Animoca Brands Acquires Streaming Platform for Blockchain Games
Hong Kong-based web3 gaming giant Animoca Brands (The Sandbox, Revv, Phantom Galaxies) has acquired blockchain-based streaming platform Azarus for an undisclosed amount.
Built around the slogan “Streaming is not TV,” Azarus allows users to livestream their gameplay while spending tokens for incentives and rewards. Animoca Brands says it wants to change the culture of gaming with Azarus’ technology by enabling streamers to create new revenue streams, engage their audiences, and reward followers while enabling viewers to support their favorite creators.
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This is actually how Twitch won the original competition. By focusing on the interaction between streamers and audiences and designing tiered incentives for users to become part of the community, Azarus has the potential to grow blockchain games to the point where they can reach a much larger audience. .
Working with known brands and streamers, Azarus has already paid out over $2 million in rewards to a diverse audience of over 20 million unique players.
Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu likened Azarus to the early days of The Sandbox, which Animoca invested in, while Azarus CEO Alexander Casassovici said the deal “amplifies our vision.”
We’re not just improving streaming. “We are pioneering a movement where every viewer becomes an active participant and every stream becomes an immersive experience.”
🎮 Big News 🎮
Azarus recently joined. @animocabrands Family 🙌 Congratulations on the launch of Supercharged Streams!
Earn 3x Azarus rewards from this stream and redeem them in our store (30% off)! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DEgCuxI5B0
— Azarus.io (@azarusio) November 1, 2023
Animoca has a promising Web3 game library. This means you already have the content you need to develop a game streaming experience. Now, combined with Azarus’ technology, Web3 gamers can build an even more vibrant community by banding together around the games they love. This acquisition paves the way for Web3 gaming to become a popular career path and nurtures the next generation of gaming talent to join the future of blockchain gaming.
The GAM3 Awards are back with a familiar panel of judges.
The GAM3 Awards, a new night for Web3 gaming, returns for the second year in a row with three new categories: Best Fighting Game, Best Sports Game, and Best On-Chain Game.
Thanks to several high-profile sponsors, including Amazon, Google, Magic Eden, and Blockchain Game Alliance, there’s $2 million worth of prizes up for grabs.
Last year’s inaugural edition featured more than 100 nominations across 16 categories, more than 250,000 votes were cast, and the live stream of the event reached more than 30,000 users.
Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG set for a pre-season release, won Game of the Year, while Shrapnel, a competitive extraction shooter currently preparing for public playtesting, won Most Anticipated Game.
The event’s judging panel will be comprised of prominent figures from the gaming world, including Web3 gaming VCs, chains, infrastructure partners, content creators, and you. The judges’ decisions influence 90% of the final results, with community votes accounting for the remaining 10%.
The final will be held on December 14 and will be streamed live.
Financial knowledge education through Web3 games
The cryptocurrency and blockchain world gathered in Istanbul this week for Binance’s flagship event, Binance Blockchain Week. And of course, blockchain gaming was a big part of the two-day summit. Between networking and serving delicious Turkish food, I found space to attend a panel where CryptoPotato editor-in-chief George Georgiev asked industry experts Siu of Animoca and Gomble co-founder Chris Chang some field questions about Web3 gaming. , Xterio Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Horn.
“Who cares about these $10,000 JPEGs!”
Xterio’s Horn said this to emphasize that developers’ focus on financial gain scares away real gamers. He also compared the attitudes of Eastern gamers with Western gamers when it comes to Web3 games, saying that Eastern gamers have a higher tolerance for Pay-to-Win elements because they are more accustomed to free-to-play games.
“In games, we’re always teaching people about new systems,” Siu added. “Every time you play a new game, you realize you’ve learned a new skill.”
He said kids can talk in their heads about Pokemon characters, Call of Duty skills and Apex Legends characters all day long. Gamers always learn a lot from the games they play.
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And that’s true. You learn the attack pattern in Elden Ring after 10 rage breaks and 5 more frequent kills. Gamers know the names of players from their favorite soccer clubs from playing FIFA. Some people even have military knowledge through games like Battlefield or Call of Duty.
So I think it’s valid for him to say that tokenized Web3 games can be used to teach financial literacy and educate players of these games. What Web3 needs is mainstream adoption, and to achieve that, people need to know that it’s not a scam or a get-rich-quick scheme. That is only possible through education. Siu commented:
We are finally reaching the moment when the hard work of all developers working on Web3 is finally paying off.”
I really want to see that promise fulfilled. People are hungry for good games, especially on Web3. Good quality games are the only way for Web3 games to become popular. When they come out – and only if they’re really good – people will turn their heads and say “Oh, there’s a game I want to play on Web3!”
Hot Take: Project Xeno
Developed by Japan-based CROOZ Blockchain Lab, Project Xeno is a tactical turn-based player versus player (PvP) game that allows players to battle each other using NFT characters. There is a play-to-earn model that rewards players for their in-game achievements through cryptocurrency assets.
Xenos are NFT characters used in battle that can be upgraded through leveling, weapons (NFTs) and charms (NFTs). Each Xeno has two passive skills and a special skill. Use special meters and level up using in-game currency to unlock special skills.
Players can place three Xenos wherever they want in a 3×3 space. Characters are divided into 6 classes, and each can be equipped with 4 skill cards. There is an effort made to add team building and strategy elements, but needs improvement.
The English translation is not done properly, and there are many examples, such as the ‘Skill Enhancement’ tab in the store. Progress feels very slow and it takes quite a bit of effort to avoid spending money. I don’t agree. But if you want to check out the game, Project Xeno is free to play and available for download on Android and iOS.
Gameplay is very simple. I wondered if Project Xeno would be more fun if it were an auto-battle game or an idle game. Because sometimes it felt like I didn’t even need to be around to play the game. The graphics are fun, but don’t expect too much in that regard.
More information from the Web3 gaming space:
– Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform Sui team Space and Time provides zero-knowledge proof-based tools to Web3 game developers.
– Immutable announced four upcoming Web3 games for its zero-knowledge scaling solution, zkEVM: GensoKishi Online, Cursed Stone, Sailwars, and Rave.
– Illuvium will be released on the Epic Store on November 28th.
– Decentralized cloud provider Aethir is backed by Nvidia.
– Grammy-nominated DJ and world-renowned music producer Steve Aoki collaborates with STEPN on a digital sneaker collection.
– Ronin-based mobile RTS game Wild Forest begins open beta on November 9th.
– Solana Labs releases the beta version of GameShift, a Web3 service for game developers.
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Erhan Karaman
Based in Istanbul, Erhan started his career as a games journalist. He currently works as a freelance writer and content creator focusing on cutting-edge technology and video games. He enjoys playing Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, and Persona 5.