my ArtVndngMchn fine art project, I am co-hosting a number of highly interactive events in The Uplift World this week. The Uplift World is basically Minecraft morphed into 3D art galleries of interactive exhibits and adventures with NFT integration built into the environment. We are giving away a number of free NFTs at these Autumn 2021 events: the first event is on September 22nd with 3 NFT projects participating and the second event is September 24th with 4 NFT projects participating. I will be present at both events leading tours of participants on ArtVndngMchn art jumps and roller coaster rides like nothing ever experienced. 

To receive NFTs, participants must (a) attend in-game, (b) take 1 screenshot of each session, (c) post screenshot on each host's Twitter as a retweet to host's post of that day. and (d) include your WAX wallet in that retweet.

September 22, 2021 - NFT Fun Fair

A day of entertaining quests, art performances, and NFT giveaways in The Uplift World! Those who participate in all parts of this event will receive NFTs from each participating host project. For those who collect them all, these NFTs can then be blended to create an exclusive collaborative NFT.

3pm UTC: ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park

Server/Location: Gratitude 3195 2277  
joeychips on Twitter

• Take part in a thrilling art jump, dropping through multiple artworks as part of an historic art performance.

4pm UTC: The Aztec Hotel by MitzisNiFTis & Sovoccor

Server/Location: Upluft 1000 2000
mitzisNiFTis on Twitter

• Virtual video game immersion experience

5pm UTC: Rocket Gallery

Server/Location: Genesis 3550 3200
swedish_gold on Twitter

• Jump in the aquarium and find out which artist is showcased now and the name of the art piece. Take a selfie/screenshot.

September 24, 2021 - Gratitude NFT Quest

Many of you have been curious about the Gratitude server in The Uplift World, and it is our pleasure to announce we are hosting our very first Gratitude wide event! Gratitude is currently full of NFT artists hard at work, creating a server full of activities and amenities for everyone, and we are thrilled to invite you to this exclusive sneak peek at the progress we have made so far! There will be events, a scavenger hunt, and prizes for all, including NFT and in game prize. We can't wait for you to see what Gratitude is all about! 

Visit participating sites any time throughout the day, or follow the schedule for these cool happenings: 

Gratitude wide: Starting at 12AM UTC we will release our scavenger hunt list, take selfies at each location in the hunt (make sure your avatar is in the photo) to win a prize! First person to complete the hunt gets their choice of an in-game prize, and a WCH NFT! Prizes will be included for participants as well.

Anders | Anyobservation

Location: 1700 1700

anyobservation on Twitter

12AM UTC: Kick off the event with a full day of hunting for selfies in the depths of the Anyobservation pyramid and earn some exclusive NFT's

3pm UTC : Anders will go live 

Anders will release selfie scavenger hunt list on his twitter the day before the event, all selfie submissions received on twitter from between 12AM UTC and 11:59PM UTC will be eligible 

ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park 

Location: Gratitude 3195 2277

7pm UTC:  Take part in a thrilling art jump, dropping through multiple artworks as part of an historic art performance to receive a free NFT.

joeychips on Twitter

WCH Designs

Location: Gratitude 1650 850

11pm UTC boat race

12am UTC parkour course

WCHDESIGNXXX on Twitter

EOSUSA

Location: Gratitude 4200, 2100

All Day - take a selfie in front of EOSUSA's logo and the best 3 submissions will get 100 WAX.

ivote4_eos_usa on Twitter

Come and join the fun!

World's Fair of Rare Digital Art

Where the Buffalo Browse is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub Marketplace. While this cartoon pokes fun at virtual reality culture, behind the fun just might be an economic revival for the art industry--the likes of which has never been seen--at least not while wearing a buffalo helmet.

World's Fair of Rare Digital Art:

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World

Joe Chiappetta, February 2021

When virtual reality (VR) becomes user-friendly, affordable, with universal technical standards integrated from online gallery to gallery, the art-loving world could see a revival more influential even than the Italian Renaissance. Indeed, everyone (with internet access) could witness this World's Fair of Online Art, open 24-7, poised to impress and built to buy/sell rare digital art as if you were floating through a game-like world because... well... because you would indeed be floating through a game-like world--virtually speaking. Such a place would have free admission for all, economic opportunity for all, and operate in 4 virtual dimensions of height, width, depth, and the dimension of "Wow, this is awesome!"

