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Singapore, January 26
The Royal Press (TRP), one of the world’s oldest polyglot letterpress houses, proudly announces its collaboration with 8SIAN, a leading Web3 brand celebrating Asian heritage and Smobler, an award-winning metaverse architecture and experience design studio. Together, they unveil 8SIAN TOWN, a Southeast Asian-inspired metaverse experience in The Sandbox.
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8SIAN TOWN in The Sandbox Game by Smobler
This groundbreaking partnership blends the rich cultural legacy of TRP, the innovative vision of 8SIAN, and Smobler’s expertise in immersive digital environments, creating a space where tradition meets technology.
The official launch event of 8SIAN TOWN will take place on February 1 at The Royal Press Living Museum in Melaka, Malaysia—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This historic venue underscores the project’s commitment to preserving Southeast Asia's multicultural history while introducing it to the digital age.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeEKNsJfdkhPHPW_BR9BUAkdS5wMvd_7axwFWTsN0JuPvMvxSr456PtFek1zY0VTe-7IqzOKirB6O-btLjIlNNF81-0sWuVhJxEvop633TSa-WQJbhAuf4s3xYkW0lQJxf0eGEq?key=LnO82HZeZ4jAUt5kdXGsGeiA">
The Royal Press Living Museum in Melaka, Malaysia
Founded in 1938 and housed in a pre-war heritage building, TRP is a globally renowned institution dedicated to preserving the craft of polyglot letterpress printing. With a rich history of producing prints in Jawi, Chinese, Tamil, English and Malay, TRP stands as a physical “Guardian of Language” safeguarding the diverse linguistic and cultural heritage of Southeast Asia.
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 Ee Soon Wei, the visionary behind TRP, shared, “Our mission has always been to preserve the heritage of letterpress printing. This collaboration allows us to introduce this art form to a wider audience and foster a deeper appreciation. It is a meaningful step towards navigating a future where tradition and innovation coexist seamlessly.”
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Smobler brings to life the timeless charm of The Royal Press Living Museum in 8SIAN TOWN
Nicole Yap, founder of the celebrated non-fungible token (NFT) project 8SIAN and a proud Malaysian, brings her vision of elevating Southeast Asia's heritage to the metaverse. Her successful NFT collection laid the foundation for creating 8SIAN TOWN as a tribute to the region's iconic landmarks, traditions, and multicultural spirit,
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 “As a parent, I see how my kids are naturally drawn to voxel-based worlds like Minecraft and Roblox. It brings me immense joy to put Asian culture on the map in The Sandbox, promoting our rich heritage while collaborating with The Royal Press, the oldest letterpress museum in Malaysia. This partnership not only celebrates our culture but ensures its preservation for future generations.”
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Traditional printing blocks are fashioned into an immersive experience in The Sandbox
This project is the latest chapter in Smobler’s Metaverse for Good initiative, which underscores the company’s commitment to its IDEALS—Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Leadership, and Sustainability.
Smobler has earned international recognition for creating socially impactful and culturally significant digital experiences. From empowering young musicians and creators through Sonik Satellitez to raising awareness about global warming with the award-winning 3VEREST, Smobler consistently bridges digital and physical worlds to make a difference. Loretta Chen, Founder and CEO of Smobler, who is a literary arts and culture professor as well as published author is delighted at the collaboration,
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 “At the intersection of heritage, culture, and innovation, the collaboration between Smobler, 8SIAN, and The Royal Press showcases the power of unity in preserving tradition while boldly embracing the future. Together, we are crafting timeless stories in the digital age especially with the launch of this Southeast Asian themed game on The Sandbox.”
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Murals in The Royal Press Living Museum as reimagined by Smobler in 8SIAN TOWN
The Sandbox, one of the world’s largest open metaverses and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is excited to host 8SIAN TOWN on its platform. Known for actively promoting diversity and cultural representation, The Sandbox provides a global stage for projects like 8SIAN TOWN while amplifying the voices and stories of underrepresented regions.
