We interviewed Remy, the founder of Dfinity Rats, a collection of 10,000 unique pixelated characters of DRat racers. The collection combines art, comedy, and gameplay, in a play-to-earn (P2E) game about Rats and Rat Race on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP).
1. Please tell us about you, your name, position in the project, your credentials, etc., so that we can introduce you.
Hello, I'm Remy, the founder of Dfinity Rats, a next-generation P2E game coming to the Internet Computer. I started working on this project at the beginning of this year, around January to February.
2. How would you describe your artistic style?
Our art style is in the form of an 8-bit pixelated style, and we chose this style because it is a retro & traditional style of computer games and graphics.
3. What drew you to NFT creation rather than traditional canvas-based art?
The creation of NFTs will help us achieve the procedures to make the game and increase the exposure of NFTs.
4. Are there any artists who have inspired you? What do you like about their work?
Yes. The artists at ICPuppies. They are real inspirations.
5. What made you create NFTs?
First of all, as a cryptocurrency investor, I am aware of NFTs. On the other hand, I later learned about P2E games released as NFTs and others that later made NFTs. This made me realize what I had to do for my game project to also come to life as others did.
6. Can you tell us about your project?
Dfinity Rats is a project to be released as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), combining art, comedy, and gameplay, in a play-to-earn (P2E) game about Rats and Rat Race on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP).
7. How many NFTs will be minted? Can you talk us through the process of how you create the art?
Dfinity Rats consist of 10,000 unique pixelated characters of DRat racers. As I said earlier, we wanted to develop something retro-like; this is why the art is pixelated and in an 8-bit form.
8. Will people be able to breed, stake, rent your NFT, or will it ever be in a game or be a DAO?
Our NFT is not a security. It will serve as a backing tool for your character in the upcoming game we are building.
9. What benefits do you think the Internet Computer has over other L1 blockchains when it comes to creating NFTs?
The Internet Computer is fast, efficient, and most importantly, it has next to no gas fee. And in NFT minting, they are easier to deploy than in other L1 blockchains. The most important thing is that the Internet Computer has a lower fee, if not zero, when transacting on the IC blockchain.
10. What other art have you seen that excites you in the Internet Computer NFT ecosystem?
IC Puppies & Kitties, ICPCS, DCity & IC Pixy excite me.
11. What excites you most about your launch, and which date is your launch?
We are very excited to launch on the number one NFT marketplace on the IC blockchain: Entrepot. We are pleased that there is room for everyone to be scheduled for launch, meaning everyone has enough time to take care of their project and community. We will be launching on the 22nd of April.
12. What advice would you give to anyone trying to enter into the world of NFTs?
Always do your research. Understand on your own what a project is building; is it possible & realistic? If you have confidence in the team and the project, you can begin investing in the project and NFT.
13. Do you have further plans to work with ICP Squad in the future after this initial sale?
We are already partners with ICP Squad. We love the work they are doing for the entire Dfinity family, and it will always be a pleasure for Dfinity Rats (DRats) to be involved with very serious projects like ICP Squad.
14. Can you envisage a future where the most valuable NFT space is on the Internet Computer?
Yes. The way NFTs are implemented on the Internet Computer is unique and special. Projects go through a lot of screening and filtering in making sure the project that is released is something important, serious, and willing to produce something worthwhile, and it's nothing new that that's what people are after. People want a safe place where they can invest their money, time, and resources, and if the Internet Computer continues this way, it will be the most valuable NFT space in a very short time from now.
15. Why do you think NFTs have become so valuable in such a short space of time?
Most people missed out during the birth of cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the fact that a similar new technology has emerged has made many people want to jump into NFTs so as not to miss out on the opportunities it has to offer.
16. Tell us about your team?
We are a team of 3. I am the core founder. We used to live together as friends, but we are in various places at the moment. I'm in the UK, and the others are studying in Canada & Hong Kong, respectively. But soon, we will come together to achieve the project's goal when we have made a lot of progress in the project and have a permanent office.
17. What advantages do you believe you have over other competitors?
What we have over other P2E games is the fact that we are trying to combine the concept of gaming and sitcom in our project—and also adding something humanly practical. Something that we humans do routinely: that's a rat race.
18. Do you have any partners? Please tell us about them
No, we do not have any special partners or outsiders. For now, we are only looking to build inter-blockchain partnerships with other Internet Computer projects. Partnerships are part of our roadmap, but that isn't now. We want to build a successful product first.
19. Tell us about the challenges you have faced while building your project?
At first, we thought it would be difficult for us to build support and community, but it wasn't. The Internet Computer has the best ecosystem in the entire cryptocurrency community, and I am proud to say that we have not faced any challenges in building this project so far.
20. What are your short and long-term achievements and targets?
Our short-term achievements have been the number of users we have already gathered in various communities, which is beyond what we expected. Although our long-term target is that every traditional internet user and computer owner is aware of our game, we know how big this goal is, but we are determined to make sure we get as far or as close to our goal.
21. Give us some details about your roadmap?
In the second quarter of 2022, we are moving towards 1) Concept development and reveal (which we have done), 2) Partnerships with other IC communities and projects in which we are currently in phase 3) Launch DRAT NFTs on the IC chain. In the third quarter of 2022, we are targeting to 1) Distribute and identify DRat holders with exclusive roles, which will further be explained closer to the time, 2) Game development and BETA test by exclusive members 3) Recruit more team members as the project expands. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we are planning 1) DRat token release for the improved gaming experience, 2) Possible launch in the metaverse 3) Widescale marketing and game publicity. Those that want a lengthier and more detailed explanation of the roadmap we have in plan should not hesitate to read our Medium.
22. Do you have any plans to expand into the Metaverse?
Yes. But that wouldn't be easy. We all know most projects promise this but find it hard to deliver. We will also love to venture into the metaverse for more game credibility and durability.
23. Will your NFT be tokenized in the future?
In our roadmap, we mentioned that in the fourth quarter of 2022 that we will want to release DRat tokens for the improved gaming experience, so yes, it is a part of our plan.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions 😊
Disclaimer
Sponsored Content : Dfinity Community does not necessarily endorse any content or product on this page. While we aim to provide you with information regarding important projects and developments in the Internet Computer ecosystem, readers should do their own research and carry full responsibility for their decisions, and this article should not be considered as investment advice. Please note that every effort is made by DC to vet projects we promote
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