Several well-known traditional video game studios are now building new games using blockchain technology. Most of these game developers are based in Asia. And as per DappRadar’s prediction, Asia will soon be the world’s leader in the Web3 gaming industry.
Here are some of the publishers creating blockchain-based games.
Square Enix
Square Enix is a Japanese game publisher popular for its Web2 games Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. The company began exploring NFT-powered games in 2019. Two years later, Square Enix launched NFT trading cards which sold out within hours. In 2022, the game publisher sold three of its studios to fund its Web3 ambitions.
In January 2023, Square Enix announced plans to launch a blockchain-based game, Symbiogenesis, on Polygon.
Besides pursuing its own projects, Square Enix has invested in other Web3 companies like The Sandbox.
Nexon
Nexon is a game publisher headquartered in South Korea. The company is currently developing a Web3 version of its popular game MapleStory. Titled MapleStory Universe, the game will be powered by Polygon NFTs.
Since its launch in 2003, MapleStory has generated $4.5 billion in revenue and seen more than 250 million players. Now, Hwang Sun-Young, the man tasked with overseeing the development of MapleStory Universe, says Nexon hopes to onboard millions of Web2 gamers to its upcoming Web3 game.
Sun-Young hinted that MapleStory Universe would someday run on a private blockchain, although Nexon is currently building on Polygon.
Krafton
Known for its game PUBG, Kraton is another publisher from South Korea planning to step into the Web3 gaming industry. The company will soon release its NFT-powered game, Migaloo. Krafton says there will be a ‘create-to-earn’ program to allow players to build their own non-fungible tokens.
Krafton announced its partnership with tech firm Naver Z to build Migaloo. The two companies haven’t provided the exact date for the release but have said the game will be live before the year ends. Moreover, Krafton recently disclosed that it has been working with Solana Labs to develop Solana-based games.
Zynga
This American publisher is behind several popular games like Cityville, Words With Friends, and Farmville. Zynga revealed plans for its Web3 game last year. Although there haven’t been major announcements since then, the company seems to be forging ahead with its plans. Zynga’s website has a job listing for a software developer. As per the posting, the individual should have at least four years of experience in the Web3 industry.
Zynga is owned by one of the world’s largest game publishers, Take-Two, which also manages big brands like NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto. Take-Two boss Stauss Zelnick is optimistic about the future of Web3 gaming. His company recently invested in Horizon, a Web3 game developer.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a France-based publisher popular for games like Just Dance and Assassin’s Creed. The company is among the few game developers in Europe leveraging blockchain technology. In 2021, Ubisoft released NFTs for its Ghost Recon Breakpoint game. That move attracted massive backlash from traditional gamers who didn’t like the idea of integrating NFTs with Web2 games.
Nonetheless, Ubisoft continued making moves in the Web3 space, arguing that NFTs had a role to play in the gaming industry. The company launched another NFT collection based on the Rabbids game at the start of this year.
NCSoft
NCSoft is headquartered in North Korea. The game publisher has released several popular games since its launch in 1997. They include Blade & Soul, Lineage, and Guild Wars. Last November, NCSoft invested over $250 million in Mysten Labs, the company that developed the Sui blockchain. At the time, NCSoft said it would consider building games on the network in the coming months. Since its launch in April, Sui has already facilitated the development of over fifty games.
Com2us
This game studio is based in South Korea. It’s famous for its Summoners War game. Com2us has chosen the XPLA blockchain as the host of its upcoming Web3 games. The firm CEO, Kyu Lee, recently said Com2us will be releasing about ten Web3 games yearly. But it’s still unclear when the first game will launch.
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