So, apart from being on top of trends, why is MINI, a brand that produces a physical product, interested in a metaverse? Jutta explained it using the MINI Concept Aceman as an example: “It's a MINI concept car, and those are typically one-offs, in that they are built once, and only displayed at trade shows. But the broader audience never gets to experience this great car. The metaverse offers us the opportunity to translate all its cool features into a whole new experience.” And that is probably the key here. Instead of reading press releases or second-hand reports, and watching a couple of videos passively, the metaverse allows us to translate the features of the MINI Concept Aceman into interactive experiences. This way anyone and everyone around the world can become familiar with the ideas behind the car and all its features in a deeper, more immersive way.

So, how do you deliver people experiences only MINI can? Well, in Demodern’s case, you make the decision to not use one of the available metaverse providers on the market but instead build your own engine, your own world. It might be a bigger challenge, but it’s worth it in the end. If you use a pre-existing service, “everything kind of looks the same, with the same visual style,” explains Jan. Jason then adds: “At the end of the day you’re beholden to others, you don’t have a lot of customization options that you can do.” And customisation in this case goes both ways. A custom metaverse gives freedom to the creators, to create everything exactly as they want, but also more freedom for the users, who’ll get to do more things tailor-made for their interests. Katie Murdoch explains: “A bespoke metaverse allows us to be flexible, to really listen to users’ needs and wants and find ways to meld what MINI and its fans are looking for, creating something entirely original.” In other words, when you make the rules of the game you can really bring your own vision to life.

So, now that Demodern had the engine, they had to decide what it would power. In essence, they were left with two decisions. One, what do you actually get to do in the MINIverse? Two, how do they make it as easy as possible for everyone to play? The first question was answered thanks to a confidential trip to MINI HQ in Munich, months before the MINI Concept Aceman’s release. Only a couple of team members were allowed into the hallowed halls that housed the yet-to-be-revealed car, such as Jason: “We chose what people can do in the MINIverse by getting really hands-on with the car. We looked at it thoroughly, talked with the designers, and explored its different modes. We then took all the stuff that we learned and turned it into a cool experience inside a metaverse space.”

This resulted in the team deciding to have your player avatar not just be a boring bipedal human, but the MINI Concept Aceman itself. In the MINIverse you're constantly driving a MINI, with all the go-kart-like excitement that that entails. As for the 3D world, the team created different interconnected environments – think of them as digital rooms – which the users can enter and then engage in simple, fun activities that explore different features of the car. In one world you can play a tag-like game, capturing a crown from other players. In another, you bounce on balloons to vibrant soundscapes, while elsewhere you get to chill out and relax. But we don’t want to spoil too much; try it out for yourselves.

As for making it as accessible as possible, Demodern first made sure the MINIverse had no hardware limitations. That means you need nothing but a computer or a smartphone to enter it. “A lot of people still want to think about the metaverse as an exclusively VR technology thing, but I don't know a single person – that's not in my tech bubble – who has a VR headset at home. A lot of people would not be able to experience a VR metaverse,” says Jan. They then made participation even easier. While these days you can’t even buy a lightbulb online without registering on a website and signing up for a newsletter, the MINIverse doesn’t ask you for anything of the sort. No registration, no e-mails, no newsletters. “By immediately jumping in and allowing you to drive, we're really highlighting fun and immersive entertainment, rather than having a very subdued or overly branded experience,” explains Katie. In short, the creators of the MINIverse have done everything to make it perfect for you.