How Nvak Collective and Annika Rose Transformed Fan Engagement with Pixel Streaming

The Challenge

The traditional music industry model is outdated and often inequitable, leaving many artists struggling to achieve fair compensation and exposure. Nvak Collective aimed to disrupt this model by leveraging web3 technology to create a more equitable, profitable, and diverse music industry. They needed to find innovative ways to engage fans and provide artists with better opportunities.

The Solution

In 2023, Nvak Collective and artist Annika Rose released the “Bruises” music video game. This gamified music video experience, built in Unreal Engine 5 and accessible via web browser using Pixel Streaming, offered an immersive, interactive experience. Fans could access the game by minting one of 2,500 Listening Room NFTickets, which provided entry to the token-gated Listening Room featuring Annika Rose’s “Dad” Music NFT and future updates. The game included three curated levels, opening and closing cinematics, and opportunities for fans to engage deeply with Annika Rose’s music and story.

In creating this experience, technical considerations included optimizing performance for visual quality as well as load times. Ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing loading times were critical, achieved by being efficient with polycount, texture sizes, and the lighting system. Effective communication with the artists designing the experience was essential to manage expectations and maintain a balance between resource allocation and visual quality without compromising functionality.

The Impact

The “Bruises” Music Video Game achieved notable engagement metrics:

• 17,323 minutes streamed
• 3,351 unique site visitors
• 2,500 Listening Room NFTickets minted
• 597 unique NFTicket holders
• 289.38 hours played by users in 89 countries
• 165 “Dad” Music NFTs minted within the Listening Room
• 26.06% of NFTicket holders minted “Dad”
• 17.82% of site visitors minted NFTickets for access to token-gated content
• 10-minute average player time in-game during the first two weeks
• 3-minute average player time in-game after 3-5 weeks

The main insight Nvak Collective took away from the experience was that it was a highly effective tool for deepening engagement with existing fans. Moving forward, they plan to integrate this model into the artist journey at a later stage, using it to deepen the connection with a dedicated fanbase rather than as an initial point of entry.

Nvak Collective continues to explore the potential of gamified music experiences, collaborating with partners like TokenTraxx to expand the utility of their NFTickets and engage fans through innovative methods. Their efforts aim to contribute to the evolving landscape of music and gaming, offering new ways for fans to connect with artists.