From young children to older adults, individuals of all ages are captivated by the world of video games. Whether it’s playing games on their mobile phones for hours on end or investing a significant amount of money into building the ultimate gaming PC, the power of video games to connect people globally through play, cooperation, and competition is undeniable.
As the Web3 industry continues to experience rapid growth, it has opened up new opportunities for people worldwide to connect and collaborate. It only seems natural, then, that these two worlds would eventually collide.
In the latest episode of “Decentralize with Cointelegraph,” host Jonathan DeYoung interviews executives from five gaming-focused projects – Shrapnel, Ex Populus, Saga, HyperPlay, and MetalCore – to gain a comprehensive understanding of the development of Web3 games, the current state of blockchain gaming, and its projected future.
One recurring theme emphasized by many of the gaming executives is that Web3 games must offer seamless gameplay that can be enjoyed by both crypto enthusiasts and skeptics in order to gain mainstream popularity.
Marc Mercuri, the chief blockchain officer of Shrapnel, an upcoming extraction shooter game, shared his team’s perspective on this matter. He stated, “If I just want to play this game and it’s great, I shouldn’t even know anything about Web3.” However, for those who are interested in diving deep into the crypto ecosystem, it should be easy for them to do so as well.
During the interview, DeYoung also discussed a recent viral meme in the crypto community that humorously highlighted the potential friction that blockchain-based games could introduce. JacobC.eth, the founder and CEO of HyperPlay, explained that on-chain games have the potential to avoid such friction by utilizing account abstraction. This feature allows users to fund an in-game wallet and have their transactions automatically approved or happen in the background based on their predetermined spending limits and thresholds.
In terms of mass adoption, Yat Siu, the co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands, believes that gaming will be the key driver. Other gaming executives, such as Toby Batton, founder and CEO of Ex Populus, and Rebecca Liao, founder and CEO of Saga, share this perspective. They highlight that the gaming industry has a massive audience of billions of players worldwide and that blockchain technology aligns perfectly with the gaming use case.
While major game studios are reportedly exploring blockchain technology, Liao believes that true mass adoption will take some time. She notes that there is still skepticism among gamers, who often view Web3 gaming as a scam or filled with low-quality games. Dan Nikolaides, the chief technology officer of MetalCore, agrees with this sentiment and suggests that it will take a collection of well-made, high-quality games like theirs to change this perception.
To learn more about the promises and challenges of Web3 gaming and to hear from executives of these gaming projects, listeners can tune into the full episode of “Decentralize with Cointelegraph” on Cointelegraph’s podcast page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or their preferred podcast platform. Additionally, Cointelegraph offers a diverse range of other shows that listeners can explore.
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