How to Achieve Mass Adoption of Blockchain
By: Mike Jones
Tags: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Videogames, Blockchain

Blockchains present an opportunity to rethink the status quo. As a new technology, many people are unaware that the true power of blockchains is the ability to provide an architecture of trust. When the network can be trusted to return authentic, accurate information, without depending on a central authority, it changes the entire structure of the information age. This is why blockchains are considered a potential disruptor for so many industries. Since this is the case, what is stopping the value of blockchain from being recognized?

Barriers To Entry

Unfortunately, trying to enter the world of blockchain can be a daunting task. The most common introduction to blockchain is speculation on cryptocurrencies, but getting started in cryptocurrencies presents some significant hurdles, not the least of which, is risking money.

Here are some common barriers of entry for the average person to get started in cryptocurrencies in order to learn about blockchain:

Choose a cryptocurrency — There’s a wide variety out there, but at a minimum a new person to the space needs to learn the difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum Choose an exchange where the crypto of choice can be purchased and undergo the Know Your Customer (KYC) process — As a new user, KYC can be daunting, especially considering blockchain is purported to be ushering in a new era of controlling personal information Select a digital wallet that supports the desired currencies — A necessary step to secure digital currency that requires understanding the difference between wallet types and each individuals personal needs Learn how to make transfers — If you’ve never done it before, this can be nerve wracking, depending on the amount you’re transfering

This process requires considerable research and understanding at each of these points. The results are most people’s eyes glossing over before they complete a single step. This restricts beginners from uncovering the value that can be offered through cryptocurrencies, and furthermore, it precludes expanding understanding of blockchain.

In order for mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrencies to happen on a larger scale, these steps will need to be simplified to the point that each is almost transparent. The same concept was true in the early days of the internet; simplification led to adoption.

Blockchain integration into products will need to be easy and accessible before the average person considers adopting the blossoming technology.

Simplification is where video games can be utilized as a tool for adoption. Games can teach people how to interact with a new, innovative, technology and most importantly, instruct them in a rewarding environment.

In the case of blockchain technology, video games have the opportunity to provide players easy ways to learn how to manage a digital wallet, tokens, transfers, and also the value of digital assets. This learning process could occur without needing days of research, Know Your Customer processes, or risking a lot of money. The primary challenge for developers is creating methods for overcoming these barriers and offer it to the players.

8 Circuit Studios has developed a proof of concept game to demonstrate how blockchain can be made practically transparent to the player while providing all the benefits of the technology. The game Alien Arsenal: Battle for the Blockchain, demonstrates how a player can easily acquire a wallet, tokens and digital assets. The digital assets, in this case represented as adorable aliens, are not static objects that only use the blockchain for tracking ownership, but evolve and change making them more unique each time they level up.

Once these basic concepts of wallets, tokens, and assets are understood, many of the features that drew the early adopters to blockchain technology will be quickly grasped by the day to day user, such as: Immutability, secure transactions, and fraud prevention to name a few.

More than Currencies

Establishment of ownership through desirable digital assets will be a turning point in understanding blockchain.

Once the barriers of entry have been lowered the opportunity arises to demonstrate that the blockchain offers much more than alternate forms of currency. Establishment of ownership through desirable digital assets will be a turning point in understanding blockchain.

Persistent Assets and Ownership

To date, digital assets, whether items in a video game or an online document, have been restricted to the environment where it was created. Within these walled gardens everything works beautifully… until it doesn’t. Access to the environment where the asset was created can be lost or restricted and assets can be changed or removed without notice by the entity that controls the environment. The user of the service (be it a video game or an online spreadsheet) doesn’t actually own the content, even if they created or crafted the asset; the ownership is retained by the creator of the environment.

When the data for an asset is stored publicly, either on a public blockchain or referenced to public data storage, it resides outside the environment where it was created. This effectively transfers the value store from the environment owner to the individual holding the private key to that asset.

Cross Game Assets

Cross game assets are digital assets that have the ability to be used in more than one game world. This means that a car acquired in game “A” would also work in game “B.” This is possible because the data relevant to the item is stored publicly, using blockchain to reference the item’s information. The asset exists outside of the game world and is owned by the player.

Persistence, cross game use, scarcity, history, customization and leveling up will all impact the value of digital assets on the blockchain.

Scarcity of Assets

It is possible to create these assets with scarcity built in. In current game worlds it’s possible to know an item is rare or unique, but typically, the rarity is obscured to the player and unique does not meet the standard definition of “one of a kind.” With items that exist on the blockchain, the player could look at the contract, or code, that generated the item and know exactly how many are in existence. Whether shopping for a new object or trying to find a truly unique item in the game world, it’s possible for the player to understand the real value.

Leveling Up and Customizations Assets

An intriguing new feature is the ability to level up or evolve digital assets. This evolution can be done through any number of mechanisms in or out of the game. The changes to the asset are recorded permanently and referenced through the blockchain. If the item has designed into it branching or unique paths to it’s leveling system, this feature can take an item from the original common status, through rare, and potentially allow it to become a unique item. Just like in the “real world” if you make changes to something you own, new wheels on your car, for example, it changes the value of that object.

This is, again, demonstrated in the proof of concept game, Alien Arsenal, by 8 Circuit Studios. Whenever the aliens “evolve” the user is able to select a new skill. Though the alien appearance remains the same as other aliens of the same level owned by other players, the skills selected by each individual player when the adorable Alien evolves makes it different from other aliens. Though in Alien Arsenal has just a few sample skills for the Aliens, it’s easy to imagine how this proof of concept could scale into a branching system of skills that take a digital, blockchain, asset from a common item into unique.

The Realization of Asset Value

Persistence, cross game use, scarcity, history, customization and leveling up will all impact the value of digital assets on the blockchain. Paired with true ownership, the result be a dramatic change in thinking about the value provided to players by video games. As the realization that items are in demand and openly available to exchange on secondary markets, players, seeing a potential return on their investment, for both time and money, will change their approach to gaming, intuitively balancing the return on both entertainment value and financial incentives.

Widespread Use

In summary, for widespread adoption of blockchain will occur through

Simplification and gamification will provide opportunity to lower barriers to entry into blockchain / cryptocurrency for the average user, which will allow them to become acquainted with the basic concepts Demonstration that the value of blockchain is more than currency speculation through development of desirable digital assets

The video game industry, forecast to exceed $137 Billion in 2018, has demonstrated that the value of digital assets is understood by gamers, even when they are offered for entertainment purposes only. Imagine the additional value they will discover when they can speculate on the longer term value of items or use their skills to create items that have even greater value.

Further video games are the richest and most accessible source of widely desirable digital assets. By taking that inherent desirability and utilizing public blockchains, like Ethereum, it provides the ingredients to demonstrate value for blockchain.

As the gaming industry continues to develop new products and methods for utilizing blockchain in games, players of those games, will see how easy it is to collect and transact both assets and money, digitally, without reliance on a central authority to oversee all the transactions or verify the information about the assets. These features will begin to spread to other industries as the use becomes understood and commonplace.

8 Circuit Studios is dedicated to unlocking the value of blockchain by both lowering the barriers to entry into blockchain, as demonstrated in their proof of concept Alien Arsenal, as well as creating high quality and useful digital assets. If you want to see how 8 Circuit Studios levels up digital assets, stay tuned for the broad announcement of Project Genesis (originally D-PARC) coming soon.

If you are interested in supporting this process, or would like to own the first digital assets for yourself, it’s possible to see the fidelity that will be offered by visiting the 8 Circuit Studios Token Sale Site.

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