The Sandbox Teams Up with Y.GRAM for an Exciting New Partnership
Learn more about Y.Gram’s digital storytelling and journey to working with The Sandbox.
We’re thrilled to introduce a new partnership with meta-content company Y.GRAM. With their expertise in animation and digital storytelling, Y.GRAM will help us pioneer new ways for content to thrive.
Check out our interview with the Vice President of Y.GRAM, Jini Kim below.
Great to have you with us! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m Jini Kim, Vice President of Y.GRAM. With over 16 years in the digital industry, I’ve been part of its evolution from the Web 1.0 era to today’s Web3 landscape. My experience includes planning portal services, digital marketing for brands, and Web3 business development. At Y.GRAM, I focus on extending the life and reach of content IPs through digital and Web3 opportunities.
Can you tell us about your team?
Y.GRAM is an official builder studio that creates games on The Sandbox using character IPs. Originally an animation studio, we entered The Sandbox and expanded into Web3. We run a content-driven fandom community where we collaborate with fans to create and promote in-game animations and short videos. Our team loves working with characters, games, and animation, bringing passion and joy to every project.
How do you create in-game animations?
We define our animation genre as “Meta Animation” because it blends elements of games, animation, and streaming to tell a story. The Sandbox serves as a sort of movie set for our animations, with gameplay videos adding tension to the story through game logic.
In November 2024, we aired Aeko and Friends: Magic Numberland on EBS. It was the first-ever TV animation created entirely within The Sandbox Metaverse. The project was funded by Logan Ventures, a content-focused investment firm, and EBS. While traditional animation series take at least three years to produce, we completed this TV animation series in just one year without rendering, thanks to the metaverse’s speed.
What makes our animations unique is their use of The Sandbox’s voxel assets, which give them a distinctive visual style. Additionally, popular streamers take on lead roles as in-game avatars, driving the story, while regular players occasionally appear as extras. This innovative format resonates with modern audiences, particularly those who gravitate toward YouTube gaming content over traditional television animation.
We’d love to hear more about the Aeko and Friends project! What can you tell us about it?
Aeko and Friends originally premiered on the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) in 2019. In 2024, the second series was brought to life within the metaverse. This new installment integrates number games into The Sandbox, where players solve puzzles and rescue number-themed animal friends as part of the story.
Before the animation aired, we launched a pre-marketing campaign using The Sandbox. In December 2023, Aeko and Friends: EP.1 Number Maze Game debuted and reached 8th place on Naver’s streaming platform, Chzzk Lounge, even ranking higher than games from Nexon and Netmarble. For nearly a month, Naver featured Aeko and Friends event banners on their gaming platform and highlighted the project in press releases.
This success was largely due to our open audition event to recruit streamers for the TV animation. Famous Korean streamers, including Quintol TV (640,000 subscribers) and Nugulmon (370,000 subscribers), joined the event, creating high-quality Aeko and Friends gameplay videos. These videos were shared on Chzzk and YouTube channels, drawing massive attention. At one point, The Sandbox’s popular game list was dominated by Aeko and Friends games!
A game in The Sandbox more popular than Nexon and Netmarble? Tell us your marketing secrets!
When it comes to pre-marketing an animation, people often think of teaser videos or new merchandise. At Y.GRAM, we take a different approach. We consistently launch games in the metaverse that serve as both the backdrop and part of the story for the animation, exposing the IP to global fans.
We also involve fans by co-creating games with them and giving them opportunities to appear in the animation. Various events are held within the community, strengthening engagement. For example, in collaboration with The Sandbox Korea, we hosted a local Game Jam event where creators could develop games using the Aeko and Friends IP. Over 100 teams submitted entries and the top games received rewards and opportunities to launch their experiences on The Sandbox platform.
Currently, our Discord channel alone has participants from over 70 countries actively engaging with the project. This global fan involvement has been key to the success of Aeko and Friends games and animations.
What are your plans for the future?
In 2024, Y.GRAM used Aeko and Friends for meta-marketing and has now launched a marketing package based on this experience. This package is designed for content IPs or brands looking to build digital fandoms or enter the Web3 market. It covers everything from creating characters and worldbuilding that reflect a brand’s identity to co-developing Web3 games and in-game videos with fans, fostering community-driven promotion.
We are also developing TON and Kaia mini-apps using The Sandbox voxel assets, offering the ultimate marketing solution for building Web3 fandoms. Our first partner to use this package is PUCCA, a globally recognized IP that recently expanded into the crypto ecosystem by issuing its own token. We’re excited about this second project and look forward to more collaborations!
This year, we plan to introduce our marketing package to more content IPs, helping them thrive in the Web3 space.
Learn more about Y.GRAM’s Marketing Package.
Can you share a little about Y.GRAM’s vision and goals?
Y.GRAM’s vision is the digital transformation of content IPs.Our CEO, Peter Jeon, has led an animation studio for 27 years and has witnessed firsthand how many brilliant IPs struggle to gain visibility in an increasingly competitive market. Y.GRAM was founded to support these “hidden gems” and help them find their audience.
As someone who loves content, I aim to leverage my digital expertise and the opportunities in the Web3 market to help great IPs expand globally and build strong fandoms. This vision is embodied in our “ILK — I Love Karacter” project, which seeks to unite content IPs to create fandom-driven businesses.
The project aims to empower content creators to work more freely in digital spaces while helping Web3 platforms, like The Sandbox, attract Web2 users. We envision a future where creators and platforms thrive together, making the Web3 space more inclusive and dynamic.
Lastly, could you share a message for The Sandbox ecosystem participants reading this interview?
The Sandbox ecosystem has been the biggest influence on Y.GRAM’s growth. It inspires countless creators, whose content in turn inspires millions of digital users. This cycle of creativity aligns perfectly with our goals, and we are committed to strengthening our partnership with The Sandbox for the long term.
Last year, we collaborated with many creators, and this year, we aim to work on projects with even more creators worldwide. To achieve this, we believe the most essential element is a compelling story. Y.GRAM strives to stay true to the essence of storytelling while taking on new and exciting challenges.
We hope to create amazing opportunities together with you. Let’s make this journey even more inspiring!
Learn All About Y.GRAM (Click)
