Introduction

Gaming as an entertainment medium is a fast-rising industry, with over 3 billion gamers worldwide and a market value projected to reach $682 Billion by 2030. However, the current distribution channels are heavily monopolized, especially with the advent of digital gaming, with corporations such as Apple, Google, and Steam controlling the mobile and PC gaming markets.

Ultra is a groundbreaking project that complements game distribution with blockchain technology. It introduces a balanced ecosystem where developers and users are rewarded fairly for their contributions.

In this article, we will explore the Ultra platform, understand how it works, and the value propositions it offers for both developers and players.

What is Ultra?

Ultra is a gaming service that uses blockchain technology to create a fair platform for developers and players. Its goal is to change the traditional distribution channels and offer a direct publishing platform for developers while also providing a user-friendly gaming experience for players.

With Ultra, developers can now publish their games, and retain a larger share of the revenue generated. The platform offers developers more control over their games and allows them to reach a wider audience.

For players, Ultra offers a wide range of games that can be discovered and played on the platform. It also incorporates social features, allowing players to refer friends, join communities, and participate in tournaments and events. The platform rewards players for their engagement through its native token, UOS, which can be used for in-game purchases and other activities.

Brief History

Ultra has been developing since 2017, with major ecosystem features launching in 2023. It was co-founded by David Hanson and Nicholas Gilot after the duo conducted an extensive survey among gamers and developers about the issues they faced in the gaming industry. They created Ultra to address the limitations of the traditional gaming industry and empower gamers and developers.

David Hanson is an experienced executive in the gaming industry with former positions in Xiaobawang and PixelBeam (later acquired by Kingsoft). Nicholas Gilot was a former Chief Strategy Officer at Xiaobawang, developing innovations that successfully tripled the revenue of multiple game projects.

Features for Players

Ultra offers a range of player-centric features that enhance the gaming experience.

Instant Play

Players can access games within minutes of purchase using Ultra’s progressive software downloading technology; they would not have to wait for a complete download as missing data continues to be downloaded as the game is played.

Rewards

Players can earn Ultra Coins by referring friends, watching Ads, beta testing games, writing reviews, reselling digital games, etc.

Open Platform

Players can access third-party gaming services such as tournaments, and item trading from the Ultra platform.

Community

Players can join communities of their choice to interact with other gamers and developers.

Features For Developers

Ultra offers a range of developer-centric features to empower game creators:

Fairer Rewards System

Developers will earn 21% more sales revenue while benefiting from faster payouts that otherwise take two to four weeks on established platforms; a faster payout system enables developers to reinvest money in their game launch marketing quickly. They can also earn money through in-game advertising, second-hand sales, item trading, and referrals.

Marketing Tools

Ultra has developed an extensively researched marketing platform that optimizes advertising for developers.

Improved Developer Experience

Developers can create game-specific clubs, forums, newsletters, and chats where they can get support from the community through financial incentives, feedback, beta tests, bug hunting, and many more. Developers can also easily import games from Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation to Ultra with its universal Software Development Kit (SDK).

The Ultra Ecosystem

The Ultra ecosystem consists of three interconnected platforms.

Ultra Games

Source: Ultra

Ultra Games is a curated store within the Ultra platform, similar to how Steam or the Epic Games Store functions in traditional gaming. Users can download from a growing catalog of high-quality games, and when permitted by the game developer, users can buy, sell, and trade them on the Uniq Marketplace.

Uniq Marketplace

Source: Ultra

The Uniq Marketplace is a dedicated platform within Ultra for trading games, items, resources, and collectibles as NFTs. It provides a secure and convenient space for users to buy, sell, and trade various in-game assets.

Ultra Arena

Source: Ultra

Ultra Arena adds a competitive element to the gaming experience, where developers and organizers can host tournaments for Ultra Games. This feature provides both amateur and professional players the opportunity to compete for Ultra Coins, the native token of the Ultra platform.

How Does Ultra Work?

Ultra’s operations are divided into five sections: Blockchain Technology, Content Distribution, Marketing, User Interface, and Mobile Use.

Blockchain Technology - Ultra Protocol

The Ultra Protocol has a throughput of 12,000 TPS (Source: Ultra)

The Ultra blockchain is based on the EOSIO technology, which is an enterprise-grade blockchain designed for both public and private use cases. It offers a customizable platform that caters to diverse business requirements across various industries.

The Ultra chain can handle up to 12,000 transactions per second with zero transaction fees while being energy-efficient and eco-friendly. It prioritizes accessibility by providing a login interface for user account creation and an account recovery system that does not require recovery phrases.

Content Distribution

Source: Ultra

Ultra relies on existing content delivery methods already used by major companies such as Bethesda, Adobe, Riot, etc., and has already successfully delivered hundreds of millions of game downloads. This tech has user-friendly features such as automatic game updates and error recovery.

