Daily Insights: Updates on Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and Play-to-Earn Gaming

NFT rebranding is necessary for the mass adoption of Web3 games, Community Gaming CEO Chris Gonsalves shares his thoughts on the matter.

Epic Games' new announcement sternly warns blockchain and NFT games engaged in frauds and scams on its platform, these Web3 games will be kicked out of the Epic Games Store with immediate effect.

Amazon plans to launch its NFT marketplace next month which will feature digital collectibles and more, but what to expect from it in Web3?

Dimensionals is a blockchain NFT game with free-to-play and play-and-own options made by Mino Games. It is a good addition to the Web3 gaming industry.

The Pokemon Company is looking for a Web3 expert. The listing shows that it has plans to get into blockchain and NFT gaming, as well as the metaverse.

In this week's Super Sunday news roundup, the world of Web3 blockchain gaming has seen several significant updates and events. The trend of blockchain-based games continues to flourish, with NFT blockchain games introducing new features and collaborations, and blockchain companies forging new partnerships and projects.Lionel Messi's company has thrown its support behind the upcoming blockchain game Matchday, adding a high-profile endorsement to the game's Web3 approach. Meanwhile, prominent video game streamer Dr. Disrespect has passionately embraced NFT games, expressing enthusiasm for the technology and defending it against detractors.Immutable X, a notable player in the blockchain space, has formed a strategic partnership with entertainment giant Warner Bros. The collaboration focuses on the development of Blocklete Golf, an upcoming mobile Web3 game that enables players to fully own unique in-game assets through NFTs. The partnership highlights the growing integration of blockchain technology in the entertainment and gaming industries.However, not all news has been positive. The Sandbox, a popular metaverse company operating on the Web3 platform, recently experienced a security breach. Unauthorized third parties gained access to an employee's computer, potentially jeopardizing user information. Phishing emails were subsequently sent to users, containing links to malware that could compromise their digital assets. This incident marks a notable breach in the Web3 space and serves as a reminder of the security challenges inherent to decentralized technologies.In the realm of specific games, several notable updates have taken place:Champions Ascension has introduced team-based combat in its arena, offering players an enhanced and more complex gameplay experience. The mode includes destructible elements, power-ups, and improved targeting mechanics.The blockchain game Chronos has added a crafting system, allowing players to create NFT items and trade rare in-game finds with the Shady Merchant. This expansion enhances the player-driven economy within the game.Continuum World has launched the first live version of its blockchain game "First Explorers." The free-to-play game mode involves resource collection, structure building, and mission completion, all of which offer various rewards.These updates and events underscore the ongoing evolution and growth of Web3 blockchain gaming, showcasing its potential to reshape the gaming landscape by offering unique ownership experiences and innovative gameplay mechanics.

Next year, Square Enix will release its first NFT blockchain game. Plans for the future show that Web3 games will still be on its list.

Nakamoto Games makes a deal with Reef chain and Dogechain to launch its NFT avatars, called Aquatans, so that players can join Nakaverse.

