“What happens on Artemis, stays on Artemis”, – tells me Zura Sharashenidze, the co-founder and CEO of Georgia-based Web3 company, Two Point Zero, right after we begin our interview. “There is one iron rule, though – do not anger the Matriarch!” Who or what the Matriarch is and what angers her is the question that I could not find an answer to. It is a mystery at Two Point Zero.
What is not a mystery, however, is Two Point Zero’s latest project – The Island of Artemis – a first-ever anonymous conversation-driven and role-playing metaverse world in which everyone can be their true self. Yet, The Island of Artemis is not merely a video game. It presents a unique concept that takes the best of the Multiplayer Role-Playing Games and enriches it with real-time digital content creation and blockchain technology.
It is no ordinary online or role-playing experience, either. The Island of Artemis is an adventure that transcends traditional gaming and social media; it is a metaverse world in which the players are as powerful as their reputation is solid.
The in-game character reputation is not a theme that the traditional gaming industry thrives upon. It is different on The Island of Artemis, as it is not only a gateway into the world where users play the characters and lead them through their mysteries but also a world where you can win and lose real-life fortunes. There is everything on The Island of Artemis that is in the real world and even more: clans, with their inherent hierarchy, traditions, rules, and the struggle for power; war and all the weaponry, money, mercenaries, and backroom politics; and the pleasure of body and mind, with crime, intrigue, and all the religious, philosophical, and spiritual circles.
“You can relax and party on the beaches of the Singada Coast. Become a trader in the bustling alleys around Deerport. Work your way up inside the seedy underworld to win power and sway without attracting the ire of rival clans or try to solve the mystery of the Matriarch and her servants”, – claims Jaba Melkadze, the Chief Digital Storyteller at Two Point Zero in an exclusive interview with Forbes Georgia. “The world is yours to build. Make it what you want, but do not anger the Matriarch”. What exactly angers the Matriarch was my immediate, most burning question, which Jaba left unanswered.
The Island of Artemis is a metaverse world where you can be your true self. For this to happen, the creators envision it driven by voice, conversation, and interaction – personal and social traits that make humans and their deeds unique. Technologically, this is possible through the integrated voice mask that keeps players’ voices anonymous and allows them to change their characteristics according to taste, desire, or circumstances.
“It all began during a regular brainstorming session at our office when I quoted Oscar Wilde, saying: “Give a man a mask, and he’ll tell you the truth”. My remark sparked the idea of bringing the voice mask feature into the Artemis world”, – says Levan Khomeriki, Chief Innovation Officer at Two Point Zero. “Such twists turn storytelling into storyliving, and that is what the Artemis world stands for! If we, the Web3-obsessed builders, do not pull all our efforts in creating immersive experiences to convince the gaming community that metaverse is not just Roblox for adults, it will barely grow”, – says Levan.
Immersive experiences are not only about gamification, either. According to Zura, metaverse brings together the elements of gamification, virtual and augmented reality, tokenomics, and the physical world and promises to bring yet unimaginable ways of conducting economic affairs. “At the same time”, – Zura claims, “the creators of the real-time virtual worlds are extremely busy with replicating some of our old-school, physical world experiences instead of getting wildly creative”.
That is how Two Point Zero arrived at the concept of The Island of Artemis – a metaverse world where nothing is banned nor illegal and where freedom is absolute. “Maybe it is time for a narrative-driven, themed virtual world to emerge, something like we have seen in the Westworld series on HBO”, – thought Zura before his dream became reality.
Creativity and storytelling are at the heart of what they do at Two Point Zero. It became evident the moment I stepped into their office. Two Point Zero, run by a team of storytellers, digital artists, engineers, and game developers, transforms stories into things people enjoy, use, interact with, and share. Sharing is crucial, as, in Web3 storytelling, fan support comes first. The more you interact with the story and offer fan theories of your own, the more rewards you get.
Yet, storytelling is incomplete without the community gathered around the idea. Creators of The Island of Artemis know this well, as community-driven projects are their guiding belief. After the mega success with a very niche and experimental gamification-style project deckk*, Two Point Zero conducted a socially-driven blockchain experiment – IS PUTIN DEAD YET? and launched the emotion-oriented transmedia storytelling NFT project Ohh! Football. Thus, creating an immersive role-playing Web3 experience was a logical next step.
“The possibilities that the blockchain brings are endless”, – says Marek Charytonowicz, the former Head of Digital Design at M&C Saatchi London and the Art Director at Two Point Zero. “There are no rules yet, so the freedom to create and experiment is absolute. We are taking advantage of it”.
So could you, on The Island of Artemis.
