Blockchain gaming may seem like a new concept, but some games have been around for years. Upland is surely one of them. While it is not a Play-To-Earn game, it is still one of the oldest blockchain games. It is built on top of EOS, a feeless blockchain that uses a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism and here is how you can get started with it.
What Is Upland? #
Upland is probably one of the first blockchain games that introduced in-game ownership, but it does come with certain limitations. Players can purchase property based on a real-world map with only a handful of states in the USA being available right now.
Players can join the game on mobile devices as it supports both Android and iOS, but it can also be played on a PC through your browser. Properties are bought with UPX which is the main in-game currency.
Each player has the right to buy virtual land and build virtual businesses and real estate on top of it. These assets can generate income that is paid out in UPX but as we already mentioned, this game is not based on a play-to-earn model, so all that income won’t be worth any real money just yet.
How To Get Started With Upland? #
Once the game is downloaded or accessed through your browser you will have an option to either register a new account or simply continue as a guest. Creating an account requires a working email address and takes just a few minutes to complete.
New players will be awarded with 6000 UPX which probably won’t be enough to start building right away. The only way to get more UPX tokens is by purchasing them directly from Upland with your credit card.
Once you have enough UPX tokens you can purchase property from others or buy some land and build your own business or real estate.
Zooming in on the map gives you a more detailed overview of the land and the property that is built on top of it. Gray parcels are not up for sale, but you can still make a bid for them while green parcels are already on the market and have a sale price set in UPX. This price is not fixed, and players can send custom offers to the owner.
Based on the in-game economy it is easy to conclude that Upland is currently not a play-to-earn title. Token purchases only go one way but there are plans to expand the game in the future and NFT landowners do have a way to sell their land for USD. This was recently introduced through the NFT-to-USD program which is still not available for everyone.
The end goal of Upland is to offer an immersive metaverse experience for both players and landowners but this development will take some time before it becomes a reality. It is also worth noting that UPX will remain very limited for the time being.
According to the available documentation, the Upland team doesn’t want it to be traded on external exchanges just yet because they fear that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may deem it as a security.
Conclusion #
If you are a new player that is just starting to discover the possibilities of NFT technology and digital property ownership, Upland may just be a perfect place to start. The game doesn’t require you to have a wallet or to deposit any cryptocurrency. It is playable right off the bat, but your possibilities will be rather limited.
Unless the in-game economy changes in the foreseeable future, earning UPX and owning property that generates income won’t mean much because it will be difficult to sell. Hopefully, these changes will come sooner rather than later, and Upland will catch up with the rest of the GameFi industry.
