[Mossland] Interview-“Mossland” Pre-ICO successfully closed in 38 minutes , dreaming of a virtual world beyond reality Reality Reflection Follow Feb 19, 2018 · Unlisted

Mossland is a location-based Augmented Reality(AR) mobile game based on real estate. You can own landmarks in your vicinity and also sell or purchase others’ with Moss Coin, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency.

-Reporter Dong Hyun Won (Wony@inven.co.kr)

Source: Example of Augmented Reality in Commercialization Phase (Source: Keiichi Matsuda)

“Mom, there is a dragon in the house!”

AR (Augmented Reality) technology is attractive. It adds layers to the simple reality and creates a new world. It is not simply virtual, but creates tangent points that crosses each other in the real world. It also creates values. Perhaps, augmented reality could become a distinct reality to the already existing one.

In that way, we may really meet a dragon one day. The dragon, a figure that symbolizes mystery, could be taking a nap on the roof of a house. Also, perhaps, it could take a smaller version and be enjoying a cup of tea in the front yard. Wouldn’t the dragon become more popular than the coffee?

“Mossland” from “Reality Reflection” that I will introduce today tries to express such type of mystery. The goal is to insert AR objects such as a dragon or King Kong into a real building to create new values and excitement. In addition, with the existence of a third currency, “Moss”, a connection with the real world has been made possible.

Inven will show you the vision “Mossland” is dreaming of, to become the world’s kaleidoscope and go beyond reality.

(Left) CEO Wooram Son, (Right) VP Don Lim

Dong Hyun Won(Reporter): Hello. Prior to the interview, could you briefly introduce what kind of company Reality Reflection is?

Wooram Son(CEO): Reality Reflection is a company that specializes in AR / VR development established in April 2015. At the time of the establishment, I considered “humans” as the most important factor in a soon to come VR centered society. To focus solely on people was the true intention which this company was established with, to implement a virtual human as if it was a real.

“How can you implement a real human being?” We started from basic questions such as this and now we have set up the largest 3D scanning facility in Asia. If you take a look at our game “Gangsta Underground” we are releasing soon, you’ll be able to notice our knowledge on our field.

Dong Hyun: I was really surprised to hear the news that the AR game “Mossland” ran an ICO (Initial Coin Offering). I thought ICO was limited to simply virtual currency. Why did you choose to take such unique and rigorous challenge?

Wooram: At the beginning, we focused everything on VR contents. We came up with various VR titles but its small market size was a big concern for us. We had to keep looking for ways to survive as a startup in this fierce competitive market.

Then, one day during mid last year, some of our investors in Silicon Valley and Hong Kong came to help us as advisors. They told us ICO was trending in Silicon Valley.

At first it made us worry whether this would really fit us. At the end of last year, VP Dong Wook Lim (Don) and other skilled in the industry, who were already preparing an ICO based AR game, joined us. We were already discussing about the concerns on the relationship between VR, AR and ICO. Then we thought, “Oh, this is a project we could work on for the whole next year”. And since then, we have been working without a stop.

Dong Hyun: Has any other domestic mobile game ran an ICO before?

Wooram: Not that I know of. After we ran our ICO, we received many calls from many other startups. There are many people out there planning an ICO.

Dong Hyun: How much of “Mossland” was structured before starting the “collaboration” with Reality Reflection?

Don: Well, we hadn’t yet started the development stage. We decided to join when we were still making plans for the concept and direction of the game. There was a time I started a business on the game “Accelerator”. At that time, I got to know about the game “Lordmancer 2”. Lordmancer 2 is a mobile MMORPG game that ran an ICO last year. It is a normal game but the idea of inserting a soft currency, hard currency, and a third currency into the game was interesting. I also learned a lot recently which made me think about its possibilities.

We started by making it a check-in game. However, making it like the existing check-in game “Foursquare” seemed not to fit to the current trend. That’s why we were looking for companies able to apply AR / VR technology well such as Reality Reflection. I joined hands with Wooram since G-Star last year but it feels as if we have been working for more than a year already (laugh).

Currencies in “Mossland”

Dong Hyun: The outcome of this ICO is quite amazing. I saw articles from foreign presses that it ended in a considerably short time. Any more details about the outcome?

Wooram: We were also really surprised. It was sold out in 38 minutes. At that time, there was a problem with the withdrawal of Ethereum where some people experienced issues and hadn’t there been any issues, it could have finished even quicker.