Since its launch, Starbuck's NFT program has made over $200,000 in sales, which is a good sign. However, is it worth it for crypto fans and other people?2021 was a golden year for the crypto market, during which a lot of famous brands introduced their own NFTs, hoping that it will result in profit for their brand. However, their hopes were shattered with the downfall of cryptocurrencies, resulting in the abandoning of these ventures, as NFT sales dropped 83% compared to the previous year. With its project, Starbucks Odyssey, launched in December, Starbucks moved into the NFT space. This is a new part of their rewards program, which lets people earn points by buying coffee and playing online games and quizzes. Since December, when it started in beta with a small group of customers, the project has already raised a huge amount of money. On the secondary market, NFTs that only cost a little more than a few cups of coffee can be bought for as much as $1,900, even though they were sold for more than $200,000 in the first place.On social media, crypto fans are praising the program and saying that it's a great way for crypto to get into the mainstream. Analysts from Bank of America liked the program and said it was "more complete than the industry's previous NFT initiatives." The new batch of 2,000 Starbucks NFTs sold very quickly, and they were all gone in just minutes. Each NFT was sold for $100, which caused so much activity on the website that it crashed.The buzz about Starbucks' NFT program, on the other hand, seems to be a bit overblown. The increase in activity hasn't changed much, if anything, about whether or not most people who drink coffee every day will add Starbucks NFTs to their daily routines. With the program being used by the crypto community, they are in the lead. Even though Starbucks said it would offer rewards and other incentives in the future to bring in more customers. It's important to remember that Starbucks doesn't call their NFTs "NFTs." Instead, they call them "stamps." And most of them aren't kept on the blockchain. Customers have to do certain things to get stamps. There are trivia questions about Starbucks and coffee, or you can order two drinks with non-dairy milk. These stamps go into the Starbucks Rewards accounts of the people who bought them. Recently, the company started letting customers buy certain stamps instead of having to earn them.At the moment, crypto and web3 fans, as well as Starbucks, are pushing for the program to be used. Chris Fierro is from Rhode Island and says he loves coffee. He used to work as a barista at Starbucks and was excited to hear about Odyssey when he first heard about it. Fierro says that so far, the process has been easy because credits are added to his account whenever he finishes a task, like buying a bag of coffee beans in a store.Starbucks is using the ideas of scarcity and utility to make their NFTs more valuable. The Holiday Cheer Stamp was only made in 5000 copies for their first NFT release. Even though the stamp's owner is still unknown, the company says that NFT holders will get special perks like classes on how to make martinis and trips to coffee farms in Costa Rica. So, NFT traders are betting that the NFT's current value, which has risen above $1,000, will be less than the rewards that Starbucks has promised. Fierro says that people are either betting that the price will go up or trying to complete their set, which is common in the cryptocurrency world.

In a recent report by DappRadar, the numbers for Gamefi look good. Among Web3 companies, Metacade is one of the best when it comes to on-chain games.In early 2023, on-chain gaming activity bounced back from a difficult 2022, as reported by DappRadar's latest Games Report. Gala Games (GALA/USD), Axie Infinity (AXS/USD), Decentraland (MANA/USD), Floki Inu (FLOKI/USD), and many other established players in the game-fi industry have been driving the momentum.A notable industry analysis report says that DapprRadar shows that Floki has taken the lead with a huge 380% increase, followed by Wemix with a 322% increase. This shows that the game-fic world is growing in a positive way. With this much potential, there is plenty of room for many players to get a big share of the market. Investors should think about putting together a portfolio that includes both well-known companies and new companies like Metacade, which are trying to bring something new to the industry. DappRadar says that on-chain data shows that gaming activity went up by 1.31 percent in January, with 858,621 daily Unique Active Wallets (dUAW) making up nearly half of all dapp activity. But these numbers are still small compared to the gaming industry as a whole, which has 2.69 billion customers around the world. People think that the gaming industry will make about $170 billion in 2022, which is five times more than what movies make at the box office. Some estimates say that by 2030, the gaming industry around the world could be worth $470 billion.The question that arises is what role the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry will play in shaping the gaming industry's growth trajectory until the end of the decade. The Web3 gamefi industry has demonstrated its competitive edge against traditional video games and Defi as evident in DappRadar's several reports. Progress, new ideas, and investments in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies back up this claim. The fact that Gala Games bought Ember Entertainment is a big deal that happened just in 2023. Also, Ember's games were added to Gala's layer 1 blockchain, Square Enix's NFT game was released, and part of Courtside Ventures' $100 million fund was set aside for gaming. Lastly, Metacade was able to raise about $9.3 million in five rounds of pre-sales. Metacade is different from other gaming companies because it offers a wide range of games to suit everyone's tastes. As a game-fic project, it lets people play games that let them earn money. It also has plans to become a full-fledged DAO by the year 2024. This will let the community use the MCADE token to take part in running the project. Players will also be able to earn tokens by completing tasks, taking part in player-versus-player sessions, writing reviews, and attending events.The success of Metacade's presale rounds highlights the increasing enthusiasm among investors for new projects.In the sixth round of pre-sales, the MCADE token costs $0.017. It's a big jump from the $0.008 it was worth in the beta round. Investors who want to take part in the next round of Metacade should move quickly. As the presale process nears its end, the price is likely to go up even more. The coin will also be listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges like Bitmart and Uniswap. So, it is usually a sign that the coin could go up in value in gamefi and web3.

