INTRODUCTION
So you want to give The Sandbox a try but don't want to invest a fortune for fear it might not be for you. Well, in this subsection of the Leo Finance The Sandbox (SAND) Coin Guide, let's investigate whether or not The Sandbox is free to play.
REQUIRED REGISTRATION TO ACCESS THE SANDBOX
Prior to addressing the issue of payment to 'play' The Sandbox, it is worthy to note that you must undertake a registration process prior to entering this metaverse. This registration process is very straight-forward and consists of four easy steps:
- If necessary, create a Metamask account and download the browser extension by clicking here. If you require assistance in setting up your Metamask wallet, click here for a helpful video.
- Once you have your Metamask wallet fully downloaded and operational, you must go to The Sandbox Official Web Page. Once there, you must first click the 'sign-in' button found at the top right of the screen.
- On the page that opens, choose and click the Web 3 Metamask option. Once chosen, you will receive a prompt from Metamask requiring a signature to authorize your log-in to The Sandbox. If you wish to proceed, click the sign button when this prompt appears.
- The final step requires you to enter both a valid email address and a user name (self created). Once you have entered this information, click the 'create account' button.
If these steps have been followed correctly, you have successfully created your The Sandbox account and can enter The Sandbox metaverse.
DOES THE SANDBOX OFFER A FREE TO PLAY OPTION?
FOR GAMERS
The Sandbox is free to play, however there is a caveat to this. Only some of the games offered are free to play while other games carry a minimal charge to play payable in SAND tokens. In the cases where a charge to play is required results from the developer's decision to monetize their game creation. You should also note, that if you wish to acquire a pre-existing avatar or any other game related item, you will need to pay SAND tokens to complete the acquisition.
FOR ARTISTS, CREATORS OR GAME DEVELOPERS
Artists, creators and game developers may avail themselves of free tools offered by The Sandbox to encourage game creation by non-expert novice developers. These free to use tools are:
- VoxEdit: which is a free tool for the creation of voxel assets.
- Game Maker: which is a free tool for the creation of games or interactive installs.
Note, to fully take advantage and monetize the free game created using these tools, you will be required to place the game on LAND within the system which will require the purchase thereof using SAND tokens.
CONCLUSION
While The Sandbox boasts of being a free to play ecosystem, the caveats set forth above remind us of the importance of monetization within the protocol. Nonetheless, if a user wants to merely 'check out' The Sandbox metaverse, a free mechanism is available to do this once the registration process has been accomplished.