This 80-million-user app spurs web3 adoption, building a social paradise for gamers

Starting as a social layer of Pokémon GO, Omlet Arcade now builds its gamer ecosystem with over 80 million users all over the world. The social app hops on the trend to web3 to cater to their web3 gamers, welcoming 3.2 million wallets registered one month after its launch. Through the platform, players can donate NFTs to live streamers and activate the utilities of tokens.

The social app hops on the trend to web3 to cater to their web3 gamers, embedding NFTs into social dynamics. / Photograph : Omlet Arcade

In July 2016, the revolutionary AR mobile game Pokémon GO by Nintendo went live. It soon set off a craze all over the globe, peaking at over 250 million users per month. Along with the surge, many applications involving the game got boosted as well. Omlet Arcade is one of them.

“Pokémon GO doesn’t have a social layer,” said Michael You, Taiwan team manager of Omlet Arcade, “our team foresaw that opportunity coming and created the product for players can network and interact.” Later, Omlet Arcade did become a hot spot where Pokémon GO users live stream their games and share the locations of precious monsters. Grasping the latest trend, Omlet Arcade took off and became something huge.

Having nearly 80 million users now, Omlet Arcade was initially started as a student project at Standford University in 2012. Computer science professor Monica Lam launched the research project to create open social networking systems, which allow ones to host their own private social networking site and helps them build social relationships with people. And her grad students Ben Dodson, Ian Vo, and TJ Purtell (CEO) joined the project.

The initial product is Omlet Chat, which allows users to chat and share about information of games. Thanks to Pokémon GO, the team upgraded its product to a social network geared toward mobile games of all ranges. Then the Omlet Arcade was born, where players can live stream their A game and start campaigns with other players.

Omlet Arcade enriches social functions with NFTs

The NFTs minted by users of Omlet Arcade will be automatically on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea./ Photograph : Omlet Arcade

The social platform is where users demonstrate identities and individualism, while NFTs, the one-of-a-kind token, is a perfect match with Omlet Arcade. The platform embeds NFTs into the platform, stimulating interactivity and entertainment. The audience can unlock more events or bonuses from game streamers by claiming tokens with utility. For instance, streamers will sing for the audience if certain utility NFTs are activated. Moreover, the NFTs minted by users of Omlet Arcade will be automatically on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea. The platform makes the web3 movement smooth and easy.

One month after the service went live, Omlet Arcade had 3.2 million gamer wallets registered. Users with wallets can showcase their collections in NFT showrooms, another design that satisfies users’ demand for customization. “The NFTs you mint can be equipment or objects in the games, which can also be used for trading or giveaway events,” said You, “we want to use NFTs to energize the social interactions further.”

Omlet Arcade has outreached their live streaming, refining the social interaction with web3 features. “Omlet Arcade is not only about games, but also a place where people can find friends while playing games,” said Peiling Chen, designer of Omlet Arcade.

A team with over 11 nationalities gets to build a global market landscape

Offering 14 language options to users, the team attaches great importance to cultural diversity and hosts special campaigns in accordance with regional cultures. / Photograph : Omlet Arcade

Omlet Arcade has more than 80 million users, with over two million active streamers. The app successfully sets the gamer community on fire, with discussions and chats continuously taking place.

Speaking of cultivating a global user base, Omlet Arcade highlighted its diverse team with 10 different nationalities including Jordanian, Vietnamese, and Turkistan. The Omlet Arcade’s team, a group of 40 members, consists of foreign talents in Taiwan or remote employees, which forms strong connections to over 25 game communities with at least 500 thousand unique members each.

Offering 14 language options to users, the team attaches great importance to cultural diversity and hosts special campaigns in accordance with regional cultures, such as celebrating national festivals in Korea. “We will continue to develop localization in different regions, with the yield of high user retention,” said You.

Converting the popularity into cash flow

Besides the application of NFTs, Omlet Arcade aims to level up their wallets, enabling users to connect their favorite gameFi. / Photograph : Omlet Arcade

“Games are preparing their web3 debut,” said You, “while Omlet Arcade keeps track of the latest trends and demand of users.” The app is actively developing its web3 products, so as to grasp waves of web3 gamers. Besides the application of NFTs, Omlet Arcade aims to level up their wallets, enabling users to connect their favorite gameFi.

With the agile team, Omlet Arcade has risen to challenges since day one. “The whole team didn’t really understand web3 at first,” said Peiling Chen, “the team learned it all together from scratch and now we successfully embedded the web3 features into the platform.”

Similar to Reddit’s web3 strategy, Omlet Arcade discards the jargon, simplifying the web3 transformation for users. The easy-to-follow UI design has attracted millions of users onboarding the web3. With the wallets of Omlet Arcade, users can seamlessly play the web3 games, in turn striking deals for the platform and game companies.

With a huge user base in hands, Omlet ADs was launched to help games identify their potential users with accuracy. Games can launch mission eggs on Omlet Arcade, a mechanism through which brands can interact with gamers through tasks and rewards.

With a bold attempt into web3, Omlet Arcade manages to build its own lively ecosystem with likable features, profound connections with users, and liquidity of cash and tokens.

〔Original :Meet Global〕
https://meet-global.bnext.com.tw/articles/view/47838