Yumon launches a fantasy world where the heroes are streamers and YouTubers

Yumon has launched what it calls the first player-owned creator fantasy world. The game turns YouTubers and streamers into fantasy heroes through authenticated digital collectibles.

The collectibles can be played and traded to or by fans. It’s a game where streamers and YouTubers (such as CamOnTheCob) are the heroes, said Mathias Salanon, founder of Yumon, in an interview with GamesBeat. Back in January, the company raised $2 million from creators and business angels from 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 creator economy, Salanon said.

The game aims to get influencers on its side by building a new revenue stream for creators while giving them innovative ways to interact with fans as well as giving a solid alternative to their ad-only revenue model, Salanon said. About 98% of revenues for content creators come from ads.

In the game, the Yumon World has been devastated by a mysterious dark power. Some unknown heroes have decided to take revenge and save this world, loved by their inhabitants. Those powerful heroe are based on real-life influencers. Yumon is often described as the Pokemon for streamers, Salanon said.

“We manage to leverage the popularity of big streamers, on maybe less popular streamers. For those who are super productive, the assets can be distributed to them quickly,” Salanon said.

Fans can take advantage of their belongings to play and earn in the virtual tournaments offered by the game. They can also freely trade their items and enjoy exclusive experiences which allow them to earn money and prizes. In this way, Yumon is an augmented form of patronage that better aligns creators and fan interests while taking digital ownership mainstream, Salanon said.

The startup has some mainstream support in this mission, as it has been accepted into the Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Lab, a Paris based accelerator that has been fostering blockchain startups for years.

Through a presale event, Yumon has sold its Booster Packs with 3D cards dedicated to popular content creators. Right after the public sale and starting from September 2022, the Yumon alpha game period starts. Players will be able to play with their favorite streamers and use their cards in the fantasy game. In the collectible card game, you play with creators as you would with Pokemon cards.

For creators

Yumon has selected 18 creators to kick-start the Genesis season. Yumon allows creators to value the brand they have successfully created on Twitch and Youtube through a fantasy game where they are heroes. Since they get a cut, creators can be less dependent on ads to fuel their business.

Yumon allows creators to be 100% aligned with the products they promote on their channels as well as being comfortable and proud of the products they communicate about, Salanon said. It allows creators to promote custom digital products, fully personalized and integrated with their creative universe.

“We like this idea of patronage plus, where you can donate, you can touch on your favorite creator in another way, and receive things that you own in the future,” Salanon said.

Yumon removes the current discrepancy between the product being sponsored by the creators on their channels (NordVPN, HelloFresh, etc.) and the content they create. Yumon allows video creators to enter 3D worlds, extend their reach and bring their audience to new entertaining horizons.

For fans

Yumon allows viewers to access digital ownership without any Web3 knowledge required. And it allows super-fans to express themselves, be recognized as such, and get exclusive and tailor-made perks.

The company allows fans to leverage the deep knowledge they have about their favorite creators in playing the creator fantasy game. Yumon allows fans to navigate digital worlds with the people they know the best on the internet: their favorite creators.

With this plan, Yumon hopes to bring accessibility and fun to the Web3 technologies which are today mainly dedicated to crypto-educated users.

Salanon wants to democratize blockchain technology, treating it as a regular technology that deserves to be fade into the background as it is integrated into something with utility. Salanon said Yumon applies a strictly carbon-neutral rule to all the blockchain-related tech choices.

Besides Salanon, the cofounders include Quentin Le Drean and Edouard Ruiz. They started the company a year ago and have 10 people. Salanon previous worked on blockchain tech and games at Ubisoft and Voodoo. Advisers include entrepreneur Rémi Rousseau, Nicolas Pouard (Ubisoft) and Sébastien Borget (Sandbox).

“I really want creators to find new meaningful revenues which shall not detrimental to the content,l” Salanon said. “We can actually transform the creators into video game characters. We turn it into powerful new entertainment for fans.”

The process of signing up is meant to be seamless. If you don’t have a cryptocurrency wallet, you can seamlessly create one using a Twitch account.

Not all creators or gamers are fond of NFTs, Salanon acknowledged. But the company has attracted creators who believe in the new technologies. The company is using ImmutableX’s blockchain technology.

“We want to be the next Patreon, with more benefits,” Salanon said. “You can own part of a creator’s brand through the NFT.”

Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz