Arcade Galaxy X Walter Wang — Rewarding Gamers & Creators

Arcade Galaxy is thrilled to announce Walter Wang as one of our project’s most respected advisors from the world of Esports and gaming! You might recognize him as the VP of Operations at TSM FTX, also appearing in Forbes 30 Under 30 this year. For this special occasion, we thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up and share what GameFi can mean for competitive gamers, creators, and the industry-at-large. Read our exchange below…

Q: Recalling the first time you connected with the Arcade Galaxy team, what aspect of the project’s pitch excited you the most?

Walter: “The most exciting part of the project was the fact that the game is built on the concept of UGC (user-generated content). [To this day,] I still reminisce about games like Super Mario Maker or Halo 3’s Forge mode. Map editors can create so much complexity and replayability [in games] in addition to bringing massive network effects. Blockchain technology [and the] creator economy has been discussed incessantly. [But] I think Arcade Galaxy is a step in the right direction where the tokenomics and incentives finally reward map creators and members of the gaming community that create the content that everyone else plays. It’s one part GameFi, one part Web3 Ownership Economy!”

Q: As VP of Operations at TSM FTX, it seems reasonable to assume that you have had a lot of experience in managing the potential of professional play while working towards legitimizing that section of the overall industry. Where do you think Arcade Galaxy and GameFi can take competitive gaming in regards to rewards, tournament events, and access?

Walter: “I think GameFi can really drive player retention, adding key infrastructure that creates a path to professional play, and help with tournament administration. First, it was already seen with Axie Infinity that rewards for competitive play drive player retention and will ultimately lead to a larger competitive playerbase. I think this model is still far from perfect but it’s a compelling idea in its infancy. Second, if you take a look at the concept of ESEA or FaceIt, players are rewarded for being [at the] top of an ELO ladder. With GameFi elements in new competitive games, I believe we’ll see a [more accessible] path to professional play for the average gamer as they will be rewarded along the way [with more] more incentives to improve. Lastly, if you take a look at tournament administration, it’s incredibly hard to pay competitors and teams for any type of tournament — digital or LAN. That’s why companies like Community Gaming are interesting and trying to solve this payment and administration problem.”

Q: How do you think Arcade Galaxy can bridge the gap between crypto natives that are already invested in DeFi and convert hardcore/traditional gamers on console, mobile, and PC?

Walter: “The beauty about Arcade Galaxy is that UGC has broad appeal and that its content can flex up and down depending on the community. Over time there should be something for everyone! Also [how can we really define what is] a hardcore gamer? A player can play 8 hours of Minecraft or Fortnite a day, is that not considered hardcore? I think that gaming [overall] and Blockchain have so many synergies. I’m excited for more projects to come out that validate what everyone has been talking about.”

Q: What styles of gameplay or customization are you most anticipating to see represented in the game?

Walter: “I’m excited about the crazy ideas that we never thought were possible. People are inherently very creative, and some of the most fun I’ve ever had was playing these incredibly complex, creative maps and game modes on Halo 3 Forge. [User creations] that I don’t think even the Devs could imagine!”

A sincere thank you to Walter Wang for joining us in this partnership, as well as his generosity in offering his time and insight for this correspondence.

Follow Walter Wang here: https://twitter.com/TSMWalter

Follow Arcade Galaxy here: https://twitter.com/arcadegalaxy_