Alphabet Creator, Mohamed Kheir, Elsa Majimbo, Pepijn Temming, Photo Contributor: Pepijn Temming
If this wasn’t clear yet, it’s virtually unmistakable now. Every move that global sensation and 15-time chess champion Elsa Majimbo makes with award-winning team members Mohamed Kheir and Pepijn Temming is strategic.
When the dream team released the book Alphabet for kids and adults In April 2021, in collaboration with Valentino, they already had NFTs in mind.
And yesterday, the co-producer of the limited edition illustration book, Released the first drop of The Alphabet NFT collection Crypto.com, Mark the official entrance of the trio to the Metaverse. Alphabet NFT Collection, Majinbo, Kheir When Temming Bring the letters to life, which are the basic components of our story.
The first edition of this book was the first collaboration between a comedian and a fashionable haute couture brand in history. Written by Majimbo and Kheir, this book is creatively directed by Kheir and Temming and also includes stunning 3D digital illustrations by Temming.
Because of the pandemic, you need to pay attention to the fact that you have created all the elements of the book, from conception to final result, even if you have never met an IRL.
The first collection of Alphabet Universe contains 26 unique character animations, and the first collection of three drops contains eight characters. Letters will be gamed and collectors will be able to create words and claim rewards. The characters released are O, H, D, L, S, A, E, and Y.
(By February 15th, all collectors who own each of the following NFTs “E, L, S, A” will participate in the draw and the winners will be randomly drawn to win the Maison Valentino x. Alphabet for kids and adults Book. 50 alphabet NFT holders who are also randomly drawn are eligible to receive a limited edition hoodie made specifically for this drop. )
Winners are randomly chosen, but there is nothing about this megaproject.
For starters, as a national chess champion, Majinbo has always been passionate about games, including word games. (Word games do have moments, as evidenced by the current global appeal to Wordle.)
They’re game-making books, but this dream team didn’t come here — Alphabet Universe NFT Drops is a serious business and opens the door to community and connectivity. It’s not about incorporating NFTs into the ecosystem, it’s about building communities.
We talked to the teams that made this happen (Elsa Majimbo, Mohamed (Mo) Kheir, Pepijn Temming) to discuss the next chapter in their world and why it’s important to own their IP.
Karin Elder: Elsa, I saw this statement in an Instagram post at @ metav3rse. “The Metaverse is the moment when our digital life is more valuable than our physical life.” As the first person to gain fame thanks to your “digital life,” you elaborate on this. Can you do it?
Elsa Majimbo: I think it’s a melodramatic person, but that’s okay. I don’t think our digital life should be more valuable to us than our physical ones. Fresh air, good food and comfortable beds always outperform the digital experience.
That said, we can understand how our investments in digital assets, metaverses, NFTs, etc. are accumulated to become our most valuable investments and possessions. We are already at a point where some NFTs are as valuable as luxury cars and homes.
I think it will be increasingly important for us to balance things and learn to move away from the digital world.
Elder: Elsa, this NFT release represents the next evolution of The Alphabet Universe. Why did you see this drop as the next step after this book? Alphabet for kids and adults??
When I signed the collaboration agreement with Valentino, I knew that I might do an NFT, so I decided to retain 100% ownership of the IP. alphabet The book because it was directly tied to the next universe that we would eventually launch. There are few ways to evolve the alphabet book. It makes sense to leverage NFTs and blockchain technology to bring gorgeous comedy letters to life. The secret was to do it in a unique way. Therefore, it is gamification.
Elder: Mr. Mo, it’s clear that you are always one million steps ahead of others. When I conceived this book, I saw the potential of NFTs rather than just creating one-dimensional graphics. Can you talk to this?
Kheir: The goal is always to create a valuable IP that can be used to launch a large number of industries. The reason people like Pepijn contributed to such projects is to develop the level of complexity and approach needed to enable the type of NFT we all collectively wanted. Because he allowed us access to the skill base we needed very much. make.
Elder to Kiel: A few years ago, brands focused on building “experiential” and immersive concepts. Now it’s all about the Metaverse. Can you share your views on this?
Kheir: Whether it’s a temporary hype or a long-lasting one, brands jump into fashion. Hype sells, but trends fade. The secret is to invest your time and energy in what you believe in, and you can justify your brand, your capital, and most importantly, your time.
Elder to Temming: With the launch of The Alphabet Universe, it’s about building a comprehensive, game-like thing, with incredible utilities. It’s not just aesthetic. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Temming: I think a clear use case is needed for NFT and blockchain technology to become mainstream. Currently, many NFT collections are only functioning as collectibles, which I think has led to a lot of skeptical public opinion about NFTs. The reason why a particular NFT collection gains value and gains amplified value is certainly a mystery to most and certainly to those outside the NFT community. Focusing the NFT collection on a valuable user experience (word games in this case) makes a lot of sense to us because we believe it has the power to appeal to a much wider audience.
The Alphabet Universe was announced at Metaverse.Photo courtesy of: Designed by Pepijn Temming
Elder to Temming: Tell us more about the 3D character design process Alphabet for kids and adults?? And how do they work as NFTs …
Temming: I’m a designer first, then a 3D artist. This presents a certain dilemma. While we want to try everything we can and push the boundaries, there are real timelines and technical limitations that we have to deal with. This is a constant battle between working efficiently towards the completion of the design, while at the same time making room for experimentation and repeating and improving the concept.
This makes the initial conception particularly important, and as a result, I always work on the project from a very conceptual perspective. Having a good concept at the beginning means less changes later in the design process. When we wrote the letters of the book, the idea was already to branch them into other contexts. I wanted these to be universal and to function as sculptures. This allowed the process of animating these as the NFT progressed very smoothly.
After a few small tweaks, I made one big change. E refers to the Ethereum logo and the animation symbolizes how the blockchain works. From a design point of view, the alphabet offers endless conceptual possibilities. It’s a lot of fun to keep expanding this universe and find new spaces and contexts where it can branch.
Elder to Temming: can Do you share a vision for the technical aspects of Drops? The NFT utility in the collection and how is it gamed?
Temming: The current roadmap is divided into three phases: A, B and C. Phase A consists of the first three drops and contains all 26 characters. Phase B introduces the token $ ALPHA. This greatly enhances the usefulness of the collection. Users can upgrade their letters, which will serve as a currency within our community.
Phase C of the roadmap aims to release the first word game, Alpha Battle, as soon as possible. In the process, we really want to listen to our community and let them consider important development decisions. Our ultimate goal is to create a world of engaging online multiplayer two-award games that is community-led and preferably maintained by the community at some point in time.
Elder to Majinbo: When it comes to chess, your business, and your brand, you’ve always focused on long games. How does this strategy apply to NFTs?
Majinbo: That strategy applies to everything in life. You need to be able to see each movement from every angle and plan ahead as much as possible.
Elder to Kiel: Mo, the same question to you, except for the part about chess. When it comes to your business and your brand, you’ve always focused on long games. How does this strategy apply to NFTs?
Kheir: When it comes to issuing NFTs, it’s about respecting your skills and committing to a long game, just like building something of value. Sure, there’s a collection that’s successful overnight and sold out quickly, but it’s also a process of gradual development and gaining momentum over a few drops.
Our main purpose is to create exciting things, develop NFTs with attractive utilities, and develop a scalable and vast universe.
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