Of course, online 3-D digital worlds are nothing new, as any player of Minecraft or Second Life will tell you. Neither is cryptocurrency a new thing. In fact, all 3 of these systems have been operational for over 10 years. Yet what would happen if a 3-D digital world were well-integrated with digital art, community equality, and cryptocurrency? It could become the art industry's "killer app."

Silly Daddy VR Helmet is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub

At 64 billion dollars for 2019, the global art market saw a decline in sales from the previous year. While 2020 statistics are not compiled yet, it is likely that this figure will be even lower. With fast transactions and borderless payment power, some are scrambling to declare cryptocurrency as the soon-to-be savior of a slumping global art market. 

However, the truth is at least a little more complex. Made possible by cryptocurrency, a small but excited number of people do collect rare digital art. But most in the art world still have no idea what such terms really mean.

What is rare digital art? It's online creative work tied to cryptocurrency that has been released in limited quantities, verifiable on a blockchain. For those in need of a refresher on what cryptocurrency is, think of it as coded internet money or credits released (usually) by entrepreneurs in specific predefined amounts. I should know; I have been researching and writing about this space for many years. In fact, I'm one of those rare digital art collectors. Many know that I am also a pretty prolific rare digital artist and educator in this space as well.

If you are just joining the rare digital art industry now, don't think you are late to the party. While rare digital art is 6 years old, the earliest pioneering developments from 2014 were not widely publicized and very slow in adoption (running on top of Bitcoin, often using Counterparty). Indeed, the first 4 years of rare digital art went by without much notice. Even now, the mainstream art world remains quite slow to completely jump on the bandwagon. So we are still in the very early days of rare digital art! For example, the Italian Renaissance lasted about 200 years, and some art historians find traces of the Renaissance roughly 100 years prior to its start through the work of Giotto. 

Whether the Italian Renaissance lasted 200 or 300 years, is not the point. Rather, it is significant that when a new movement starts, the early years of that movement are never as defined as historians make them out to be. Therefore if you are in rare digital art now, congratulations, fellow pioneer! You will be one of the early ones to help define and further shape it.

Since we are the early adopters, the question at hand is "Where do we go from here?" The first step is to soberly see where we really are now. The practice of buying rare digital art is only slowly being adopted by mainstream art collectors, and much of the rare digital art industry is dominated by speculators looking to make a quick profit flipping art. 

As an old-school physical collector turned rare digital art collector, I am not a flipper or speculator. In fact, of the many rare digital artworks in my collection, I rarely sell pieces from my collection. That is because I acquired the art in the first place because I wanted it for the fun of it. The art spoke to me in a unique way and simply made me happy. So if I can add such a piece to my collection, I will, and not worry about whether or not I can make money off of it later.

Zine Machine is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub.

By contrast, I do sell a nice amount of my own original artworks. That has been a practice of mine in the physical world (since the 1990s at comic book conventions) as well as in the digital world on rare digital art markets. While (literally by the grace of God) I have collectively sold hundreds of pieces of rare digital art on Ethereum Network, SuperRare, Atomic Hub, and Book of Orbs. I can't say the same for everyone. Indeed, the opposite is true; the majority of artists--despite their great talent--are not selling much.

Unlike myself, not everyone has the benefit of 4 decades experience in the arts as well as authoring one of the longest running autobiographical comics about family like I have with Silly Daddy Comics and Silly Daddy Zine. Most folks are just starting out as artists, or are really strapped for time working odd jobs and doing art on the side. Therefore, people can't be wasting time on markets where they may never sell anything. Everyone's time is valuable. So it is important, as we shape the rare digital art economy, that we build more opportunity in it--not just for the superstars, but for everyone.

Loyal Daddy is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub.

