Web3 Gaming From the Top: Publishing Giants in Web3
Despite the general reticence by large sectors of the gaming community to adopt web3 games and their content, some big-name publishers are moving in the web3 direction to pave the way for secure transactions and ownership in prominent games.
As an industry, gaming is not seeing massive player migrations to web3, which is why web3 game developers should consider opening doors to web2 player markets with Ready’s tech stack. Microsoft outright banned NFTs from Minecraft and its mods, marking a hard stance against the implementation of asset ownership in one of the biggest — if not the biggest — games of all time. Steam has also gone the route of banning blockchain and NFT content on the platform due to “bad actors” despite the benefits of the technology.
Blockchain adoption is still in its infancy, and as with any new technology, there will be traditionalists, there will be bans, but there will also be a slow and steady movement toward implementing the new tech despite this.
Ubisoft: web3 pioneer?
The creators of Assasin’s Creed were one of the first to enter the blockchain space and experiment with web3 solutions. Back in 2018, Nicolas Pouard, Ubisoft’s blockchain initiative manager, founded the Blockchain Gaming Alliance with Fig, Gimli, Alto, and Ultra. In 2021, Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab became a validator node on the Tezos Network. But when Ubisoft added NFTs termed “Digits” to Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, the publisher was met with backlash. The player community, the media, and even some members of Ubisoft staff emerged skeptical about blockchain and strongly against game NFTs. Shortly after, the NFTs and their marketplace disappeared in a wisp eerily similar to the game’s ghosts.
The gaming industry is traditionalist, and when it comes to blockchain, it seems that there are some misconceptions. An interview with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot by gameindustry.biz in September 2022 focused on a “major point of contention” between Ubisoft’s care for environmental sustainability and blockchain technology. This question does not take into consideration the shift of blockchain networks to proof of stake consensus, and from Guillemot’s reply, it is clear that “a single transaction on the ‘proof-of-stake’ Tezos blockchain” has “lower energy consumption per transaction than sending email”.
Square Enix: web3 and proud.
In Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda’s 2022 letter to the player community, he boldly announced the company’s move to web3. The letter directly addressed the “reservations” of the new technology by “play to have fun” players, but countered that “play to contribute” players who aim to “make the game more exciting” with incentivized creativity will benefit greatly from the shift to web3. The company has big plans for its future in web3 gaming, including the release of more than a few blockchain game titles and even a native token launch.
Epic Games: web3 inclusive
Following web3 content bans by Valve and Apple’s App Store, Epic Games welcomed blockchain games on the Epic Games Store. The store hosts Blankos Block Party, a blockchain game by Mythical. One of the first high-profile blockchain games, Grit by Gala Games, is set to go live on Epic Games “soon”.
When Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, met negative feedback over the decision to open the store’s doors to web3 content, his reply took a neutral stance, emphasizing the freedom of the individual: the developer, to create games, and the player to choose which games to play.
Ready Games and hybrid web3 publishing
Despite the efforts of some game publishing giants, the gaming space is traditionalist, and any large-scale shift to web3 will take time. Ready Games provides a solution for developers to harness the benefits of web3 content ownership while staying in compliance with Apple’s App Store listing regulations. With Ready Games, developers and publishers can reach web2 audiences while inching toward web3 horizons.
Interested in hearing more about our tech stack and solutions for game creators? Ready’s public SDK is now live at dev.ready.gg. Reach out here with any questions for the Ready Games Team.
