Yoda Labs Monthly Recap

Game on for Web3 in July!

Author

Yoda Labs
July 27, 2023

The journey throughout July has been jam-packed filled with gripping news such as Epic Games playing a crucial role in the distribution of Web3 games, Google Play Store allowing apps to use and offer NFTs, SEGA scanning the scene for blockchain benefits, and Ubisoft continuing its interest in blockchain. Gala Games re-opens their Telegram channel to maintain an open dialogue whilst Axie Infinity shows us how to unite players around the world- have the biggest players now realized that Web3 gaming is here to stay and are beginning to embrace the movement?

Also in our monthly round-up:

  • Cyberkongz switches from Polygon to Axie’s Ronin chain

  • Professional gamers embrace Web3 gaming and its opportunities

  • Catch sight of the state of Web3 game development tools

  • Super balance testers help raise the quality of Web3 games

  • Sui Network sees a surge in daily transactions thanks to Web3 games

  • Combining 11 companies - Futureverse raises $51M in funding

  • SimWin Sports partners with NBA legend Magic Johnson

  • The Machines: Arena available on the EPIC Games integrates NFTs

The newest in-depth ecosystem review is going out very soon. Join our discord below and stay ahead of the trends!

Web3 Gaming News 🎮

  • CyberKongz plans to mint "GenKai" NFTs on Ronin sidechain for upcoming game launch, offering faster transaction speeds and reduced fees with plans for a second Ronin game in the works

  • Solert Games has partnered with Ava Labs to launch a dedicated subnet and Legends at War on the Avalanche blockchain.

  • Professional gamers embrace Web3 gaming with Dr. DisRespect leading the way and other esports stars showing a growing interest in the opportunities that Web3 gaming brings

  • Ev.io, the free web-based shooter game has challenging movement controls, and gives players an opportunity to earn SOL while playing

  • AlterVerse introduces Skyreign Immortal, a unique, impressive character for players to control and customize in challenges

  • Star Atlas goes through major restructuring and streamlines its workforce to just 45 employees

State of Web3 Game Dev Tooling a Birds Eye View

According to the Bitkraft report, Web3 game development is still in its early days compared to traditional game engines. There is a lack of robust end-to-end solutions, with tooling that is fragmented and immature. Developers are having to piece together various platforms and tools to build out blockchain games. The report stresses that fragmentation creates challenges, especially for those new to blockchain development. Core functionality like multiplayer networking and hosting have not yet matured in Web3 tools. Together with documentation and learning resources remaining limited, this is contributing to the steep learning curve.

While rapid progress is being made, gaps exist compared to traditional game engines. NFT integration and blockchain interactions are still developing. Monetization systems like play-to-earn lack out-of-the-box support. Developers are tasked to build out these systems themselves. This highlights the need for collaboration and consolidation across Web3 game tools.

The report is cautiously optimistic about the potential for Web3 game tooling to mature. But highlights it will take time before solutions match the depth of traditional game engines. As tools improve and become more integrated, Web3 game adoption can accelerate. However, the space still faces limitations for end-to-end development. Overall the report highlights current challenges while recognizing the potential ahead as the industry evolves.

Web3 Gaming Trends 🚀

  • Gods Unchained team adds “superpower balance testers” to improve gameplay and fair competition in a superior way ensuring balanced strategies which could pave the way for others too

  • Ultra gaming platform tokenizes its first free-to-play game, allowing more and more players to witness the evolution in decentralized gaming

  • Ubisoft, Roblox, and Blizzard use generative AI to automate game development, creating content like character renderings, language models, and interactive NPC interactions

AI Game Development Tools Here to Stay

Game studios are using AI to automate the most tedious elements of game development and instantly conjure characters. Ubisoft is using AI to generate realistic facial expressions for its characters -utilizing a tool called DeepMind's Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) to generate realistic facial expressions for its characters.

Roblox is using AI to create custom avatars for its users via the use of a tool called Loom.ai to create custom avatars for its users. Blizzard on the other hand is using a tool called Lyrebird to generate dialogue for its characters.

The use of such tools saves developers a significant amount of time. As AI technology continues to develop, we can expect to see adoption in Web3 game studios and even more innovative applications of AI in the game development industry.

Crypto Games, NFT Games, Blockchain Games, what’s the difference?

Whether you’re an investor, gamer, builder, provider, or casual spectator it is crucial to understand the different Web3 gaming approaches. We’ve broken them down for you below:

  • Crypto games are games that use cryptocurrencies as a reward system. Players can earn cryptocurrencies by playing the game, which they can then exchange for real-world money.

  • NFT games are games that use non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a reward system. NFTs are unique digital assets that can represent in-game items, such as characters, weapons, or land. Players can own, trade, and sell NFTs, which gives them more control over their in-game assets.

  • Blockchain games are games that are built on a blockchain network. This means that the game's data is stored on a decentralized ledger, which makes it more secure and transparent. Blockchain games can also be more interoperable, meaning that players can move their in-game assets between different games.

Although Crypto games are often seen as more profitable, they can also be more volatile. NFT games offer more player ownership, but they can also be more complex. Blockchain games are more secure and transparent, but they can also be more expensive to develop.

Ultimately, depending on where you reside on the Web3 gaming spectrum the best type of game for you will depend on your individual preferences and circumstance.

Web3 Funding News 💸

  • DeLabs Games raises $4.7 million for Polygon blockchain games, showcasing industry interest and scalability

  • Eyeball Games raises $1.5 million in pre-seed funding for web3 gaming platform, leveraging blockchain technology and NFTs

  • AI Startup Futureverse raises $54M in funding, a merging of 11 different companies and sectors from AI, Metaverse, Gaming, and Blockchain is perfectly set up for development and expansion

  • Mobile Web3 gaming publisher Hexacore secures $3.5m funding round led by Dubai-based venture capital firm Scalo

  • Xterio, the publisher behind upcoming NFT and crypto games like Age of Dino and Overworld, has secured $15M from Binance Labs

  • Karta secures $1.1 million in funding from music and gaming industries to develop a metaverse platform bridging music and gaming

  • PikaMoon, an Ethereum-based game, raised $3.6 million in its final ICO phase, using NFTs as in-game assets, showcasing interest in the growing trend of ICOs for game development.

Exploring the Metaverse 🛸

  • McDonald's introduces "McNuggets Land" in The Sandbox metaverse, enhancing brand connection with tech-savvy audiences

  • Upland partners with FIFA to create Women's World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023 metaverse experience, developing connection and interaction among users

  • Roy Jones Jr. will create a virtual reality (VR) boxing in the metaverse, blending sports and VR for a new digital boxing experience

  • Intel, Dell, UK government test metaverse fusion energy system, enabling cost-effective, risk-free adjustments and improvements

Intel, Dell, and others test-develop fusion energy production system in the metaverse

Alpha Test, Early Access & Hands-On Gaming ⚒️

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"Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you, it will”
-Yoda

See you same place same time next week!

❤❤❤

Yoda Labs team