Chairman of ZQGame Holds China’s First Metaverse Wedding as Digital Wedding App Goes Live

Online game company marks its foray into the Metaverse with an epic wedding ceremony amid mixed financial fortunes.

The chairman of Shenzhen-based virtual gaming company ZQGame, Li Yilun, had thousands in attendance as he recreated his October 8 wedding ceremony in a Metaverse-based environment. Li’s wedding is the first of its kind in China, heralding the company’s transition into digital weddings, as they launched a new app to bring weddings to the Metaverse.

Although many attended the virtual ceremony, the concept failed to impress several attendees. While some complained about the graphical quality of the virtual environment, others had reservations about how taking the wedding online robbed them of the feel of a physical wedding. In their words, the virtual event was akin to a “game,” and it was “unfair to pay money or give a wedding gift” since they didn’t participate in the real-world wedding.

Building on the momentum of the wedding, ZQGame launched its new digital wedding app. MetaLove, which draws inspiration from the Metaverse, is a real-time multiplayer app that recreates physical wedding ceremonies online. The platform leverages digital twin and virtual artificial intelligence technologies to create a real-time environment.

MetaLove hopes to bring people from far and near together at a wedding, even when they cannot attend it physically. By recreating the real-world scenario, MetaLove allows users to participate in weddings, present gifts to the couple, and enjoy the feel of the ceremony without being physically present.

The app requires real-world identity authentication for logins. Users would then have to choose an avatar according to gender, visit the wedding venue, receive an invitation, and know when to attend the ceremony. Also, with MetaLove, wedding guests in the Metaverse can give a variety of presents to the couple by recharging gold coins. They can use these coins to purchase several items, such as red envelopes, rings, red dates, etc. Gold coins can be purchased with real-world currency, and the prices range between 1–9,999 Yuan. Onlookers who join the wedding and give presents will be eligible for a lucky draw event.

Chairman Li Yilun took the company’s reins five months ago, and he spearheaded a change in direction for the gaming company. According to ZQGame, the company hopes to power an environment for creators, brands, users, and projects to use their imagination, create, and experience virtual reality, and their foray into the Metaverse proves they are headed towards what is perceived to be the next big thing in computing technology.

This is not the first time ZQGame is exploring the concept of the Metaverse. After announcing that it would create a simulation named Brewmaster, a business game that would map users’ inner worlds to the Metaverse, the company witnessed a sporadic rise in its stock price within two months, from around 8 Yuan to almost 43 Yuan. Judging from the heavy losses it sustained over the past two years, ZQGame and its executives will hope their most recent metaverse endeavor resonates with the market.

The idea of digital weddings may not be readily accepted in many parts of China and beyond. Still, ZQGame believes it is worth a try, especially as the world leans increasingly towards embracing virtual realities and integrating real-world experiences into the Metaverse.