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 “8SIAN, led by Nicole Yap is an original, successful Web3 NFT project. It has expanded into a bigger community with a transmedia franchise that now extends into the metaverse with the launch of 8SIAN TOWN in collaboration with Smobler on The Sandbox,” says Sebastien Borget, COO &amp; Co-Founder of The Sandbox.
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 “Not only is it a great example of the cultural diversity that can be found on our platform, 8SIAN TOWN also illustrates how Web3 empowers creators to bring their imaginative worlds to life, delivering engaging adventures with gamification and no-code tools.”
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8SIAN TOWN invites players to embark on an exciting journey through a vibrant Southeast Asian festival. From calligraphy challenges inspired by TRP’s polyglot printing legacy to thrilling battles with possessed dragon statues, the game combines action-packed adventures with cultural storytelling.
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Iconic Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia in 8SIAN TOWN recreated&nbsp; by Smobler
Iconic landmarks, including Malaysia’s Twin Towers, Batu Caves, and Melaka’s historical charm, are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay, providing a rich and immersive experience for players worldwide.
Smobler’s track record of creative excellence further solidifies the promise of 8SIAN TOWN. With recent accolades at The Sandbox Awards 2024 for Best Sports Experience (3VEREST | The Edge) and Best Branded Experience (Saving ClayBox: The Sonic Sands Adventure), Smobler continues to raise the bar in the metaverse.
8SIAN TOWN goes live in The Sandbox Game on February 1. Guests are invited to explore this vibrant digital world, beginning with its physical roots at The Royal Press Living Museum on the same day. Join us to discover Southeast Asian culture and reserve your spot <a href="https://lu.ma/b07hy2ug" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.
<h3 id="about-the-royal-press">About The Royal Press</h3>
The Royal Press seeks to establish itself as the first polyglot letterpress living museum in the world dedicated to preserving the craft of letterpress printing. As one of the oldest surviving polyglot letterpress printing houses in the world, it continues to be a work in progress to lead in the conversation and discussion on the importance of preservation of crafts and protection of heritage buildings and the historic city of Melaka as a UNESCO world heritage site.
<h3 id="about-8sian">About 8SIAN</h3>
8SIAN is the most successful NFT project in South East Asia. Established by Nicole Yap, 8SIAN has made significant strides in the NFT space, trending among the top 10 projects on OpenSea and generating over 3,000 ETH (approx. USD 10M) in secondary sales within a single day. With its unique Asian-themed content and vision, 8SIAN is leading the way in integrating NFTs with broader tech applications, including the Metaverse.
<h3 id="about-smobler">About Smobler</h3>
Smobler is a leading Metaverse architect and a portfolio company of Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Brinc, supported by Enterprise Singapore, IMDA Singapore, and Plug and Play. Smobler has created a suite of world’s first such as a phygital wedding, Tools of Rock concert venue, a disability-led accessibility park and Bhutanverse. Working with legacy brands such as Airbus, BMW, DBS, GoPro, Mahindra and Meta, Smobler creates innovative projects such as Metaverse for Good and has been featured by Forbes, Vogue, Channel News Asia and more. Smobler initiated the inaugural cross chain project with Clay Nation, Cardano and Polygon and curated a series of proprietary Gamefi IPs - 3VEREST, Yeti Realm, Cobbleland as well as signature event NOVA. The company has been acknowledged as a top tech startup at SelectUSA, Inventures Canada and VIVATech Paris and is a proud alumni of ScaleUp inBrazil and Plug and Play’s Global Innovation Alliance. Smobler’s CEO, Loretta Chen has been awarded numerous Top Female Founder Awards from UBS, AWS, Forbes amongst others. For more, log on to smobler.io.
<h3 id="about-the-sandbox">About The Sandbox</h3>
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and other aspects of culture. The Sandbox leverages Web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both players and creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, Attack on Titan, The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on X (Twitter), Medium, and Discord.
Media inquiries:
Gianna Bui
Smobler, Head of Communications
gianna@smoblerstudios.com

8SIAN, Smobler and The Royal Press Join Forces to Celebrate Southeast Asian Culture in the Metaverse

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