Japanese gaming giants are setting the stage for mainstream blockchain gaming adoption, and won’t be opposed to player-grade crypto and fiable tokens (NFTs), Oasis Blockchain Project Xx told Cointelegraph.
Last week Speaking to Cointelegraph at the 2022 Tokyo Games show, Oasis representative director Ryo Matsubara said the project’s big-name partners such as Bandai Namco, Sega and Square Enix aren’t just jumping on the crypto bandwagon – there’s a long-term vision for a blockchain-based Play-to-Earn (P2E) game. :-
“At the executive level, we have a shared vision of blockchain. They don’t [want to] Change the policy. You understand the future of blockchain adoption right. They’re not thinking about, you know, just the income, they want to create the next future [of gaming]He said.
Bandai Namco developed popular titles such as Tekken and Pac-Man, Sega’s most popular title is generally seen as Sonic the Hedgehog, and Square Enix is the developer of the widely popular Final Fantasy franchise.
Asked if these companies are looking to integrate blockchain technology into existing game franchises, Matubara suggested that they are developing new blockchain games instead.
As this game is a completely “new model,” he said, it needs more time to mature before these big companies see broader blockchain integrations with traditional games.
“When the model is fixed, it will be sustainable and successful, then it will be strong [popular] IP will be added.
Looking at what needs to be improved in blockchain games, Matsubara says that the “big problem” so far is that many projects are dependent on the value of in-game tokens. As a result, there is more interest in the “speculation” than the game itself.
He explained that there will be “adjustments” over time as the projects work to develop real incentives for the games, possibly improving the overall gaming experience.
Related: The Japanese government issues NFTs to reward the work of local officials.
This echoed similar sentiments to Luke Silain, lead community manager at Bluefish Studios, an Australian-based game developer and Animoka Brands subsidiary.
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Silay emphasized that most people want games that are “fun to play” rather than the hustle and bustle of earning tokens.
Oasys’ proof-of-stake blockchain is directly geared towards gaming and is set to launch on the official mainnet later this year. Matsubara also hinted that games from their big-name partners could be announced next year.
Looking outside of Japan, major Western gaming companies like Fortnite developers Epic Games have increased their exposure to blockchain games of late. Last week, the Epic Games Store listed a new free-to-play NFT game called Blankos Block Party by Mythical Games.
The move follows comments from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in July that the company would not follow Microsoft’s lead in banning NFT integrations in games.