Despite the challenges of emerging artists struggling to make significant impact, artists are flocking to release new works on rare digital art markets in ever-increasing numbers. Naturally, due to the sad difference between supply and demand, as I alluded to previously, most of these artists will not sell anything there, and will soon leave the market discouraged. Some, in bitterness, may even spread a bad report about the true innovation going on in this still growing space, but don't be deceived; the best is still yet to come!

Next Steps for Rare Digital Art Markets

So what's the solution to increase demand for this kind of art? A higher quantity of serious art collectors will need a number of good reasons to jump into the rare digital art market. That's because the experience of collecting most digital art (rare or otherwise) is often--for lack of a better term--anticlimactic. It is hardly a social activity since collectors typically buy their art alone on their computers--with absolutely no fanfare. I know this because that is what I do as an art collector. 

Aside from the excitement of in-person rare digital art auctions, which are few and far between, why does collecting rare digital art hover on the sometimes anticlimactic side? It is actually a design problem. For most web sites selling rare digital art, the pieces are almost always offered in a visually dull grid layout. This is basically a 2-D catalog experience. Such design conventions have not changed since the mail order days which showcased department store catalogs of centuries gone by. That's not much different than scrolling through an Instagram art feed. Things really must change, and they can.

Gratefully, we have the technology to make those changes now. Online galleries who move to a virtual 3-D exhibit experience can be the ones who can stay relevant in an increasingly digital world.  As art-seeking and collecting becomes more of a game environment, more people will get excited about it.

The WAX community, and in particular the Atomic Hub Marketplace, is doing an incredible job at making 2-D rare digital art galleries fun, gamified, and incredibly user friendly. In fact, Atomic Hub has a "bundle" feature that allows collectors to buy multiple pieces of art in the same transaction. I liken it to the coolness and excitement of being a kid and buying a pack of trading cards. 

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World by Joe Chiappetta. It's rare digital art available on Ethereum Network.

Another example of innovation is the unlockable content feature for owners of rare digital art. OpenSea and a growing number of other rare digital art markets have this feature. I used this feature to release my newest book, Silly Daddy Zine #1. Here's how it works: everyone can just see the cover of the book. But only those who buy it as rare digital art gain access to download the 50 page book. This unlockable download for owners is one of the most exciting new features in the industry, providing more incentive for further adoption.

Silly Daddy Zine #1 is rare digital art and a 50-page book by Joe Chiappetta, available on Ethereum Network.

Looking to the future, the next bold step is to migrate the best of these current rare digital art markets, like OpenSea and Atomic Hub, onto one virtual 3-D world that is only somewhat similar to Minecraft, Decentraland, Cryptovoxels, or Somnium Space. I say "only somewhat similar to..." because none of those sites have all of the below essential features:

