Blockchain gaming: How Playfix helps game developers win
When Playfix Founder and CEO Tobias Abdon was around nine years old, he was surprised when his dad came home with a box that had a picture of a sewing machine on it. Little did he know that this moment would have a major impact on his life.
“He gave the box to my brothers and me and asked us to open it,” Abdon said. “Inside was the first Nintendo console! We wouldn’t be learning to sew after all.”
That Nintendo Entertainment System (known as the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan) would introduce Abdon to the magic of video games.
“Having eight siblings, it was hard to get time on that console. And we probably ended up breaking it pretty fast as we did with most things. But I definitely remember playing Mario and Duck Hunt,” he said.
These days, Abdon is very much a part of the gaming industry, helping game developers embrace blockchain gaming.
What is the Playfix vision for blockchain gaming?
“We see a future where blockchain features in games are no longer a novel concept. Rather, they are expected. To get there, Playfix will work hard to greatly expand the number of web3 developers and games. Our goal is to make it super simple for every developer to build and launch web3 games,” Abdon said.
Abdon’s background in the technology industry, particularly in cloud computing, is proving valuable in helping realize the Playfix vision of becoming an all-in-one solution for developers to easily build, launch, and grow web3 games and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
“I started off my career working in dark and dingy data centers in the Pacific Northwest. Then graduated from there to be one of the first salespeople at Amazon Web Services in 2008,” he said.
Abdon then spent more than a decade helping innovative cloud computing companies scale on the global stage.
“I got into crypto just in time for my first bear market experience this year,” he quipped.
How did Abdon end up founding a blockchain startup like Playfix?
“I came up with the main idea around June or July of 2021. Axie Infinity was growing super fast and was all over the news,” Abdon said, referring to the blockchain game that helped popularize play-to-earn.
“I started to research how they built the game. Not only did they have to build the game, but they had to build a sidechain (Ronin), write smart contracts, and so on. I knew that most game studios wouldn’t be able to do all that work. And I also truly believed in the potential of blockchain gaming. I started daydreaming about an application programming interface (API) platform that would make building blockchain games a lot easier,” he said.
Abdon emphasized that the Playfix platform offers an end-to-end solution, citing three main ways the company is making it easier for developers to make the leap to blockchain gaming.
“First, we greatly lower the barrier to entry for developers. If you know how to use a REST (Representational State Transfer) API, then you can get started building web3 games with Playfix.
“Second, we have all the APIs you’ll need to build your game, from tokens, to NFTs, to wallets. You won’t need to piece together multiple services.
“Third, we have a team who will work with developers to succeed. There are a lot of important decisions to make, from which blockchain to use, to designing how the game interacts with the blockchain elements. We are here to provide that expertise,” he said.
According to Abdon, Playfix was founded on the belief that the intersection of blockchain technology and gaming will elevate both industries to new heights.
“We like to think about the ‘pillars of blockchain gaming’. The first pillar is digital asset ownership. Players and others involved in the gaming ecosystem will be more involved in the creation and transformation of digital assets that get used in games.
“The second pillar is economic inclusion. Right now, game developers reap most of the rewards of their games. However, players contribute a lot of value to games, and should be included in the rewards. This opens up some really exciting opportunities for both game developers and players.
“The third pillar is innovation. Blockchain gaming is just getting started. We need creative teams to think of new concepts to build,” Abdon said.
Blockchain gaming is here to stay. With the help of Playfix, more game developers can get ready for the future — and have what it takes to win.
