Nice Gang (www.NiceGang.com), a new mobile gaming studio, follows DC Comics as the second company to collaborate with the United States Mint (www.USMint.gov) to promote special, limited-edition coins. The innovative collaboration between Nice Gang and the U.S. Mint will reach a new generation of collectors.
Eighth Era, the first mobile video game title from Nice Gang, will provide players early access to unique silver bullion coins with a first-of-its-kind privy mark. According to the company, this is revolutionizing the gaming industry as the first and only game studio to reward players with physical collectibles.
Founded by a team of entertainment, gaming, and collectibles veterans, including Mark Salzberg, founder of Certified Collectibles Group and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (www.NGCcoin.com), Nice Gang has a deep dedication to numismatics and has developed a game that will have appeal to younger collectors.
"The extraordinary game’s major characters, levels of play, and rewards are all inspired by historical coins, such as an ancient Greek Athenian Owl tetradrachm, the 1839 British £5 Una and the Lion gold coin, an Indian Head/Buffalo nickel, and an early 20th century Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle," explained Salzberg.
"The partnership with Nice Gang furthers the Mint’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of collectors. Like our collaboration with DC Comics, this initiative allows us to connect authentically with a new and younger demographic. This is a truly transformative opportunity for the Mint," said Mint Director Ventris Gibson.
Nice Gang’s flagship title, Eighth Era, is a free-to-play mobile game in which players have chances to win physical coins in a variety of metals and finishes, featuring over 90 unique characters. And now, with the landmark United States Mint collaboration, players will additionally gain unprecedented early access to limited-edition American Silver Eagles with a special star privy mark.
There are already plans for a second offering of Silver Eagles featuring an eagle-in-flight privy mark for Eighth Era players.
"This is a total paradigm shift in the gaming industry," said Nice Gang Chairman Salzberg. "And with the collectibles market size hitting $426B and mobile games grossing $108B in 2023, this is a tremendous opportunity to activate a new generation of collectors. It doesn’t hurt that gamers are also huge collectors."
Eighth Era’s market testing suggests this is only the beginning. The game’s alpha and beta tests, involving thousands of players, resulted in "emphatically positive" responses from the players, with the rewards system appearing to be a strong differentiating factor for fans. Recently at collectibles influencer Gary Vaynerchuk’s festival, VeeCon, Salzberg contributed a prototype reward coin that sold at auction for $350.
Eighth Era’s style and character designs are overseen by Nice Gang’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Vincent Nguyen, whose decades-long career spanned some of Hollywood’s biggest animated intellectual property, including "Ice Age," "Rio," and "Peanuts" before being recruited to gaming powerhouse Activision/King as a senior artistic director. Nice Gang is led by Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Jason Wasserman, a 20-year executive at 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Studios.
Eighth Era is expected to be released on mobile app stores worldwide in October 2024. Watch the trailer, learn more about the game, and sign up for notifications for the unique United States Mint offerings at www.NiceGang.com.
