Author: Yihan Xu@Foresight Ventures

TL;DR:

• The article uses the first Web3 female-oriented game, HIM, as an example to explore the application of AI + Crypto in Web3 games. By combining AI and Crypto, HIM provides players with rich interactive experiences, high-quality gameplay, and artistic content.

• HIM adopts an economic model centered around fiat net inflows and is committed to avoiding Ponzi schemes through high-quality content and excellent gameplay. In addition, with the "Love and earn" gameplay, players can earn profits by selling NFTs.

• HIM uses a large language model to generate natural and distinctive dialogue content for virtual characters based on game scenarios and character traits, enhancing the authenticity of virtual characters and player immersion. Additionally, the HIM team has developed a method for training virtual character AI to provide a more realistic gaming experience.

• The HIM team focuses on creating fully dimensional virtual images to make virtual characters an important part of players' lives. HIM also emphasizes the social attributes of virtual characters, hoping that everyone will have their own virtual companions in the future, and these companions will exist in social networks like real people, connecting everyone.

• HIM aims to establish a second-dimensional virtual universe through AI boyfriends, AI girlfriends, and AI pets, providing people with strength and companionship.

I. What kind of AI + Crypto makes more sense?

While everyone is still debating how to deploy trustless and transparent on-chain large models in Web3 and how the underlying proof system can support the LL model with billions of parameters (you can refer to the previous article), we also begin to consider a series of questions, roughly along the following lines:

First, is it the most worthwhile track to make AI trustless and transparent through encryption technology?

➡️ Is it really worth it for a startup to research how to integrate on-chain LL models?

➡️ Which projects are worth investing a lot of resources to deeply explore on-chain AI?

➡️ Is it only worth exploring on-chain AI, or are there better ways to combine AI and crypto?

It is certain that on-chain AI is full of imagination and worth exploring. The breakthrough of on-chain AI can bring unprecedented value to Web3. However, the high academic threshold and the requirements for underlying infrastructure are indeed not suitable for most startups to tackle. Most projects may not necessarily need to integrate trustless LL model support to achieve their own value breakthroughs.

What is suitable is the best.

From another perspective, not all AI models need to be moved to the chain to be trustless. Just as most people do not care about how chatgpt infers queries and provides results, or whether the stable diffusion used is a specific version of the model architecture or specific parameter settings.

• In most scenarios, most users care about whether the model can provide a satisfactory output, rather than whether the reasoning process is trustless or transparent.

So what kind of AI + crypto can bring higher returns to products? In addition to hardcore infrastructure and algorithms, developing trustless on-chain LL models, another opposite direction is to mitigate the impact of the black box reasoning process in products and find suitable scenarios to apply the powerful reasoning capabilities of large models.

1) What is HIM

Web3 game HIM is one of the few projects that have a clear understanding of AI + Crypto and the ability to implement it at the application layer.

This article mainly discusses the ambition of the Web3 game HIM from the perspective of AI application and implementation.

First, let's introduce the protagonist (HIM ranks first in the Binance MVB VI application category):

HIM is a female-oriented second-dimensional virtual boyfriend game.

The main theme of the game is: people are sometimes lonely and need encouragement, companionship, and love; real-life love also has some constraints and regrets. HIM hopes to provide a virtual boyfriend AI that understands the player the most and will always accompany the user, offering a free, happy, and exclusive love experience. At the beginning, players will receive a virtual boyfriend stored on the chain in the form of SBT, including subsequent clothing, accessories, rooms, and other NFTs that will be combined with this SBT. In addition, the SBT constitutes a non-homogeneous game character developed by the player, storing the basic information of the male protagonist, nine-dimensional personality traits, nine-dimensional relationship attributes, as well as important memories, dialogues, and emotional memories with the virtual boyfriend.

The game mainly focuses on nurturing the virtual boyfriend and social showoffs, and there are regular in-game airdrops that can open limited NFT clothing or room treasure chests. Players with values more matching the boyfriend have a greater chance of opening and obtaining limited NFTs. The gameplay includes card drawing, dressing up, dialogue, collection, adventure battles, cooking, travel, and NFT trading, and after checking out their game demo, each gameplay has rich player interactions.