VR Art Gallery Essentials

1. Exhibitors earn the rights to virtual 3-D land and wall space by purchasing affordable rare digital art in this world.
2. The virtual 3-D land to have gallery space will always be cheap and not manipulated by early speculators trying to drive up the price of land.
3. The virtual land borders keep expanding as more users exhibit in the space. Like the internet, where users can make an unlimited amount of new web pages, the same goes for wall and land space. More gets created as more is needed.
4. Collectors can explore, exhibit their collections, and still buy and sell art all in a 3-D realm.
5. The virtual 3-D gallery can be explored without a VR headset, plus users can buy and sell art without a headset too.
6. The virtual 3-D gallery world has a 2-D auto-generated counterpart for those with slower technology.
7. The 3-D world and its members have a code of conduct that adheres to the moral standard outlined in the FCC's guidelines and is a kid-friendly environment.
8. Users can create individualized exhibit space right in the 3-D environment without any coding knowledge. All necessary virtual building materials are available for free.
9. A few non-essential, yet more flashy premium gallery building materials are earned by those who buy a high volume of rare digital art, or complete defined and helpful tasks to advance the community.
10. Users can teleport to any location in the "world" quickly and easily. These links work in-world and also as links on a regular website.
11. Users can customize their own avatars.
12. The gallery does not issue its own new cryptocurrency, but rather leverages existing and widely adopted currencies. The art and art experience is the product, not another alt-coin.
13. Transactions to buy and sell art in the 3-D virtual environment can be done via credit card, PayPal, or existing crypto such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, EOS, and WAX. These cryptocurrencies are mentioned as they all have an existing and established track record of being used in current art markets. By default, financial actions on the site should be using blockchains that have no transaction fees to use the network.
14. No sign-in is needed to view and explore this world.
15. Open standards are used to foster as much continued development and international collaboration as possible. Perhaps Blockchain Game Alliance can help make this happen since they are a diverse professional coalition from a variety of blockchain and gaming platforms.
16. The environment also has 3-D games that a user can play--kind of like walking through a carnival; there's a game booth, and next to it is an art booth, including a collaborative VR drawing space, like a VR version of Dada.art. Prizes won in the game booth can include rare digital art. As an added example, imagine being able to play a great rare digital art shooter game called Spells of Genesis in a multiplayer 3-D universe and receive game points, crypto, or rare digital art as your winnings!
17. This VR cryptoart world should also have built-in user-to-user messaging (perhaps through secure chat), audio capabilities, and parental controls.
18. Designed as an ever-expanding World's Fair of Online Art, collectors can seamlessly use their avatars to explore a 3-D version of contemporary high-end Expressionist art from various galleries on one virtual block, perhaps on a street called Emotional Way. Then they would turn a corner and walk down Budget-Buy Boulevard, where all rare digital art is no more expensive than a bottle of water.
19. Such a site should also have a daily virtual newspaper, which aggregates relevant art news from this realm and sends it to members who subscribe. This would be things like how many new pieces of art were sold, created, who collects the most art, who releases the most art, who sells the most art, who has spent a lot of time on the site yet is not receiving many gallery visitors, who refers the most new users to the site through a referral code... kind of like a game leader board, but also designed to help everyone.
20. Site should have the ability for creators to upload new rare digital art of their own creation to be displayed on exhibit space owned by the artist. The operators of the site would take a commission on these sales and artist would receive the bulk of the sales. The artist could also receive a percentage of the resale commission on all secondary market sales if made via blockchain through the platform.

While it must be acknowledged that some VR art galleries are already operational (and have been for years), most just feature artists creating VR experiences as an isolated piece, not other kinds of art, and not connected to a whole VR world. Additionally, few of these galleries use cryptocurrency, none of them are household names, and they're all fragmented realms. More importantly, none of the existing sites have even a fraction of the features numbered above. Yet this is what is needed for wide consumer adoption.

That's not to say that existing VR galleries are failing or prospering; the data on that is not easily available (or reliable). Yet like the rest of the art world, these sites are typically siloed, many requiring expensive hardware to view (while this same hardware will be obsolete in a few years), and most of the existing VR galleries are hustling to make an individual name for themselves. There's nothing wrong with hustling to self-promote, but much effort must also be spent on collaborating to build a unified virtual art fair experience.

Consider this analogy as the current state of VR art galleries: disconnected food trucks with delicious food, yet non-uniform procedures exist at random, hard to find parking lots, while what is really required is a cohesive international full service food court. A combination of the above-listed elements could create a very compelling art environment that would be unprecedented, and perhaps even become the "Ready Player One" artistic universe of tomorrow... yet live in our own time. It would inspire many repeat customers, delighted to explore a dynamic virtual art market in an exciting and gamified role as art collectors, art-seekers, and new art pioneers.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Art Wars

Art Wars is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta available as a limited edition of 5 on Ethereum Network.

After working on this artwork off and on for over a year, it is finally finished. The animation serves as a preliminary concept painting for a rare digital art game that I hope to create called Art Wars. This artwork is more of a poster for the game rather than a depiction of the actual game play. In the Art Wars game design, art collectors battle with each other using their actual digital art collection as shielding against each other's attacks. 

Ready your battlestations in style... with Art Wars!

Rare Digital Art Slot Machine

Rare Digital Art Slot Machine by Joe Chiappetta is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

I would like to build a crypto-powered slot machine that spits out rare digital art as prizes. This can help to transform art collecting into a series of fun game mechanics with artwork ownership registered on the blockchain. In this new paradigm of fine and fun arts, the art collectors would become gamers, while gamers become art collectors, and gamblers could display their winnings in the form of modern-day masterpieces in virtual art galleries... or trade their digital art for more slot machine virtual tokens.

