A New Era of Blockchain Gaming: AAA's Move into the Field

The era of blockchain gaming is seemingly over and forgotten, but the reality is that it hasn’t even begun. Up until now, most blockchain games have been built at the hands of small studios with limited experience and resources, and we have yet to see AAA studios make a solid move into the space.  

Why Blockchain? 

The current age of video games has seen them become highly dependent on in-game economies as well as external micro transactions. Consequently, the need for transparency in this sector has become apparent. Blockchain offers an easy channel for financial transactions to take place, and its borderless nature also helps gamers from around the world have easier access to paid services.  

Further, time and time again gamers have criticized AAA studios for malpractice and malicious intent behind fundraising events due to examples that prove the misallocation of publicly acquired funds for a specific purpose such as increasing a prize pool. This naturally reduces the community’s willingness to participate in such events. This is an issue that would be automatically solved due to the decentralized nature of blockchain. Additionally, in-game items’ value would fluctuate since they would be regulated by an open market, and this would allow both the user and the studios to reap some benefits.  

The Pioneers 

The integration of blockchain, and more specifically NFTs, has already been championed by some publishing studios that pushed through the onslaught of insults and criticism from their player base. Yet, this bold move yielded little benefits, in fact, the backlash was horrendous to say the least. Ubisoft for instance integrated NFTs into Tom Clancy’s: Break Point and suffice to say that this specific iteration of the series was received poorly. 

The Current Landscape  

After the backlash, many AAA studios still believe that blockchain technology will play a massive role in the future of gaming, not only to create in-game financial ecosystems but also to build up the creator economy and provide incentives for agents that contribute to the evolution of a given title. This is Square Enix’s vision for blockchain as its president has announced that research into proper implementation has been set in motion. They have yet to execute, but they are understandably biding their time and are looking for ways to implement blockchain for the betterment of their products. After all, Square Enix (SE) has always placed its fan base first, and they are generally admired in the gaming community for their properly executed strategies as well as their transparent nature. Though NFTs are mostly to blame for blockchain’s disastrous reputation, SE hasn’t specifically mentioned this technology, but they surely have plans to paint them in a more positive light and possibly redeem them in the eyes of the community.  

Though SE has been the most vocal about their interest in blockchain, other reputable studios have also been doing moves of their own, though perhaps more subtle. Take Rockstar Games for example, they have recently announced that any modder who utilizes game assets from their upcoming GTA VI and turns them into any semblance of NFTs, cryptocurrency, or any asset that is traded for real-world currency will face legal action since it will constitute commercial law infringement. Though this clause is mostly unassuming, it does give us a subtle hint that Rockstar might be considering the adoption of blockchain for GTA VI. In fact, the studio has shown an interest in the technology as its former cofounder invested in blockchain gaming startups.  

Further, Electronic Arts (EA) has issued a statement about NFTs being in the future of gaming back in 2022, but they quickly retracted that statement after public backlash. However, new information has revealed that FIFA’s deal with EA has come to an end and that future FIFA games will include blockchain. This is huge news since the FIFA series boasts an astronomical player base, and we will have to wait and see to find out their reaction as well as the implementation that FIFA is planning.  

A Look to the Future 

Time and time again, we hear that blockchain and gaming is a great combination, and we are on the verge of discovering the fruition of this alliance since AAA studios and big players in the gaming scene have set their sights on this emerging technology. This may be the break that blockchain and NFTs need to restore the masses’ faith in this amazing tech.