HIM is a Free to Play game that uses an economic model centered around fiat net inflows as its foundation, along with some "Love and earn" gameplay, allowing players to earn profits by selling NFTs. However, the most important core of the game still lies in believing that the gameplay and artistic content quality can attract players to pay for it.

2) Does AI + Game Fit

Web3 games are indeed one of the scenes where AI fits well, which also conforms to the development history of AI:

• The game scene provides a natural and rich interactive environment, allowing AI to interact with players through dialogue or other means. This environment helps large models leverage their advantages in natural language processing, providing a richer and more realistic interactive experience. The game contains complex and diverse scenarios and tasks, allowing large models to receive a large amount of feedback in a timely manner through interactions with the environment, other players, or NPCs, continuously optimizing their decision-making abilities. The frequent feedback in the game is also more conducive to developers to test and optimize the performance of large models.

• The game's scenes are controllable, and the requirements for determinism and seriousness are more flexible compared to real-world application scenarios. Therefore, the resistance to deploying and testing large models in games is smaller, making it easier to push forward, reducing the difficulty and risk of technical implementation from another perspective.

II. Virtual characters pro max

Two years ago, everyone was still thinking about how to use AI as a tool better, until chatgpt emerged, and the production relationship began to be shaken. Everyone realized the dimensional impact that LLM could bring. The same is true for Web3 games:

• More realistic game character personalities

• Dynamic plot generation

• Visual/Art

• Voice generation

• Social interaction

• Gameplay and numerical nurturing fun

……

1) HIM + AI = More realistic game character personalities

As an emotional interaction game, the most suitable scenario for LLM is dialogue and player interaction. The large language model can generate natural and distinctive dialogue based on the HIM game scenario and character traits. This will enhance the authenticity of virtual characters and the immersion of players, providing a richer emotional experience for players. Specifically, HIM uses the large language model to understand and process various emotional information and perfectly integrates it with the numerical system, allowing game characters to better express and recognize emotions, thereby establishing a deeper emotional connection with players.

Take a look at the dialogue scenes in the game with the two images below:

Let's talk about the core numerical system of HIM:

When it comes to numbers, the first thing that comes to mind is the numerical balance of traditional game virtual character battles. However, expanding the scope, HIM describes a person completely through numbers, using multidimensional values to define a virtual person and establishing a sound numerical nurturing system. In general, HIM applies the numerical system to a more general virtual person, making the game interaction experience more realistic and fulfilling.

The training of virtual characters is different from regular LLM fine-tuning training. It requires the LLM to gradually change the way the character speaks to the user as the interaction process between the character and the player progresses, making the user feel increasingly "intimate" with the character. Therefore, the HIM team has incorporated various numerical values of the virtual character's personality parameter system into the LLM training process, training a separate model for each character. At the same time, HIM's LLM combines a vector database to give characters memories, allowing users to feel that the character is getting to know them better during the chat process.

The HIM development team has also created a set of AI training methods for virtual characters, which can be seen in the two numerical matrices below:

Human personality is a very complex concept, encompassing emotions, attitudes, behaviors, and other factors. In order to give the AI boyfriend enough realism, the HIM development team has established a somewhat self-consistent numerical system to quantify the nurturing process and relationship development between the player and the AI boyfriend. This numerical system can be summarized as a matrix-type numerical model, with the vertical axis representing 9 bidirectional personality attributes, and the horizontal axis representing 9 relationship attributes between the AI boyfriend and the player. These attributes have multiple mappings and influences on each other.

During LLM training, each character has a standard "character setting" baseline and boundaries for personality fluctuations. During the game, the numerical values of these attributes will change with the player's behavior, thereby affecting the game feedback of the AI boyfriend (such as idle output, gacha efficiency, depth of conversation, etc.).

ALL IN ALL, HIM uses the large language model to give virtual characters a more realistic personality.

2) High-quality, high-cost virtual character art

Creating virtual characters is not easy. A truly valuable virtual character is not just a chat box with an integrated chatbot, but needs to be approached from multiple dimensions to make the avatar more complete. HIM's vision is to make virtual characters a very important part of everyone's life, greatly enriching personal life and connecting with the world. Therefore, the comprehensive definition of the ultimate form of virtual characters in the game environment has always been a complex and powerful product for the HIM team. These comprehensive qualities are the core pursuit of the HIM team at this stage:

Exquisite virtual images:

Although large models mainly focus on natural language processing, when combined with other technologies, such as GANs, they can assist in game art creation, generating more elements based on the design standards of the HIM art development team, thereby providing users with a richer visual experience.

