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How Blockchain is Transforming the Gaming Industry: A Conversation with Jeff Zirlin, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Sky Mavis
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Web3 games represent a promising driver for the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies. But what is the current situation in the sector? To find out, for my series ‘Crypto Opinion with Mike Ermolaev’ I spoke to a visionary in the world of blockchain gaming, Jeff Zirlinthe co-founder and head of growth Sky Mavis, a company behind Axie Infinity and Ronin. In our recent interview, she shared her insights into the industry and the role of Ronin, the Ethereum-linked sidechain, in shaping the future of gaming.
Digital assets in games
“Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry by empowering players and creating new economic opportunities,” said Zirlin. She explained that the gaming industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with blockchain emerging as a revolutionary technology. There is a shift towards more player-centric models, where players can better control their game resources. She believes that blockchain integration will enable new models of player ownership, digital asset trading, and community-driven game development. The success of Axie Infinity, Sky Mavis’ flagship game, is a testament to this change.
Jeff Zirlin’s vision for the future of gaming is one of empowerment and collaboration. For him, gamers are not just passive consumers, but active stakeholders in the success of games. “Ronin is the foundation on which we can build a new generation of games that truly put the player first,” he says. This would mean creating a world where “players and developers work together to shape the experiences they love. The traditional gaming model has always been about extracting value from players, notes Jeff. “With Ronin, we’re flipping that script and giving players the ability to be active participants in the ecosystem, earning and trading valuable in-game items as they see fit.”
“At Sky Mavis we have built a strong community of players who are actively involved in development and decision-making,” he explained. “This level of community involvement is critical to creating games that truly resonate with players.”
When asked about the challenges of implementing blockchain in games, Jeff acknowledged the need for greater user adoption and regulatory clarity. “One of the main challenges is to educate players and help them understand the benefits of blockchain-based games,” he said. “We must also work closely with regulators to ensure the industry develops responsibly and sustainably.”
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Jeff believes the integration of blockchain technology will be a key driver of innovation and growth. “The future of gaming is decentralized, player-centric and community-driven,” he concluded. “We are excited to be at the forefront of this transformation and to see how it unfolds in the years to come.”
On the story of Ronin
Zirlin’s passion for the industry is palpable as he shares his vision for Ronin, a gateway to a new era of gaming, where players have true ownership and control over their digital assets. He believes that by leveraging Ronin’s scalability and low transaction costs, game developers can create immersive experiences that seamlessly integrate blockchain technology.
Ronin is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible blockchain designed specifically for game developers creating games with player-owned economies. Ronin’s ecosystem token is RON, which allows users to pay for transactions, participate in community governance, and stake via validators to earn rewards. Ronin is growing rapidly, recording 715% growth from January to March 2023. Recently, the chain reached 1.32 million daily active addressessetting a new record, which means we have surpassed the highs recorded in the last bull run.
Sky Mavis has built both brutal bear markets and high-growth bull markets. As Jeff described it, Sky Mavis is “battle tested.” “Not only has it weathered multiple crypto cycles, it has always come out stronger with better infrastructure, products and partners,” he proudly told me.
A year ago, Sky Mavis opened up Ronin to non-Axie games, and since then they’ve seen a phenomenon the team calls “The Ronin Effect,” where games launching on Ronin find their first 1,000 superfans and experience the halo effect of growth. The game called Pixels is a great example of the Ronin effect. Pixels was stuck at 5-10k DAU on Polygon before its move to Ronin and has now reached over 760k DAU and integrated over 90 other Web3 projects into its gameplay.
On bringing the MMORPG Ragnarok to the blockchain
Recently a major event in the Ronin ecosystem was the launch of the Ragnarok Online franchise. Ronin has teamed up with Gravity to launch “Ragnarok: Monster World,” bringing the popular MMORPG into the rapidly growing world of blockchain gaming. I personally consider it a great achievement to integrate an already popular game into the blockchain industry, as it marks a significant milestone in the fusion of traditional and Web3 games.
Commenting on the collaboration, Jeff said: “Ragnarok is more than a game – it’s one of the most iconic gaming universes in the world. It is a billion-dollar transmedia IP that has amassed over 68 million players across its various titles and has captivated a generation of gamers around the world. By bringing Ragnarok to Ronin, we are connecting both Web3 and Web2 player bases on a scale that hasn’t yet been possible.”
Moving on to future plans, Sky Mavis’ goal is to bring 16 partner studios/games to Ronin in 2024. Collaboration with other game franchises seems to become a promising strategy to connect traditional games with blockchain technologies.
Pay on Coinbase
Another recent development I discussed with Zirlin was the Coinbase integration. One of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges recently announced the integration of its payment solution, Coinbase Pay, with the Ronin network. This integration aims to simplify the process of purchasing and withdrawing cryptocurrencies for users within the Ronin ecosystem. Coinbase Pay will allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies directly from their Ronin wallets, eliminating the need to transfer funds between separate platforms.
This feature is expected to improve the overall user experience and reduce friction associated with cryptocurrency transactions within the Ronin network. The integration of Coinbase Pay with Ronin represents a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to make cryptocurrency more accessible and easy to use.
Web3 games to try
There are more and more games appearing on the blockchain. The industry has already moved beyond early experiments and offers more concrete examples of what Web3 games can look like. If you’re someone who wants to play games, Jeff recommends checking out Kaidro, a multiplayer action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world. Kaidro is a universe that includes not only a game but also a webcomic and an animated TV series. The team behind the project is quite impressive. The founders of Kaidro have already worked on Jurassic World, Transformers and Call of Duty. And the TV series is the daughter of Tim Hedrick, writer of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Other recommendations from Jeff Zirlin are The Machines Arena, 4v4 top-down hero shooter, and two new but promising games on Ronin: Pixels or Apeiron. They might go unnoticed if you’re not involved in the Ronin ecosystem on a daily basis, but they’re definitely worth a look.
This article comes from an unpaid freelancer. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
27% profits every 20 days?
This is Nic Chahine’s average value with his options purchases. Don’t sell covered calls or spreads… BUY options. Most traders don’t even have a 27% win rate on buy options. It has a winning rate of 83%. Here’s how he does it.
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