Liithos, a recently established AAA gaming and entertainment studio founded by Michael Mumbauer (known for The Last of Us) and John Garvin (known for Days Gone), both respected veterans of PlayStation, have partnered with the Hedera Network, a highly regarded, low-cost, and sustainable blockchain platform, and the Web3 marketplace CoinZoom to create an innovative narrative series.
This collaboration marks the first of its kind. The partners have enlisted the help of mega-influencer Michael Le, who has an impressive following of 52.2 million on TikTok. The series will launch exclusively on TikTok and introduce the world to Ashfall, the first transmedia intellectual property (IP) announced by the Liithos team earlier this year. The epic adventure will feature Michael Le and TikTok influencer Slider Jesus (who has 257k followers on Instagram). It will be followed by the launch of a comic book series in March, with a AAA video game currently in development.
In late June 2022, Liithos announced its first intellectual property (IP), Ashfall, which currently has a comic and a game under development. Indeed, Liithos is looking to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with multimedia experiences, integrating real fan engagement with superstars like Michael Le for the next generation.
In addition to the exciting digital collectibles, fans will have the opportunity to get a sneak preview of the upcoming Ashfall comic book series. Written by Garvin, who also came up with the story, and illustrated by comic artists from Marvel and DC, such as Paul Pelletier (Aquaman, Guardians of the Galaxy), Brett Booth (Backlash, Gunslinger), and Eisner Award winner Tony Harris (Starman, Ex Machina), the Ashfall Universe is a new, post-apocalyptic world set in the climate-change-ravaged Pacific Northwest, where Seattle has been submerged under the ocean for centuries.
“We are looking to collaborate, integrate, and elevate multimedia experiences with these superstars like Michael Le for the next generation,” said Mumbauer, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Liithos. “The Liithos TikTok Creators series is the first of many experiences Liithos is looking to launch to create easily traversable pathways between medias and the evolving web space.”
Breaking Industry Standards: Liithos’ Vision for Social Gaming and Decentralized Content
Fully embracing the opportunities that Web3 opens for gamers and creators alike, Liithos has created an initial series that features 5 free digital collectibles, each including an “easter egg” of 3 pages of the upcoming comic for enthusiasts to collect, all featuring legendary comic book talent. Working with the Hedera Network, Liithos sees this as the start of a fully actualized vision where all the benefits of decentralization, social gaming, and narrative-led content collide beautifully.
Liithos is also breaking outdated industry standards with initiatives like no crunch and fully remote opportunities. As Mumbauer put it, “Today’s superstars are elevated by millions of real fans and followers on TikTok where we find our new heroes and villains. Liithos is looking to launch experiences that embrace these new social media realities and enhance them with cutting-edge technology and innovation.”
Overall, Liithos is well-positioned to revolutionize the gaming and entertainment industries with its forward-thinking approach, strong team, and commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Empowering Entrepreneurs and Developers: The Six Funds of the HBAR Foundation
Notably, The HBAR Foundation supports creating Web3 communities built on the Hedera network by empowering and funding the builders developing these communities. The Foundation’s six funds – focused on the Crypto Economy, Metaverse, Sustainability, Fintech, Privacy, and Female Founders – each support communities within those areas, and the interconnectedness enables applications to participate as part of a larger ecosystem.
The collective power of these funds enables entrepreneurs, developers, and enterprises of all sizes to tackle some of the world’s most enormous problems and create and control their economies, all built on the Hedera public network. Whether you’re building something new or migrating an existing EVM-based application and community, the HBAR Foundation is here to support you.
Alex Russman, Head of the Metaverse Fund at the HBAR Foundation, has expressed excitement about the potential of Web3, which opens up a new frontier for engaging content with actual ownership of creative assets. The Liithos team, in collaboration with Michael Le, has shown unparalleled expertise and achievements in pushing boundaries to advance the Creator Economy. Russman added that it is fantastic to see this activation at scale on the Hedera network, which the HBAR Foundation supports to further grow the ecosystem.
Making Digital Asset Trading Accessible to Everyone: A Look at CoinZoom’s Marketplace for Collectibles
Liithos will offer a unique free digital collectible for every episode exclusively through CoinZoom each sunday. Collectors will only need to pay a small processing fee. Once fans have collected all five digital collectibles, they will be eligible to receive a bonus sixth digital collectible, exclusively available to those who participated in the event.
CoinZoom is a reputable Web 3 fintech platform that operates under US regulations and has undergone audits and licensing. The company provides a wide range of international financial and digital asset services using cash, debit, and crypto payments. This includes a secure trading exchange specializing in buying, selling, sending, and spending over 40 top digital currencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Todd Crosland, CEO and Co-Founder of CoinZoom, has highlighted the importance of bridging Web 2 to Web 3 with the easiest, fastest way to sign up, claim and trade digital assets. The Marketplace for the collectibles, hosted by CoinZoom, allows for a simple sign-on, super-easy claim process and payment of a small processing fee with Apple Pay or Google Pay, making access available to everyone.
This initiative is not just for crypto-forward or NFT fanatics but for anyone who follows Michael Le, loves comics, or wants to be part of the next big gaming franchise. Crosland stated that working with Hedera on this project has been great, and the network was built for mass-scale, content-rich engagements like this.