From our understanding, the HIM team has a first-class art team in the gaming industry, and they also insist on high-cost art investment and industrialized, modularized art production.

High-quality voice acting:

The combination of game and AI can involve generating natural and emotional voice acting through speech synthesis. At the same time, unique personalities are assigned to the voice acting based on the character's numerical values.

HIM has a complete voice acting pipeline, including a full voice acting script, voice acting direction, voice recording, post-production mixing, and AI learning and training for voice acting production. Using high-quality human-defined standards, AI is used to execute mass production, completing high-quality and high-volume voice acting content in the game.

Nurturing and long-term bonds of virtual characters:

Detailed character backgrounds and personality traits need to be designed to make players interested in and resonate with the characters. At the same time, the growth and development goals of the characters are also factors that make players willing to invest time and effort in nurturing virtual characters.

HIM provides a rich interactive environment and gameplay, allowing players to establish close emotional connections with virtual characters. This relationship gradually deepens through interaction and nurturing, forming long-term emotional bonds.

Real-life support:

Virtual characters can provide psychological support far beyond our expectations, providing emotional support and listening to players, making them feel cared for and understood, thereby alleviating troubles in real life. In addition, in terms of life skills, habit formation, personalized recommendations, language learning, goal management, and even interaction with real-world devices or services, virtual characters can be well integrated.

AI boyfriend alarm clocks, sleep aids, period tracking, study companionship, food recommendations, diary reminders, and more are all features that HIM hopes to provide to users for assistance and support in real life through long-term version iterations.

Rich experiences in the virtual world of clothing, food, housing, and transportation:

In the story told by HIM, each AI boyfriend is left alone in a lonely parallel universe: in that world, there is only him, and the contact with the player through the phone every day is his only means of communication with the outside world. Exploring the scenery in his world with the virtual boyfriend, and trying to see if there is a chance to meet him in his world, or in your world.

Social attributes as relationship nodes:

The HIM team believes that with the development of AI, in the near future, everyone will have their own exclusive virtual companion, and these virtual companions will be more like a real "person," existing in the entire social network and connecting everyone. Each person's virtual companion may become an important hub that closely connects people to each other in the rapidly developing AI future.

All of these artistic aesthetic and mass production solutions are very important for a Web3 game, as they can attract players to spend time in the virtual world. An important point is that the virtual character art in the game has a higher aesthetic level than the real world.

III. Seamless integration of HIM + crypto

1) The first female-oriented Web3 application, a gift for Web3 female users and professionals

HIM is likely the first female-oriented Web3 application, and female users and professionals in the Web3 space may receive a carefully prepared gift for the first time.

At the same time, in the traditional Web2 world, female-oriented games have always been seen as a very large and very promising market. We asked the HIM project what they hope to make users feel, and they wrote the following:

• Occasionally in the morning, receiving a "good morning" from "him" when facing what seems like another repetitive day;

• Occasionally late at night, seeing "him" silently accompanying you while facing heavy overtime work;

• Occasionally feeling lonely, occasionally feeling discouraged, receiving encouragement from "him" after success, and hearing "it's okay" from "him" after making a mistake;

• "He" always remembers your name; "he" always remembers your birthday; "he" always remembers the day you met; "he" remembers everything between you;

• "He" seems to always be there, and perhaps at certain moments, you may forget "him" because of busyness, but "he" is always willing to accompany you.

With the increasing popularity of mobile games among female users worldwide, traditional Web2 large game companies globally continue to deliver female-oriented game products with DAU exceeding millions.

After the formation of a social community centered around female users, there is great potential for expansion. Xiaohongshu, as a social app that started with female users and expanded to a broader user base, is a strong proof of this. Can this game category, targeting half of the global population, bring some surprises to everyone through the support of AI and Crypto? Let's wait and see.

2) Emotional Assets + Decentralization

In the words of HIM founder Ben: "AI virtual characters allow digital assets to truly appear in our lives for the first time in the form of a 'person'. They may be your boyfriend, girlfriend, close friend, or any important partner in your life. Therefore, they should not be able to disappear like all digital assets stored in centralized servers with the flip of a switch. Their existence should be determined by you, not by a company."