Marketing — Ultra Ads

Source: Ultra

The Ultra Ads is a powerful marketing tool designed to optimize advertising for developers and reward users for viewing ads. Users viewing ads will be rewarded in Ultra Coins (UOS). These ads are strategically displayed before the launch of a game, after a game is closed, on the Ultra Go app, and as in-browser notifications.

The Ultra ads technology operates on a two-way system as explained below;

1. Demand-Side Platform (DSP): The DSP has special agreements with both the Advertisers that want to show their ads and the sites on the internet where these ads can be displayed. The DSP buys ad spaces from these sites and helps the advertisers (game developers) show their ads for a small service charge. The DSP also helps advertisers decide where to put their ads based on their target consumers. For example, if a sports game developer wants their ad to be seen by people who like sports, the DSP will find websites that sports fans visit.
2. Supply Side Platform (SSP): The SSP is used to automate the sale of Ultra’s advertising space and inventory. With the SSP, Ultra sells in-house ad spaces to generate revenue, and with the help of its DSP, it can also buy ad spaces from other places to help promote a developer’s game.

User Interface — Overlay Technology

This technology offers the capacity to integrate various types of User Interfaces (UI) directly into games. It is compatible with various gaming frameworks, including DirectX versions 8, 9, 10,11, 12, OpenGL, and Vulkan.

Mobile Use — Ultra GO

The Ultra GO app provides mobile access for users, equipped with text and voice chat for community engagement, a cryptocurrency wallet for transactions, and P2P Payments. Users can also purchase games and remotely download them on a PC.

What is UOS Token?

The UOS (Ultra Coin) is an ERC-20 token that serves as the utility token of the Ultra ecosystem. To protect users from token volatility, transactions are valued in United States Dollars (USD) but paid in UOS. Therefore, an item valued at $10 will always be $10, although the amount of Ultra Coins required to complete the transaction on the blockchain will fluctuate according to the latest Ultra Coin market price.

Tokenomics

Source: Ultra

The Ultra Coin has a total supply of 1 billion, with a current circulating supply of 355,228,743.

Note: There’s a tokenomics revision scheduled for the second quarter of 2024, as the current tokenomics is outdated.

Fund Raising

As of 2019, Ultra raised $6,381,611 at the seed round and the presale, and also raised an additional $5 million on public offering, with a token price of $0.05 per token on Bitfinex, totaling up to $11,381,611 raised.

Partnerships

AMD

AMD is a renowned technology company in the gaming and PC market. The partnership between AMD and Ultra aims to promote the Ultra platform and the advantages of blockchain-based game technologies through various co-marketing activities, such as contests and events.

AMD and Ultra will also collaborate to enhance cryptographic computing performance on the platform for gamers using AMD processors and graphics cards. They also intend to explore additional joint activities in the future.

Blowfish Studios

Blowfish Studios is an independent game development and publishing studio. They are known for their innovative gameplay, striking visuals, and engaging storylines. Blowfish Studios partnered with Ultra Games to bring their titles to a larger audience. This partnership will expand Ultra Games’ catalog offerings, giving users more options.

Is Ultra (UOS) a Good Investment?

Ultra is a project dedicated to games and game-related content. Their objective is to challenge the current monopoly held by Web2 platforms like Steam, relying on their experienced team and innovative strategies.

To further demonstrate their commitment to game development, 5% of Ultra’s profits will be allocated to Game Development and Acquisition War Chest for two years. This fund will exclusively support game development using Ultra’s blockchain and NFT capabilities. This initiative showcases Ultra’s dedication to the gaming industry and establishes its reliability and trustworthiness to potential investors.

Investors are encouraged to research and evaluate their risk tolerance before investing in any cryptocurrency because, like any investment, investing in Ultra (UOS) carries certain risks. Investors should consider the cryptocurrency market’s volatility and potential regulatory changes.

Note: Investing in Ultra or any other crypto project does not guarantee a profit and could result in a capital loss.

How to Own UOS?

To own UOS, you can use the services of a centralized crypto exchange. Start by creating a Gate.io account and getting it verified and funded. Then, you are ready to go through the steps to buy UOS.

News on Ultra

Ultra Unveils Plans For 2024

Source: Ultra

On February 22, 2024, Ultra announced its plans for the year, with the aim of testing and running products built-in 2023. It also promises more exclusive gaming content, partnerships with other brands, revised tokenomics, and a launch of the Ultra API.

Ultra Partners with MetaBrew to Drop The Gamers Brew Uniq Collection

Source: Ultra

Top Web3 Beer brand MetaBrew has partnered with Ultra to release the Gamers Brew Uniq Collection , a limited edition of Gamers Brew cans branded with Ultra’s Power and Elemental Souls NFT.

Gamers Brew is the new energy drink brand by MetaBrew. The partnership will allow users to sign into their Ultra wallet directly on MetaBrew’s online store to access exclusive benefits for the Uniq collection holders.

Take Action on UOS

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