ITV Studios Taking ‘The Voice’ Into The Metaverse With Immersive Gaming Experience ‘Coach Battle’
EXCLUSIVE: The Voice is headed to the metaverse. The international format is getting an immersive gaming experience that will accompany the TV singing competition format.
The Voice owner ITV Studios is working with virtual gaming world The Sandbox on ‘The Voice Coach Battle’, which will allow players to act as celebrity coaches and sit in the show’s famous red chairs. The Sandbox, part of Animoca Brands, has partnered with metaverse company Virtual Brand Group to launch the Web3 game.
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Developed off the back of the 155 adaptations of The Voice from around the world, Coach Battle will offer players a similar journey to real-life celebrity coaches on The Voice, starting with a blind audition. As the three contestants perform — a tiger faced pop singer, a rebellious young female rocker and an intense, moody alien balladeer — players hit the red button to select their artist. They then progress through the process, selecting music, wardrobe and stage lighting and offering their star advice at each stage. Additionally, players must complete quizzes on the TV show’s real-life celebrity coaches.
Along the way, players are aided by four celebrity coaches designed for the platform — Eon B. Rabbit, Kid Flaire, Cenalia, and IngoAmelis — each of whom has their own musical backstory. The overall aim is to win the final Live Show by gaining a standing ovation.
Players can also vote for their favorite contestants on NBC’s Season 25 of The Voice, which is currently on air. Each week they will receive an exclusive NFT they use to cast a vote in The Sandbox, which allows TV brands to create metaverse worlds, and can win connected microphones so they can sing long at home.
By winning ‘The Voice Coach Battle,’ players will also get the chance to tickets to attend tapings of The Voice in the U.S.; France, where it runs on TF1; Germany (Sat.1), Australia (Nine Network) and the UK (ITV).
Watch a video of the gameplay here
Jurian van der Meer, EVP Brand Licensing, Global Partnerships, ITV Studios said: “In the wake of The Voice being named Franchise of the Year in K7 Media’s ‘Tracking the Giants 2023’ report, alongside its recognition for boasting the highest number of active versions in 2023, our collaboration with The Sandbox to launch ‘The Voice Coach Battle’ represents an exciting step forward for our esteemed franchise.”
“The Sandbox is a hub for creativity, discovery, and self-expression, naturally making it the perfect venue for The Voice. We are very excited to collaborate with them and bring the show’s energy into the digital realm,” said Arthur Madrid, CEO and co-founder of The Sandbox. “We can’t wait to see players truly shine as they take on the roles of their favorite coaches.”
“It’s showtime in the Sandbox. The future of entertainment is here now with new ways to unite and delight The Voice fans globally,” said Justin W. Hochberg, CEO of Virtual Brand Group. “Collaborating with ITV Studios and the Sandbox created a unique opportunity for VBG to merge the physical and digital worlds with three innovations: the first time global TV territories have united in one activation; first game experience on the platform with dynamic choices so every player decision creates a new outcome and television’s first ever virtual coaches.”
Created by John de Mol, The Voice is one of the most widely-travelled formats in the world. ITV Studios owns the rights through its acquisition of de Mol’s Talpa Media in 2015.
The Sandbox is part of Animoca Brands, a digital entertainment group that runs several subsidiary companies. It has partnered with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Deadmau5, and worked with brands including Adidas, Warner Music Group, The Walking Dead, Gucci and The Smurfs.
Virtual Brand Group has worked with brands such as Barbie, Forever 21 and NBC on virtual world games.
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