How Interoperability in Blockchain Empowers Gaming Stakeholders

This panel discussion explores the intersection of blockchain and gaming, particularly focusing on interoperability and how it has the potential to empower gaming stakeholders. It shines light on the various definitions and uses of interoperability and outlines the transformative potential of blockchain and collaborative technologies in shaping the future of gaming. The discussion assesses the challenges in achieving interoperability and the role of blockchain in ensuring transparency and security, which are key themes woven into an insightful conversation.

The Panelists
Marco Stagliano, CEO at Another1– a brand that creates phygital fashion wearables that are interoperable with different metaverse experiences, merging digital and physical products in fashion, gaming, and sports.

Arief Widhiyasa, CEO at Mythic Protocol, is building the game Rift Storm, a Diablo-style game with guns! The title will be playable on mobile, PC, and console.

Niz, co-founder of Devomon, blockchain’s premier anime- the first title, Calissto, will release its Alpha in December 2023. described as having a Digimon/Pokemon feel, the game is a turn-based battle-type genre aimed at mobile gaming, gaming, and anime audiences.

What interoperability means to each panelist’s project and their definition based on what they are building
At the Intersection of Gaming, Fashion, and Entertainment — Another-1 explains how phygital enables interoperability from this perspective. Phygital is the full integration of the physical product that is bound to a twin digital item. The focus is not only on digital interactions but also on providing physical garments that provide interoperability with various metaverse experiences in the real world.

“Phygital products can also be traceable and linked to the user’s identity. The significance of interoperability is in connecting physical and digital realms, creating digital identities for physical products, and enabling actions in virtual experiences to be linked to users’ real-world identities. This connection aims to reduce friction between online and offline experiences, enhancing user engagement and interaction.”
Marco Stagliano | Another1

From a gaming perspective, Arief from Mythic Protocol looks at interoperability as a means of ensuring that an asset, when used in another game, has a look and feel similar to the game within which it is being used. One of the main solutions to this, says Arief, is to utilize AI. Otherwise, for every asset, we need to manually adjust the look and style of all the games with which it is interoperable, which is almost impossible. “With the new implementation of AI, we could build models that can adapt and adjust the model to suit a specific game. Instead of ensuring that every model is interoperable, says Arief: What we need to build is a pipeline that allows interoperability to happen — I think if we solve that part, then it will be easier because that’s the main problem now.”

To build on the definitions given by the previous speakers, Niz adds his thoughts from Devomon’s perspective, which crosses different platforms and gaming audiences. “I think when you’re able to unlock interoperability within the ecosystems and our platforms, you then open a whole new world to creators, gamers, and the whole ecosystem. Our perception of interoperability goes beyond the integrations and the technology barriers. For us, it’s more about making the technology we use accessible to everyone.”

Interoperability’s Creative Potential
Interoperability presents the opportunity to expand intellectual property (IP) and collaboration between the fashion, digital assets, and gaming industries.

Collaborative ecosystem
AI and blockchain will be the big proponents for the next era of gaming- but with the era of AI, there will be too much content and too many creations; trust becomes a problem that blockchain can solve. We believe this combined technology will provide the solution, and that’s why we call it collaborative entertainment, says Arie

In addressing the user perspective, he points out the need to focus on user incentives. He emphasizes the emotional value of digital assets and the importance of preserving the legacy and experiences tied to in-game items. Arief believes that the concept of legacy is vital in encouraging users to engage with digital assets with interoperability and an NFT ecosystem.

Another critical aspect discussed is the role of blockchain in providing transparency and security. Marco discusses the use of blockchain to ensure authenticity checks for fashion brands, preventing counterfeiting and securing rewards for genuine product wearers. This addresses issues in the fashion industry and contributes to building trust among users in the gaming space.

Challenges and Solutions in Cross-Chain Interoperability
There is a layer of complexity surrounding multiple blockchain networks and concerns about the sustainability of having numerous chains, which leads to further challenges associated with building bridges for each one. Over time, the industry may witness consolidation, with a few dominant chains emerging as the primary choices. Currently looking at where their audiences are will help projects select the most used chains to create interoperability.

“From an industry POV, building bridges for all the chains we want to integrate is not optimal. I do believe that there are some efforts in the industry to build cross-layer or cross-chain APIs. At the moment, most of our gamers are just interfacing from the game and gaining the understanding of self-custody and benefits of digital assets — UX of the blockchain technology is still not ready for mainstream which is currently the primary focus.”
Arief | Mythic Protocol

Various technologies and solutions are being developed, and the panelists agree on the need for industry-wide efforts to create cross-chain APIs and layers, as this becomes essential for enabling assets to move seamlessly between different digital worlds and platforms.

“If we look at the digital landscape and the shift we have seen in the last 10–15 years, the level of shift is like nothing we’ve seen before, and interoperability plays an essential role in this space as it broadens the scope and increases opportunities for collaborative work. With interoperability, you can essentially make it easier for content creators to reach a bigger audience and offer them more ways to monetize their work and essentially help content creators focus on being more creative in the digital world and, in turn, help them to thrive and at the same time bringing more benefits to the end users.”
Niz | Devomon

Summary
There are several perceptions of interoperability, from physical to digital interoperability, cross-game, and cross-chain interoperability of digital assets. While still in its infancy, there are still challenges to solve and innovative ways to empower gaming stakeholders. Whatever the perspective, the emphasis on creating a seamless experience for gamers and driving the adoption of interoperable digital assets is at the core of this blockchain technology.