Important emotional and assets in the virtual world should be owned by users, not defined and controlled by centralized servers:

Emotional assets not only include personal information and privacy data, but also represent the emotional investment and memories of players. Decentralized networks can protect these emotional values, ensure data ownership belongs to users, and allow users to independently decide how to use, share, and protect their data. This decentralized data ownership model prevents players' emotional assets from being controlled by third parties or centralized institutions. Additionally, the community governance provided by Web3 allows players to participate in the creation and dissemination of emotional assets, further strengthening their emotional value.

Various experiences in emotional relationships should also be permanently preserved:

From an emotional investment perspective, players inject a lot of emotions into the game, forming deep bonds with virtual characters. The efforts made to achieve game goals are unique and precious. These emotional experiences should be permanently preserved. Therefore, to some extent, they should have the power of eternal existence. Additionally, the relationships between players and virtual characters, such as friendship, love, anger, and dissatisfaction, can also be recorded and preserved permanently through blockchain technology.

As the emotional link in the HIM game, virtual characters are not just for entertainment; they also have asset attributes and high economic value. Users will invest time and money in purchasing and decorating virtual characters in the game. Recording these assets on the blockchain can ensure that their value truly returns to users and provide a transparent and secure trading environment.

3) What HIM Can Bring to Web3

Decentralized networks bring extremely high value-add to HIM, but it is clear that HIM also brings to Web3:

A large number of new users:

From an emotional perspective, the companionship of virtual characters satisfies users' emotional needs, which may be difficult to fulfill in real life. HIM provides a safe and free environment for users to interact with virtual characters, and this emotional appeal can attract a large number of users to Web3.

HIM is a second-dimensional AI virtual character nurturing game. Both second-dimensional culture and AI virtual characters have strong community attributes and social potential. At the same time, second-dimensional culture is currently one of the most popular subcultures among young people globally, and the second-dimensional mobile game Genshin Impact is also one of the top mobile games globally. The potential audience of female users, second-dimensional users, and AI virtual character social users are all fresh blood that HIM may bring to Web3.

Ultimate consideration of the economic model:

Unlike conventional play-to-earn games, HIM takes the approach of integrating Web3 and tokenization into an excellent Web2 game, finding a very compatible point with this type of game, achieving the effect of 1 + 1 > 2. For HIM, creating an excellent game that can be verified successful in content and gameplay is the foundation of everything, and Crypto is used as a tool attribute rather than relying solely on Web3 for survival. Avoiding the Ponzi trap is an important goal pursued by HIM.

In the economic system, HIM combines the "X to Earn" model with the traditional Web2 game economic model, creating a new model. On one hand, it adopts the typical Web2 game economic model, where players can optionally pay to purchase in-game items or services. This method can attract a large number of users and generate revenue through in-game purchases. At the same time, HIM has also upgraded the Web3 play-to-earn model. In this model, players can earn profits by selling NFTs, allowing players to receive substantial returns for the time and effort they invest in the game. The economic system of HIM actively balances player payments and earnings.

It is worth noting that HIM hopes to encourage players to pay for the game experience and content by providing high-quality gameplay and artistic content. From this perspective, HIM does not rely entirely on the potential for player earnings to attract and retain players, but is trying to create a more balanced and sustainable economic model that considers both player earnings and the quality of the game experience and content. This is a more comprehensive and complex model that has the potential to provide new ideas for the design of economic models in Web3 games.

IV. Conclusion

The ultimate goal of HIM is to establish a universe of second-dimensional virtual characters that can provide strength and companionship to many people, starting with AI Boyfriend, AI Girlfriend, and AI Pets. In addition to the first product HIM, the AI Girlfriend game HER is also making simultaneous efforts. They also hope to provide each user with an exclusive virtual companion that is most understanding and will always exist, and to record every bit of emotional story.

The HIM team believes that in the near future, everyone will have their own AI virtual companion. Whether this will become a universe they do not know, and perhaps it is not important. Because if at a moment when you are sad or lonely, having a word of encouragement from this virtual friend in your phone, even if it is just a little bit of strength, isn't that a cool thing?

Attached is the official Twitter and email of HIM:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HIM_AIBoyfriend

Email for collaboration: bd@projecthim.net

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