Slot machines, historically known as "one-armed bandits," would soon become one-armed blockchain curators!

The World's Fair of Online Art

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World by Joe Chiappetta. It's rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

The article that originally appeared with this artwork has been heavily revised and updated here.

The Future of Art in Gaming

Gamified Art Gadget is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta on MakersPlace.
This animated tech cartoon alludes to what must happen for the art industry to be saved.

The Future of Art in Gaming:

Revitalizing the Art Market Through Game Integration

The ability for the masses to create art has become commonplace in our highly technological society. Everyone can be an artist, especially with all the online art-making tools available now. In the past, a person needed artistic skills to make art. Now all we need are certain websites that make the art for us through a form of artificial intelligence. To reiterate, I am not talking about tools that are coming soon. I am talking about free art-making tools that are available right now. A person needs to look no farther than Artbreeder to see the truth in this.

On one hand, making art simply by pressing buttons is a good thing, since more people can express themselves creatively. On the other hand, it may not be great for those trying to sell their art in an increasingly flooded and talented market. As the supply of art increases, it's value will decrease.

Therefore the future of art--as a highly valued commodity--lies not just in creating "better" art. Rather the future of valuable art lies in creating a better art experience. When art gets integrated into gaming environments, art can get radically more fun, relevant, and valuable. The exhibit halls, galleries, and artists able to make art-viewing and collecting more of a literal game are the ones who will rise to the top of an over-saturated art market.

The Plight of the Current Art Market

Some might still argue that the art market is fine as-is and does not need fixing. People might point to a few high-profile art sales at auction. However, these stories are in a fractional minority, and in most cases, the artist gets nothing from the resale of their work at auction.

Moreover, the rate at which colleges are cranking out graduates with $100,000 art degrees is staggering because most of those poor folks end up in horrible debt with no career in the arts to show for it. According to a 2014 report on art degree results, only 10% of those with art degrees make their living in the arts. So there is a massive disconnect between what the art market can currently sustain verses the myth sold to naive art students. Such issues can only fester for so long.

Saving the Art Industry

A number of companies already see the writing on the wall for the art market and are providing solutions to this matter. Opportunity has presented itself in the form of a whole generation that has grown up with video games, craving more, more, more. Therefore some digital visionaries are making bold moves to blend art and gaming into one integrated ecosystem.

EverdreamSoft CrystalSuite, MakersPlace, pixEOS, and CryptoVoxels all have projects that combine gaming with art in various ways, providing potential economic opportunities for the entrepreneurial artist. It should come as no surprise, since I am a long-time artist and art collector, that I am an active member of these communities. In fact, I spend a good deal of time touting the benefits of these new projects because most still don't know that these opportunities exist. I drink the Kool-Aid--so to speak--as do a growing number of professionals in the art and gaming industries.

Ironically, all 4 of these projects are blockchain-based, with cryptocurrencies playing a key driver in their innovation and economic agenda. All 4 projects also have ways to issue limited-edition cryptocurrency that is tied to artwork. This effectively makes owning limited-edition digital artwork possible too.  Yet the surviving projects will not be the ones who simply flash cryptocurrencies around... or rare digital art around. Rather the attractive companies will be those who integrate payments seamlessly (as in user-friendly) into their systems while also maintaining a lively gaming and artistic atmosphere that leaves customers coming back for more.

Soon it will not be enough to just collect art, or view art. The rising population of digitally native people will want to experience new adventures with their favorite art. Games can provide the perfect vehicle for such art. Imagine a virtual game where collectors shoot at each other's avatars while holding defensive shields that take the form of particular pieces of their art collection. Perhaps the art remains digitally scarred for a week before reverting back to its original appearance. The winner of the game could receive new rare digital art from an artist. Or perhaps the winner could receive a piece of the defeated collector's art.

Or imagine a virtual 3-D world where you--as an avatar--walk through digital galleries that display art on virtual walls that prompt you to discover new art by solving mysteries or riddles. All sorts of gamified incentives can be coded into this realm. Perhaps the more artwork of other artists that you share about on social media, the more points you receive that can be traded in for new artworks. Another option is that members of this 3-D virtual art world can earn new gallery wall space to exhibit their own collections as they complete certain online games or tasks.

