Mongolian rock band The Hu are performing a virtual concert in the metaverse at the end of March. That, in and of itself, is mildly interesting, but it is the sheer scale of what they are doing and the variety of tickets and packages on offer that makes this a lot more intriguing.
It is designed to be fully interactive, with fans able to buy avatars that they can customise and have explore the world the band has created.
It’s not exactly a cheap production with the teaser graphics already hinting at something exceptional. The different ticket prices reflect the (presumably) staggering upfront production costs.
An entry ticket costs $35 and lets users enter the metaverse and interact with other fans. (There is a $20 ticket, but that just allows you to watch the director’s cut of the performance.)
On top of this come a number of bundle packages ranging from $50 to $70 that include entry to the concert and avatars with incredible names like The Warrior Of The Unyielding Wind, The Frost-Fang Warrior and The Mighty God Of The Black Thunder. They allow fans to interact as members of The Hu’s band or soldiers in the Wolf Totem army.
“Players can interact with each other and the band members, dance to the music, and even fight along with the band members in battle,” explains the press release announcing the concert, making it sound like a mixture of a gig, Fortnite and Dungeons & Dragons.
There are further upsells with the single item collections that allow greater customisation of your avatar. There are 40 in total and most cost around $40. The related website is keen to point out that these do not include concert tickets.
For someone looking to attend the concert in avatar form and be able to customise it, they will probably have to pay about $110. But it doesn’t stop there as you can bolt on signature moves for your avatar at $5 a pop.
The show is called Rumble of Thunder v1.1, suggesting that other iterations may follow. While it may cost a lot to get the full experience, the teasers genuinely look incredible and it should significantly push forward what a virtual concert can be.