Dong Hyun: Were there any particular countries or specific groups that showed more interest?

Don: By analyzing our whitelist, South Korea was the biggest and surprisingly Russia showed great interest too. We also got positive results from several European countries. However, since the United States and China are ICO prohibited countries, they were not included since the beginning.

Dong Hyun: About how many landmarks are there going to be based on open spec criteria?

Don: It’s a frequently asked question. There is not yet a precisely determined quantity. However, regardless of the number, we plan to introduce several safety devices in order to protect the value of the initial landmarks in the beginning. For example, to prevent initial users from acquiring and locking down all of Seoul’s landmarks, we are going to sell them all in the auction house. However, there still isn’t an exact guideline about it so changes may occur.

Also, we are conducting an SNS event “Register Your Landmark”. People recommend iconic buildings or structures in their country or town. Afterwards, when enough data is gathered, frequently repeated areas could all be considered as landmarks.

Dong Hyun: Oh, then not only representative landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty but also landmarks only for specific people in a specific neighborhood could be added?

Don: Yes.

Dong Hyun: Then, the increase of new landmarks after the official release could also be an element of the game?

Don: Yes it is.

Dong Hyun: The element of “Accessories” in Mossland seems interesting. It is a device that patches AR objects into buildings which would not only catch people’s interest but also have a great advertisement effect. However, won’t it be hard to publish advertisements in locations assigned by ordinary users?

Don: Oh, advertisements can be published in any neighborhood café and not only landmarks. Out of all POI(Points of Interest), we only designate buildings that appear to have value as landmarks. Everyone can check-in and publish ads to any buildings.

AR Advertisements Using Accessories

Dong Hyun: Even if you do not possess any Property (landmark or other real estate), can you also ask the owner of the desired property to advertise it?

Don: Yes. The owner of the property will receive some of the ad revenue. And users checking in to ads will also be compensated accordingly.

Dong Hyun: Wouldn’t it be dangerous to let the property owners publish any ad without restriction?

Don: There is a VR game called Decentraland. It is a virtual real estate implemented game where you buy land, construct buildings and cafes in a VR world. Publishing advertisements was possible there. At that time, they did say they were going to control all inappropriate content but there was no strict regulation plan. It’s something we keep discussing on.

However, the AR filters, such as the textures and accessories will all be made by us so unless someone hacks into our system, there won’t be any problems. Since phrases can be written freely, there will be a need to apply filters.

Also, shop owners and companies are the ones who will mostly be executing advertisements, not the general public, so I think there won’t be any big problem.

Dong Hyun: Are advertising expenses decided by the property owners? Also, I’m curious if there are any other economic elements to control it.

Don: Yes, the advertising expenditure will be decided based by the property owner and the market price. The total number of Moss Coin issued is 500 million, but in order to not lose value, we plan to compensate the check-ins in the form of CPA (Cost Per Action) and ads price within the number issued. Also, players will be compensated on AR achievements such as taking photos of buildings. Taking certain actions could be induced desired by the ad owner but the type of actions will still have to be thoroughly thought of.

Dong Hyun: Since the total issued Moss Coin is fixed, it seems like users will want to take possession as fast as possible. Won’t this become a problem for the game in the long-run for later users?

Don: We thought about it a lot, since it is directly linked to the amount of market capitalization. That’s why we increased the total amount a while ago. Since “Mossland” is global operating game, If it succeeds globally, it’s true that this 500 million won’t be considered that big.

However, I do not think there are disadvantages for later users. With trading happening around the game, the law of supply and demand will balance to equilibrium naturally. If you think about it, there is no big difference to regular real estate. Someone can buy a building for 1 million dollars and sell it for 2 million dollars. Then the next buyer could sell it for 5 million dollars.

I don’t think there is no need to think of “Mossland” as complicated. Basically, it is a very casual game. For most users, looking for interesting accessories and places to check-in will be the main content for the game.

Wooram: There are many people who are worried about what to do if all of the famous ‘landmarks’ are all taken from the beginning. However, since “Mossland” is an AR based game, we can create an infinite amount of valuable properties. For example, an old waste plant nearby can also receive new value depending on how AR objects are utilized. It is true that initial users will receive some more benefits, but since the constant creation of value through AR technology is possible, later users will have many opportunities as well.

