Fans of the global singing competition show The Voice can now experience the thrill of coaching their own star in a new metaverse experience that connects the actual show with virtual reality.
On May 8, the decentralized gaming platform developer The Sandbox revealed a partnership with the Virtual Brand Group (VBG) and ITV Studios — the production compan behind the show — to launch “The Voice Coach Battle.”
This metaverse experience allows fans to act like a celebrity coach in one of the show’s iconic red chairs, hit the big red button and coach future stars — akin to the proceedings of the actual show, with the game adapting to each choice made by the virtual coach.
In addition to being a gamified version of the hit show, the metaverse experience also encourages fans to play along with the 25th season of NBC’s The Voice from within the game.
This is done by incentivizing plays with nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which they will be awarded each week that they correctly predict which contestants will advance to the next round and, ultimately, who will win the show.
Those participating in the NFT-driven competition could also potentially win an opportunity to attend a live recording of the show in one of five different countries where the show airs — bridging the physical and digital worlds.
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Cointelegraph spoke to Justin Hochberg, the CEO of Virtual Brand Group, who said that this moment, and experiences like “The Voice Coach Battle,” are setting the stage for “television’s transformation:”
“Today the average gamer is 34 years old, almost two decades younger than broadcast TV audiences.”
Hochberg added, “Social gaming platforms have created an opportunity for content to connect with the elusive youth demographic, which will extend the lifespan of a TV format to make it more valuable globally.”
He pointed out that metaverse and Web3 interactive social games are “tailor-made” for the content consumption patterns of a generation that grew up on social media and the creator economy.
“Now, the audience can participate in a show and even become a contributor to it.”
Hochberg speculates that within less than 24 months, “all the top global series” will begin to offer a parallel gamified experience that will run in real-time and is also integrated into the actual, physical show.
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