MELBOURNE – 26 October 2022: Grease Monkey Games, an Australia-based multi-platform video game studio and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is thrilled to announce a historic industry partnership and collaboration with Nissan Motor Company (Japan).
Grease Monkey Games’ Torque Drift 2 Motorsport title will be the first ever worldwide digital experience in which officially licensed Nissan, NISMO, Infiniti, and Datsun NFTs will be available.
Grease Monkey Games and Nissan will release up to 15 unique Nissan models within the next 12 months, with multiple variants to be made available in Torque Drift 2. The first official Nissan NFTs will be 5 variants of the 180SX model including the cult-favorite Sil80 and 7 variants of the 370Z model including the 50th Anniversary edition.
The deal announced today takes the long-standing partnership between Grease Monkey Games and Nissan Motor Company for the popular motorsport game Torque Drift and extends it into the metaverse. Torque Drift 2 is the next generation of motorsports game, offering collectable and fully functional NFTs and engaging virtual experiences that will be integrated into Animoca Brands’ REVV Motorsport ecosystem of racing games.
Being built on the Polygon blockchain, an ecosystem that has committed to eliminating all of the network’s carbon debt going back to inception and making the chain climate positive into the future, Torque Drift 2 aims to deliver the most immersive and true-to-life drifting experience in an environmentally friendly way.
Urvit Goel, head of global games business development at Polygon Studios, said:
“Nissan’s entry to the web3 space with Torque Drift 2 represents one of the most exciting and significant implementations of blockchain and NFT technology by a major global brand to date. This collaborative effort between Grease Monkey Games, Animoca Brands and Nissan will go down as a landmark moment in the NFT and gaming space, and we at Polygon are delighted to provide the infrastructure and tools to make it happen.”
Grease Monkey Games is working closely with Nissan Motor company to ensure vehicle and vehicle part NFTs are represented in true to life form. This partnership will give the game studio full access to all Nissan, Datsun, and Infiniti range of vehicle models from past to future. From 3D models, engine variants, rare NISMO parts to vehicle trim options, color choices, horsepower and performance characteristics, special care is taken to ensure exact accuracy.
Arran Potter, the founder and managing director of Grease Monkey Games, commented:
“Nissan is synonymous with drifting and motorsport, full stop. Since drifting began, drivers have been predominantly navigating Nissans around corners sideways. We are working very hard to ensure maximum respect for this important legacy. As drifting enthusiasts ourselves, we are beyond excited to bring this iconic brand and its cars and parts to the Torque Drift 2 world.”
(Various Nissan models in Torque Drift 2, vehicles under development)
(Nissan 370Z NISMO 1 and 180SX Type X-Aero in Torque Drift 2, vehicle under development)
(Nissan 180SX Type X-Aero in Torque Drift 2, vehicle under development)
The Spokesperson from Nissan Motor also commented:
“Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, Licensing Business Group is happy to be a continuing Licensing partner for the new Torque Drift franchise. Torque Drift 2 interactive racing is sure to build upon the legacy that Grease Monkey Games has developed from the first title, Torque Drift 1.”
The inclusion in Torque Drift 2 of Nissan as an official licensee and collaborator will enable the game to add an authentic representation of digital NFTs to its ecosystem and gameplay.
About Grease Monkey Games
Grease Monkey Games, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an Australian video game studio established in 2013 in Melbourne. The company was formerly known as League of Monkeys. Founder and CEO Arran Potter has a wealth of experience in creating visual effects and video games, and has worked on high-profile commercials and films since the early 2000s. Originally a contract-based company, Grease Monkey Games began developing and publishing its own original IP games in 2014. Since then, the growing team of game makers and motorsport enthusiasts has published the successful motorsport titles Torque Burnout and Torque Drift, which have more than 45 million downloads globally, and is developing the new title Torque Drift 2. For more information visit www.greasemonkeygames.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands, a Deloitte Tech Fast winner and ranked in the Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021, is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification that is working to advance digital property rights and contribute to the establishment of the open metaverse. The company develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Disney, WWE, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Formula E. It has multiple subsidiaries, including The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, GAMEE, nWay, Pixowl, Forj, Lympo, Grease Monkey Games, Eden Games, Darewise, Notre Game, TinyTap, and Be Media. Animoca Brands has a growing portfolio of more than 380 investments, including Colossal, Axie Infinity, OpenSea, Dapper Labs (NBA Top Shot), Yield Guild Games, Harmony, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, and others. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on Twitter or Facebook.
