Weekly Digest

As May draws to a close it was another massive week of Web3 gaming. We have Apple's iOS users experiencing the evolution of Stepn, though it comes at a price, Gala Games joins hands with PokerGO and we witnessed the first time ever project token integration in an NFT marketplace - is this the week that masses join Web3 gaming?

Also in our weekly digest:

• STEPN becomes first Web3 game to be integrated with Apple Pay

• Binance backed NFTb launches its new social gaming HUB and enables project tokens as currency

• YouTube hints at in-depth relationships with Metaverse adoption

• The gaming industry sets to continue with its resilience in 2023

• Space Nation may be the Hollywood AAA Web3 game we need

• How much is too much? Could AI be harmful in the Metaverse

The most in-depth research on the future of E-sports, Web3 gaming and crypto by Yoda Labs

Co-authored by BGA & DappRadar & Sura Gaming

Web3 Gaming News 🎮

• Gala Games and PokerGO have collaborated to launch a Web3 social poker game with real-world prizes and benefits for NFT holders.

• NFTb launched its new gaming hub allowing the first time ever project token integration, social user interaction, NFT staking and many more innovative features.

• Users must pay the Apple tax to purchase Stepn NFTs on iOS, which is a portion of the transaction value that goes towards Apple's commission for facilitating the purchase.

• Hyperspace and Mysten Labs partner up to bring Web3 gaming and NFT trading capabilities to the SUI blockchain.

• Immutable and MetaStudio join forces to create immersive gaming experiences that allow 0% gas fees for peer-to-peer trading and safe ownership of in-game assets.

• Illuvium update opens up the game to more players and the most advanced gaming mechanics seen in Web3 gaming

• Meta Gloria is a play-to-earn game on Terra Classic featuring unique PVE content and NFT characters. Developers plan to burn 70% of LUNC tokens from GLS sales, improving Terra Classic's utility.

• Stealcam creates a gamification approach to NFT trading allowing users to connect their wallets to instantly turn images and videos into NFTs.

Is it Art, Is it a Game, Will it stick?

Stealcam is a new Web3 platform that turns the experience of trading NFTs into a playful game of art theft. The game works by allowing players to steal each other's NFTs, at incrementally increasing prices. The player who is willing to pay the highest price for an NFT will win it.

Each forced handover results in a 10% price increase. The "stolen" NFT's previous owner is refunded the price they paid, while the surplus is divided between the image creator, the former owner, and Stealcam.

Known as the more daring blockchain equivalent of BeReal, Stealcam, founded by developers Racer and Shrimp, is seen as an unintentional commentary on fluctuating cryptocurrency and NFT values. The platform was meant to focus on empowering creators by illustrating that everyday moments have inherent value, quantifiable in ETH.

Stealcam has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised the game for its creativity and innovation. Others have criticized the game for its exploitative nature. Platform creator Trevor Paglen has said that he is not sure whether Stealcam is a game or a work of art but is intrigued in exploring the gray area between art and games.

• Sequence Wallet by gaming company Horizon Blockchain Games is preferred by Polygon labeling it the ideal way for games to onboard users to their supernets.

• FORJ and BAYC have partnered to launch an accelerator to foster innovation, provide resources, and drive the growth of the Bored Ape community.

• Space Nation Online is set to be the AAA game everyone has been waiting for backed by award-winning Hollywood movie director, Roland Emmerich and 19-year-old CEO and gaming prodigy.

• Square Enix continues to develop blockchain games despite backlash, with successful NFT sales in Million Arthur and Symbiogenesis.

• SlingShot DAO launches a platform for users to submit and vote on game ideas, empowering players and changing the way games are created.

• Gamee, REVV Motorsports, and Phantom Galaxies show Animoca Brands' diverse gaming approach but the company continues to diversify expanding into edtech and entertainment from gaming.

• Meta Gloria is a P2E game on Terra Classic that plans to burn 70% of LUNC tokens and offers PVE content and NFT characters.

• Gala Games introduces NFTs to Dragon Strike, allowing players to acquire and trade unique in-game assets as NFTs, providing true ownership and value for their digital items.

• GamePhylum and AlterVerse collaborate to expand their game listing platform and create virtual experiences in Sky City, providing users with an enriched gaming ecosystem.

• GameSwift introduces Aurory, an interactive play-to-earn game with a thriving community, offering players the removal of blockchain gaming's entry hurdle, bringing it closer to broad adoption.

• 3XP Gaming Expo partners with RealThirdWeb to offer free tickets to gamers at an event highlighting blockchain games.

• Meta-X and Immutable X collaborate to launch Dark Machine, a blockchain-based AAA competitive shooting game with dark-themed mechs.

Web3 Gaming Trends 🚀

• Sorare the NFT Soccer trading game provides French users with a unique entry method to comply with local regulations.

