Blockchain: The Next Frontier for Video Games

Is Decentralisation the Next Stop for Video Games?

Whenever new tech becomes available, most would ask if it is necessary or have any real-world use. The only exception to this is mobile devices as communication has always been a necessity. When mobile phones appeared, and smartphones coming after, it introduced new trends that nobody believed possible. These days many have become accustomed to making payments, holding important conversations, and playing games while on the go. If anything, these are the current frontiers of the digital era.

Even long-time concepts have now become major market trends, like artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Of course, they have enabled next-gen ideas to come online as well. While it’s the latest in every sense of the word, they take their inspiration from current innovations. One major example is crypto-currency.

Infamous for being this year’s buzzword, it is a financial instrument that runs on the blockchain. Like literal cash, it has a legitimate value that can be traded or exchanged between parties. While attention is at an all-time-high for most of 2018, the hype is now tapering off. Some perceive this as the long-expected market crash. Whatever it is, this current situation is making way for more critical use-cases to appear. One of the trendier applications right now is crypto games.

Joining the Chain

While there are more than a handful crypto games now out and actively capturing market share, most — if not all — are new-comers into the video games space. As blockchain catapults to great heights of attention, all thanks to the dizzying rise of crypto-currency, many don’t realise that there are other applications to consider.

Indeed, blockchain technology is already in use to some degree within other industries. This includes supply-line management, data security, and personal identification. As is, the platform has been around for over a decade but only took centerstage when two popular crypto-currencies, Bitcoin and Ether, took off. How does video games fit into all this?

Video games are not what it used to be a decade ago. For the longest time, they’re closely related to gun-violence and being a general waste of time. While these two long-time negative implications are still around, there are now more positive use-cases that are countering these bad traits. Minecraft now plays a critical role in school education, various puzzle games are used in hand-eye coordination training, and multiple critically award-winning titles have become inspirations for movies, merchandising, and teaching aids.

More importantly, most now see video games as a crucial innovator for the creative content industry. The last decade saw brand-new visual engines coming online to push the graphic envelope of next-gen games for both PC and consoles. These high-spec platforms and services are now widely used in Hollywood, news-rooms, and industries that enrich graphic content. Recently, mobile games growth has accelerated and is now demanding the very best from the smartphones that run them; it’s become so huge that it directly influences hardware development so as to ensure a smooth gameplay experience.

The need for progress doesn’t stop there — this being video games, the marketplace is open to try new concepts. This is how, like virtual reality previously, crypto games started off and will likely gain widespread traction.

What can the blockchain platform offer to video games?

Pure Decentralization

In its most basic form, blockchain is a digital ledger that tracks a list of records. The concept engages two processes: the list of records that are stored into singular blocks and the encryption used that links them up into a connected series of data. While it now plays a vital role in crypto-currency operations, the encrypted transaction process can also be used to create literal value for a digital token. This gives rise to tradable assets that can be legitimately owned and used.

Video games, specifically collectibles, will thrive on this model as it enables users to wholly own the digital assets they bought in the game. In short: whatever gamers spend on for a game will be theirs indefinitely until they sell it within the game or at a designated marketplace. This is even if the game developers decide to shut down the servers after a long and successful run.

If the inevitable ever takes place, by default, the digital assets within the game will be rendered inoperable and useless. Thanks to blockchain, such losses to users can be avoided as the tokenized data are theirs to keep. To-date, that is what most crypto games offer — true ownership.

Engaging Gameplay Experience

Right now, new entries into the crypto games space are now trying to diversify the user experience. While most try to enhance the collectible aspect or add features that introduce new fun elements, long-term replayability is usually not a key focus. For the longest time, gamers expect some form of engagement when they are repeating the motions. There can only be so much collectible games have to offer.

CryptantCrab, an upcoming crypto game from iCandy Interactive, will raise the bar as it introduces proper gameplay mechanics for the crypto game sector. The concept and development come from Appxplore, an iCandy subsidiary and the same team behind award-winning games like Crab War and Light A Way. Having the deep understanding and long-time experience in making video games, it is now imperative that CryptantCrab offers a solid gameplay experience.

Enhancing the core collectible gameplay for CryptantCrab are the mutation process and battle aspects. More details about these critical in-game features and the need-to-know about this soon-to-launch crypto game can be found here.

Blockchain: The Next Frontier for Video Games was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.