“Mossland” affected by the Market’s Economy

Dong Hyun: The idea of creating new values to the real world through AR technology seems interesting. Suddenly, thoughts like “what if the value of AR assets become more valuable than in the real world” came to my mind. ‘maybe the reversal phenomenon that the value of AR property is higher than the value of reality will not occur?’ As you mentioned earlier, by utilizing AR accessories, even an old waste factory could become a famous AR spot.

Wooram: It would be very interesting if something like that gets to happen.

Don: Actually, when Pokemon GO became popular, various buildings and objects received attention. Personally, it would be great if many unknown and ‘buried’ buildings or spots could come up to the world through “Mossland”.

Dong Hyun: How does the ideal future of “Mossland” look like?

Don: Just like the word ‘moss’, we see it grow every time we wake up from sleep. We thought of it similar to AR technology where although it’s not clearly visible in the eyes, it keeps building up its value. It could be said that the AR filters show us the world of moss. Through the filters, some can harvest moss, others can go travel which would be great to see different and quirky landscapes being produced.

Dong Hyun: There are many people who worry about security issues. How are you preparing for it?

Wooram: First of all, some of our founding members come from security companies, so the basis for security is pretty strong. We also know that security is very important as we use virtual money in the game so we are thoroughly preparing for it.

Don: Basically, blockchain is a very transparent and safe technology. The coin used here “Moss Coin” is also safe because it runs only within the blockchain technology. Since it is an Ethereum based coin, unless the whole Etherium network is hacked, there is no need to worry.

Dong Hyun: When it’s officially released, I heard that Moss will be purchasable through in-app payment. Is it also possible to deposit through a virtual account directly using Etherwallet?

Don: Yes, you can purchase through the virtual currency exchange. Those who find it complicated can get it through in-app payment. However, in-app payment may be a little expensive.

Dong Hyun: But can virtual payments be made through in-app payments in places such as App Store?

Don: That’s a good question. First of all, “Moss Coin” and “Moss” are two different concepts. Moss is used for purchasing and trading assets within the game, and “Moss Coin” is the virtual currency that will be used in the virtual currency exchange. In other words, if “Moss” comes out to the real world, it becomes “Moss Coin”. If you are in direct contact with the exchange in-game exchange, it can become a problem, but we plan to separate it. I think that there will be no problem for Apple because the trading platform for the two currencies is different.

Dong Hyun: Are you working on something else besides “Mossland”?

Wooram: A game called Gangsta Underground: Poker is coming soon. It is a VR game where you become a member of a gang and play poker in the underground world. The winner gets to shoot the other with a gun.

Don: Many gang characters all over the world are gathered. They all look fierce and scary with all their unique traits. You can move your hands freely, which let you throw chips, smoke your cigar and much more. I can also voice chat, but with high freedoms, Adlip and bluff are really funny.

Voice chat is also possible, but with high freedom interlocking, ad libs and bluffings are really funny.

Dong Hyun: It really seems interesting.

Don: When you play in multiplayer mode, you will totally be concentrated. You are going to feel like you are playing the game in reality. The game’s unique mood and situations make it so attractive. We have completed Gangsta Underground: Poker, and we are discussing about the release date with our partner company. We are going to announce the exact release date at GDC in March.

Dong Hyun: Lastly, could you tell us about the vision of Reality Reflection and Mossland?

Wooram: I think people are becoming more and more lonely as time goes. We started VR to help people overcome loneliness in reality through VR. That was the reason why we focused on ‘Human Character’ and ‘Social Activities’.

We planned ‘Mossland’ to satisfy the different needs of people. Honestly speaking, everyone wants to own buildings (laugh). However, most people don’t even have the minimum amount of land. We wanted to help people to get rid of their desire of owning buildings through AR.

Don: I think there is worth superseded and amplified between online and offline, reality and virtual reality. This worth springs up and disappears, and be surpassed. It makes me curious how the value of ‘Mossland’ will grow to be valuable in reality.

Wooram: I also want to talk about ICO. Honestly speaking, there are a lot of people who are biased against ICO. I also didn’t know anything about it when I first heard of ICO or blockchain. I was worried about it, but as I kept studying, I thought it had a great possibility in the future.

I know there are some people who use it in a negative way. Since there are no exact laws for the ICO, people can use it incorrectly if they really want to. However, we really wanted to do it the right way. We wanted to be a good example of an honest ICO. Actually, a lot of people who do the multi-level marketing approached us, but we refused their suggestions. I really want to do our ICO the correct way.

For the original Korean version, click here

▶http://www.inven.co.kr/webzine/news/?news=194165