Meet the Metaverse: Nikki Fuego by Vroomway

I’m talking today with Nikki FuegoMore of vroom way. Vroomway is a Decentraland racing game where you can earn NFTs by playing. Vroomway is one of the most popular games on the platform, gathering more than 500 players on a monthly basis. It took a lot of courage to create a game like this, and Nikki herself is an inspiring person to talk to. So, we talked a lot, and here’s her journey.

Tell us about your background and how you ended up in Decentraland.

I stumbled upon Decentraland by accident. I searched different metaverses after trying to experience The Sandbox, which at the time was closed with an expensive token. The moment I logged into Decentraland, I was hooked. I found myself wandering around Wondermine, meeting my first Metaverse friends (now my best friends) who gifted me with my first NFT! A “DOCTORdripp kite” and an “upside down hat”.

VroomVroom was your first big project, did you always feel that this could lead to something bigger: Vroomway?

VrommVroom wearable was a great company because it was not just a traditional wearable, but it was among the first wearables in the Skin category. Since it was a new category I was pushing the envelope as these were basically floating portable devices, 90% of the VroomVroom is a static vehicle.

Previously there had been mountable upper body wearables/vehicles, but nothing like this. It was the first “hover car” and I was able to create two before the rules changed and banned portable devices from vehicles. It was also an inspiration for a trend of portable devices for vehicles.

What was the biggest challenge when you joined the space?

Honestly, I had just started the transition before joining Decentraland. I am now an openly proud transgender woman, but when I joined she was very insecure. So, fighting my inner demons and not sabotaging my own creativity was a challenge. I don’t come from a very loving family or background, so these demons have a habit of showing up. Being held so tightly and relentlessly by such a vibrant community was life-changing as it challenged me to push and push and push to keep going after what was already mine. As a result, I began to love myself for the first time, took pride in myself for the first time, and finally began to see myself as others already saw me.

Tell us a bit about Vroomway. Why did you initially decide to create something around racing?

That rule change was the real catalyst for me and ultimately led to the creation of Vroomway. Decentraland told me, “The only way I could get more vehicles in the game is to code them into a pack.” So, I got to brainstorming and planning, and it all fell into place. I started with a small launch party with Wisher Vodka. We had over 100 people at that party, and I can still visualize the celebrations to this day. I then created a more ambitious event called “Grand Prix”, dedicated to VroomVroom holders. We did a race where only those who had one could participate. Wisher Vodka sponsored the event and we created three separate 1:1 unique shells to give away to the first, second and third place winners. The event went so well that I started thinking big. He then assembled the Avengers and put together a proposal. Almost ten months later and here we are, competing with other major games in the space in a bear market. This is a dream come true for any artist entering a space for the first time.

Vroomway is a complex game; How did you manage your workload and what does it take to create a game in Decentraland?

One day at a time and brick by brick, haha. When I started Vroomway, I was still working full-time as a customer service manager at a start-up, so it was challenging. He had also just adopted a new four month old puppy. I am single and live independently so it was a lot to juggle. Having a great team is essential, I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I’m very lucky they said yes. I have worked for many companies, both Fortune 500 and start-ups, so I know what it takes to make a team and my goal work. I also like organizing people, if that makes sense. I have a knack for seeing the good in people and giving them a role in which to succeed. I think it helps that everyone on our team is as passionate about the project as I am. We’ve built some pretty amazing stuff and created an amazing user experience for anyone to enjoy. Also, they always say that if you’re doing what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life!

Vroomway is using a great technology called instancing. Can you explain why you chose to use it?

So another challenge I faced early on at Decentraland was the accessibility of LAND. LAND was expensive at the time of my promotion (about $15k a parcel), so it was never in my realm of reality to own land. So when LAND was offered to host Vroomway, I knew I had to make it count. Never before had someone given me an opportunity like that. I’m also a huge gaming nerd, so I’ve played a LOT of video games and instancing has always been a part of those games. Being able to go from one setting to another and being immersed in this natural environment has always fascinated me. So I wanted to recreate that with Vroomway, both for the immersion and the opportunity to offer more than just a racing game. I wanted to create our mini Metaverse within this already amazing Metaverse. We currently have ten scenes (working on the 11th and 12th) that use the same 4×4 area, 200 feet by 200 feet, together it’s 800 feet x 30 feet. I wanted to show others that there was a lot more potential for LAND that no one was showing at the time. It is excellent for segmenting the experience. We have a pickup zone, a nightclub zone, six lap racing zones, a solo racing zone, and a demolition derby zone. There’s a place for every type of Decentraland citizen to enjoy, whether you’re a gamer or not.

For new users, it can be challenging to get into the Decentraland Metaverse and then find a Vroomway game to play. So how did that help and limit your marketing strategy?

I think this is something that all game creators struggle with. We all found Decentraland earlier than we should (thanks Mark Zuckerberg), so that means we’re still very early. But, for those who are here, it is an opportunity. If we can capture the attention of early adopters, late adoption will be 10 times easier. I don’t think of this project in terms of one or two months, I think of Vroomway in terms of one or two, even five or ten years. As such, we will be taking this time to build and grow the game. If we were in a bull market right now, a lot of game creators would be drowning. That’s why it’s even more important to keep building and testing everything. No one has mastered Web3 yet, and we’re not going to pretend we have. We’re doing our best and learning as we go, and we’re lucky to have a like-minded community that shares our vision.

What is the biggest challenge for Vroomway in space? Would you even consider making it a standalone game?

Honestly, I think it’s about time and money. If we had the funding that traditional game studios have, we would take it 100% to a standalone game with great interoperability between Decentraland and other Metaverses. The biggest overall challenge is my perfectionism, I want everything to be 100% clean with AAA status, and it’s not because we’re not there as a platform. This whole “we’re early” thing is new to me. I’ve always been late with trends like these in the past, so the fact that I have a small part in this digital revolution is enough to keep me going.

How do you see the future of Metaverse games?

I think the movie “Ready Player One” has an excellent description of what Metaverse games can be. As I mentioned above, I have always been a gamer for as long as I can remember, always looking for ways to get the latest games and keep up with technological trends. So the “Metaverse” is a pretty familiar concept to me. Essentially, each video game is its own Metaverse. I played “World of Warcraft” for 14 years, so I also understand the concepts of multiplayer. So, I see us taking all of our assets from platform to platform and enjoying our imaginations as humans. That’s what it all comes down to. Human expression!

Decentraland is a place full of creators and opportunists. What is your advice to someone who has just joined the space?

Don’t try to be someone else, or try to do what someone else is doing, just do it! Don’t overthink things. Don’t let your insecurities win. If you are always 100% authentic, you will never have anything to feel insecure about. Take everything brick by brick and love yourself first.

Hop onto the Vroomway and take a spin >> Here

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*All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFT Plazas come from the personal research and experience of our site moderators and are intended for educational purposes only. People are required to fully research any product before making any type of investment.

Fashion editor, founder of an online magazine Abstract Stylist and global tech PR for cybersecurity companies.