As you can quickly see, such experiences are well-suited for building memorable interactions, and they are exactly what is needed to keep art more relevant as a highly valued item in our fast-paced, attention-competitive society. Therefore to the galleries, curators, artists, and collectors, I pose this question as a challenge;

To build a more vibrant future, how will you gamify your corner of the art world today?

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain:
Commending Good Crypto Galleries and Gaming Projects

No one really needs to know what a good crypto gallery is, or a good crypto gaming project is... but once you do know, such tech innovations sure do open up a whole new world of opportunities! Both for entertainment purposes as well as for collecting digital art, an impressive amount of development is happening. Short for "cryptocurrency," crypto-galleries and crypto-gaming platforms are part of a growing international ecosystem that uses cryptocurrency to quickly pay for things like digital art or game items. Indeed, it's not that you need to know this, but many are already having fun with it as well as building unique businesses around it. Perhaps you should too.

Every complex ecosystem comes with many diverse and rapidly operating parts. It is a fragile balance. Think of one button in a video game arcade. Remove that button from the game, and game play is ruined. Besides, not many could wire that button back into the game effectively. Now add such sensitivity to the complexity of all the games in an arcade. On top of that, add a diversity of players, with all the unpredictability that comes with human nature. It's a whole universe of intricate pieces in a delicate balance, yet producing an unforgettable (and usually pretty cool) atmosphere.

Such balance of ecosystem parts is also the case with art and gaming on the blockchain. Many of today's collectors want their collection to be mobile, rare, transferable, valuable, auction-able, visible, highly promoted, secure... and the list goes on. Blockchains like Counterparty, Ethereum, and EOS provide key features for such an ecosystem. The cryptocurrencies that fuel these networks add to the mystique of "Hey look at me; I'm using weird, futuristic internet money." Yet beyond this gut-level appeal, there is a depth of true innovation going on underneath the hood.

Developing a cryptocurrency application that serves as a marketplace for rare digital art and gaming items is one thing--and a significant thing it is. Designing this marketplace to also be user-friendly, fast, respectable, compliant, and secure is quite another thing. Attracting engaged community members and customers is yet another thing: as is forging great partnerships, and of course, funding the project until it becomes self-sustaining.

The list of essential project components that lead to success is no small ensemble. There's also retaining customers and partners, moderating those who violate the project's terms of service, scheduling public events, managing team members and bounty programs, building cross-blockchain payment systems as well as payment systems for those wanting to pay in traditional currency, educating new customers, maintaining government compliance as laws change... and the list keeps going on and on.

Reflecting upon these moving parts, I must commend a number of projects for tackling these elements with perseverance. While there are more than these 3 that are worthy of attention, I focus on these because I have the most personal experience with their products, team members, and community.

• EverdreamSoft Crystal Suite: operates Spells of Genesis, one of the oldest (and still great) blockchain games, as well as a diverse rare digital art gallery with wide gamer appeal
• MakersPlace: a most user-friendly and versatile rare digital art gallery, also doing innovative things to gamify the collecting of art
• pixEOS: operates 7 active blockchain games, with a rare digital art gallery in the works

Has each project mastered every aspect of the points I highlighted? No... not yet. However, each project listed here does have real working products now. They also have a vision aligned with those above-mentioned points, as well as implementation and/or plans to back it up. As alluded to earlier, I can say these things with confidence since I am active in all of these communities, and a grateful user/artist/collector on each of their respective platforms.

So keep "blockchainizing" the arcades of today. Keep building in a delicate balance where none have built before. Keep creating a future that those who come later will thank you for.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Palate for Pong

I created this animated digital art as a way to illustrate my latest joke. It features an obsessive video game player who is captivated by Pong. As pop culture puns go, this one is sure to tickle your appetite.

What is it called when gamers get so engrossed all day and night in playing online that they forget to eat?

Hunger Games

Using Ethereum, you can buy (or bid on) this limited-edition piece of rare digital art at the SuperRare marketplace.

Joe Chiappetta