Solana’s Gaming Phenomenon
SAGE Labs, the browser-based sci-fi game experience on Solana developed by the Star Atlas team, achieved a remarkable milestone last Sunday. The game witnessed an astonishing 2.29 million transactions, surpassing the total transactions of the entire Polygon network by approximately 256,000 transactions. According to data from Flipside Crypto, SAGE Labs has accumulated over 16 million transactions since its launch a month ago. This browser game offers a fully on-chain experience, requiring users to sign transactions with their wallets on the Solana blockchain, triggering a small gas fee for each interaction.
What Sets SAGE Labs Apart
SAGE Labs distinguishes itself as a 2D space management simulation experience, focusing on menus, simulated resource management tasks, and data analysis, as opposed to being a 3D immersive gaming experience like the core Star Atlas MMORPG currently in development.
Unveiling the Statistics
On Sunday, SAGE Labs recorded an impressive 2,293,210 transactions, outperforming the entire Polygon network, which registered 2,037,330 transactions, according to data from the blockchain explorer Polygonscan. Notably, these SAGE Labs transactions accounted for approximately 15% of all activity on the Solana network on October 8.
The Player Base Mystery
Despite the substantial transaction numbers, SAGE Labs had 1,442 active players on Sunday, each averaging around 1,590 transactions. The high transaction count per player raises questions, leading to debates on social media platforms about potential bot activity. It remains uncertain how many of these transactions are generated by bots or automated accounts, as Star Atlas developer ATMTA has not provided clarifications.
Unique Features of SAGE Labs
SAGE Labs stands out in the Web3 gaming landscape because of its exclusively on-chain functionality. Unlike many blockchain games offering optional crypto experiences, SAGE Labs mandates players to use a Solana-compatible wallet, along with SOL or Star Atlas’ ATLAS tokens, to create a character and progress in the game. Star Atlas CEO Michael Wagner emphasized that developers can leverage SAGE Labs to customize the game’s UI and mechanics for their unique gaming experiences.
Challenges and Adaptations
While SAGE Labs continues to draw significant traffic, Star Atlas has faced economic challenges this year. In July, the company made the difficult decision to lay off 73% of its staff, adapting to market conditions and reducing overhead costs to ensure a sustainable future for Star Atlas’ ongoing development.
