Parallel Studios hypes up new AI game on Solana blockchain: ‘It pushes boundaries’

The Web3 developers behind the popular Ethereum (ETH) NFT game, Parallel, are transitioning to Solana (SOL) for their upcoming project, Colony.

The survival simulation crypto game is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and built on the Solana blockchain.

According to a March 14 white paper published by Parallel Studios, the Solana-powered game “pushes the boundaries of AI agents in blockchain, gaming, and even general purpose contexts.”

“Colony breaks new ground in incorporating continuous learning capabilities into gaming, and its AI avatar architecture allows for unique personalities and worldviews,” the company says.

Here’s why: The team claims the game will introduce players to autonomous AI-powered agents that evolve and make decisions on their own. Players initiate their agents by answering initial questions to establish their fundamental personality traits, but the agents can progressively develop their own goals and behaviors over time.

While owners can offer suggestions to their agents, compliance isn’t guaranteed. This introduces a science-fiction-like element: agents may interpret suggestions differently or reject them due to evolving objectives.

To earn crypto rewards, players must own an NFT avatar. While a “free-to-play” option will exist, these users won’t be eligible for ‘PRIME’ rewards, item retention, unique NFT minting, or external item transfers. However, all players, even those using the free version, will need to cover costs associated with the large language model (LLM) powering the AI.

As stated in the whitepaper, gamers must still provide funding to cover fees associated with their agent’s use of the underlying LLMs during game sessions. This mirrors the structure of the full version of Colony, where players fund their avatars’ LLM calls from deposited funds.

The whitepaper further highlights the dynamic interaction between users and their avatars within Colony’s ecosystem. 

Users can suggest actions to their avatars, who respond by considering their objectives, occasionally diverging from owner suggestions if they conflict. This process may entail owners persuading or negotiating with their avatars to complete tasks.

Colony’s framework will be built upon existing Parallel Avatar NFTs on Ethereum, with additional digital collectibles planned for minting on Solana. The game will incorporate a “breeding” mechanism reminiscent of Axie Infinity’s creature generations to spawn more agents. 

Players will utilize the PRIME token, bridged from Ethereum to Solana, for in-game transactions and rewards. Parallel Studios aims to release a public alpha version of Colony in either the fourth quarter of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025.

With ongoing developments, players can expect further updates and details in the coming months, heightening anticipation for this ambitious AI-powered crypto game on Solana.

Art ownership via NFTs

Solana has become a major player in the NFT market by offering a platform that democratizes art ownership, unlocks revenue streams, and promotes financial inclusion globally.

With over 14 million wallets having held an NFT on Solana, with a low cost of minting an NFT at $0.00011, its high throughput and low fees make it appealing to NFT creators and collectors. 

The platform’s NFT standard and minting program offer extensive customizability and ecosystem-wide support, enabling creators to focus on their artwork rather than developing new smart contracts. 

Additionally, Solana’s price journey has been marked by significant volatility, with recent corrections following a period of remarkable performance. After reaching an all-time high of $258.93 in November 2021, Solana experienced fluctuations, dipping to as low as $23.49 in July 2021 before surging again in the second half of the year.

As of Feb. 24, sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Solana network have surpassed $5 billion in total volume. Per data from CoinGecko, Solana (SOL) is trading at $179.65 at the time of writing, representing an over 820% price incline in the past year,