• The state of the world economy and megatrends like people wanting to travel and do other things with their time than play games could hurt the gaming industry.

Gaming Industry’s Resilience in 2023

Despite a global economic downturn and changing trends that have affected gaming time, the industry continues to show growth, partly due to the momentum maintained by hardcore gamers from the pandemic surge. Gaming revenues dropped by 5.6% in 2022, but Ampere Analysis predicts a 2.2% growth in 2023. However, funding for blockchain games seems to be decreasing, causing some critics to question the viability of Web3 and the metaverse.

Despite these challenges, entrepreneurs and gaming leaders remain committed to the industry, with many believing that the intersection of AI, blockchain, and user-generated content will drive the development of the metaverse. The resilience of the gaming industry is also being celebrated through diversity, with the GamesBeat Summit 2023 hosting its first-ever Diversity in Gaming Breakfast, sponsored by companies like Visa and Facebook Gaming.

• Polygon (MATIC) surpasses Solana and Binance Coin in the GameFi sector, demonstrating its growing prominence and adoption in the gaming and decentralized finance space.

• Gala Games burns 21 billion GALA tokens to reduce circulating supply, increase scarcity, and enhance value for holders and participants in the Gala Games ecosystem.

• Keyp converts Game Boy console into an offline hardware cryptocurrency wallet, offering enhanced security and mnemonic phrases.

• XRacer's rapid adoption showcases the potential of blockchain-based play-to-earn games and the AbeyChain ecosystem.

Web3 Funding News 💸

• Metagame Industries raises $100 million in funding to continue developing web3 games and expand its presence.

• OpenFort raised $3 million to further develop its platform, providing gamers with a seamless and user-friendly financial solution.

• Solana integrates AI capabilities into its blockchain ecosystem and raises its grants fund to $10 million, fostering innovation and supporting developers in building AI-powered applications.

• Arena raises $1.75 million to build a gaming metaverse combining blockchain technology, play-to-earn mechanics, and social experiences.

• Algorand, Solana, and Polygon collaborate to create a $50 million ecosystem fund to foster cross-chain interoperability.

Exploring the Metaverse 🛸

• YouTube’s new CEO has the metaverse in it’s sights and see’s it as a key enabler to drive relationships

• AI technologies can bridge the gap between virtual and real-world experiences, providing personalized interactions while maintaining user privacy and security.

• Vault Hill aims to revolutionize the metaverse by harnessing the power of AI, Web3 tech, and extended reality (XR).

Could too much AI be harmful?

Many companies are in a race to envision an AI Metaverse featuring an extensive AI-generated knowledge base, personalized avatars through NFTs, and AI companions. Plans are afoot to transform experiences from 2D to 3D, letting users interact with their avatars in a more immersive way

AI is poised to enhance the metaverse by creating realistic environments, special effects, and non-playable characters (NPCs). However, as AI populates the metaverse, differentiating real users from AI becomes a challenge, raising concerns about trust.

To address this, developers are working on a "proof-of-humanity" tool that uses biometrics to verify human users, akin to Instagram's blue checkmark. The tool would allow users to confirm they're interacting with humans rather than AI entities.

An overabundance of AI characters could discourage user engagement, suggesting the need for a balance between human players and AI entities. Developers are hopeful about achieving this balance and continuing to innovate in the metaverse and Web3 space.

• The Undead Metaverse achieved a milestone by minting and selling $1 million worth of NFTs, highlighting the potential of digital assets in the metaverse ecosystem.

• The Sandbox has created a virtual experience based on Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, an incredible metaverse adventure to satisfy all your cravings.

• Steve Aoki is creating a metaverse to combine music, art, and gaming into offering novel experiences and engagement within the music industry.

• Meta is developing an AI chip to power advanced features and experiences in VR environments, such as natural language processing and immersion, enabling more immersive user experiences.

• Carl Cox is the first headliner for Sensorium Galaxy's Metaverse VR concert series bringing his famously high-energy sets to PRISM world, a virtual world dedicated to music and dance.

   

• Microsoft's decision to discontinue its metaverse project has resulted in a surge in value for Decentraland and The Sandbox, demonstrating the market's response to the OG players.

• BubbleX aims to create a metaverse experience through the integration of NFTs advanced technologies and a number of partnerships that will allow participants to set up businesses.

• The Shiba Inu metaverse advisor reveals the upcoming hubs, expanding the Shiba Inu metaverse and introducing new locations enhancing user experiences and engagement within the ecosystem.

• NFT Moon Metaverse partners with Skale Network to leverage their technology and infrastructure, enhancing scalability and user experiences within the metaverse platform.

• Wipro, Designit, and Vault Hill Metaverse collaborate to create immersive and innovative experiences in the metaverse.

• Com2Verse and Tunib collaborate to create a more sophisticated and realistic metaverse service with customized information for individual users.

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See you same place same time next week!

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Yoda Labs team