Blockchain Use in the Video Game Industry

Although the merits of blockchain technology are well-documented, it may still take some time for more traditional industries to develop and adopt it as a solution. Video games have long been one of the most innovative mediums of entertainment, so it’s very likely that CryptoKitties won’t be the last you hear of blockchain in gaming. Here are some possible applications for blockchain within the industry as a whole.

Safe storage of virtual goods

Rare items are a hot ticket in gaming, with some even going for tens of thousands of dollars. With such expensive digital goods hovering in accounts, it’s unsurprising that malicious individuals will try to get their hands on them.

This CS:GO knife sold for a whopping $10,000 back in 2016, highlighting the need for secure storage of digital assets. Image from steamcommunity.com

Blockchain ledgers can help to ensure the safety of such items for owners due to the near impossibility of hacking all nodes simultaneously. In addition, the ledger can also keep track of transactions, meaning that such items can be bought, sold, or traded while the new owner is rightly acknowledged and recognized.

Creating a safe market

In recent years, the trading of in-game items has become a prominent feature of many titles, with healthy economies forming around rare collectibles and consumables. Unfortunately, this has also led to an increase of scams revolving around such trades and transactions. Fraud is one of the biggest causes of the loss of digital assets, and is undoubtedly a concern in the back of many players’ minds during transactions.

With many in-game assets having real-world value, a safe market is important to prevent fraud and scams. Image from mashable.com

On the blockchain, duplicate or false transactions are impossible, which ensures that players can freely engage in trade. Safe in the knowledge that their digital assets and funds are secure, this could also lead to a very healthy digital economy which will ensure the long-term future of the game and market in question.

Enforcing democracy

Nothing brings online communities together than voting on a divisive issue! Currently, players often vote on servers, teams, items and more, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. With smart contracts and blockchain technology, voting systems could even be extended to influence in-game experiences without the worry of bots overrunning polls.

Verification

In the grand scheme of things, a high score on a video game may not mean much to the wider world, but to players it can mean everything. One of the most famous disputed video game high scores in history was Billy Mitchell’s then world record Donkey Kong scores, chronicled in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong. With blockchain technology, this wouldn’t be an issue as scores can be recorded and verified without dispute due to the immutability of the ledger.

Blockchain verification ensures that identities and achievements are completely validated. Image from accuscan.info

Verification isn’t only limited to high scores — blockchain can be used to validate achievements, ownership of items as mentioned earlier, and even the age of players, which should solve the headache of underage gamers playing non-age appropriate titles.

The video game industry has never been one to rest on its laurels — continuous evolution has pushed it to where it is today. Developers are constantly racing one another to implement the latest technology and features, and it’s no surprise that several blockchain games already exist. With such a competitive industry in place, this bodes well for the future of blockchain implementation and application in video games.

Cover image from news.bitcoin.com

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