Lionel Messi's Play Time invests in Matchday, an upcoming NFT blockchain football game in Web3 that will offer true ownership.FIFA is working with the studio to make Web3 games, which will be backed by professional soccer star Lionel Messi's venture capital firm, Play Time.The Web3 gaming startup Matchday has raised $21 million in seed capital for developing a range of soccer games. Notably, one of the companies funding Matchday is owned by soccer legend, Lionel Messi. In addition to Messi's company, Play Time Sports - Tech HoldCo LLC, venture capital firms such as Courtside Ventures, Greylock, Capricorn Investment Group, Horizon Ventures, and HackVC have also invested in the project. Matchday has teamed up with both Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi and Spanish soccer star Alexia Putellas. Putellas is the founder of the company's new game series on a global scale. Messi, who is the captain of the Argentine national team and plays for Paris Saint-Germain FC, has put a lot of money into the NFT space. He is one of the best football players who has put a lot of money into NFTs.Lionel Messi currently serves as the brand ambassador of Sorare, a popular NFT fantasy football game, and Socios, a fan token platform. In addition to his ambassadorship, he has also made an investment in Sorare. Messi has reportedly entered into an endorsement deal with Socios worth $20 million. Additionally, he has launched an official NFT collectible through the Ethernity Chain Platform.Derrick Ko, co-founder and CEO of Matchday, said in a statement that the company is making a game for a group of soccer fans that hasn't been reached yet. He also said that the game will be set up for people who don't play it all the time. In the same way, Matchday's chief gaming officer, Sebastian de Halleux, said he was excited about the game. Matchday's chief gaming officer, Sebastian de Halleux, said that the new game will be easy for anyone to play and will focus on giving players real ownership of digital items that they can be proud of. Matchday has been making soccer games for a long time and has official licenses from FIFA and FIFPRO, the players association. In a statement, De Halleux said, "Our games will be open to all players and will be based on true ownership of digital items that will be a source of pride for all players."The company is confident about its next project because Halleux has worked on similar projects before at Electronic Arts, a big game publisher. Halleux worked on the FIFA game series and the Madden NFT game series while he was at Electronic Arts. Stats show that Web3 users have spent about $4.3 billion on non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which give the user ownership. With their new project, Matchday is building on the idea that "ownership is equal to emotion." The company thinks that blockchains can help football fans feel like they own the game.Matchday was the first to suggest making a soccer game based on the blockchain. The fact that experts like FIFA, the official group in charge of the World Cup, are involved makes it important. The players' union, FIFPRO, is also involved. Derrick Ko, co-founder and CEO of Matchday, said in a statement that the games will be made for "casual" users. "We are building for a football audience that hasn't been reached yet," Ko said.

Web3 development is on the rise, and the NFT marketplace is one of the most profitable investments. Check out this easy guide to setting up your own digital collectible marketplace.An NFT marketplace is an online place where people can buy, sell, and trade tokens that can't be used to buy or sell anything else (NFTs). Some well-known NFT marketplaces are OpenSea, SuperRare, Rarible, and Nifty Gateway. These Web3 platforms give you a lot of choices, such as tools for making and minting NFTs, bidding, auctions, and transactions with a set price. Several NFT marketplaces also have social and community tools that let users talk to each other and make NFT communities. The way we think about ownership and collectibles is changing because of NFTs. NFTs have given collectors and creators of art and digital content new ways to invest in these fields and new ways to make money off of their work. Because NFTs are becoming more and more popular, there is a huge need for NFT marketplaces. If you want to build an NFT platform for collectibles, you need to think about essential, premium, and security features. These features can help you get more customers, gain the trust of your users, and keep your system safe from threats.Let's take a look at these important things that your NFT marketplace for collectibles should have: In an NFT marketplace, it is important to have a strong digital asset management system so that NFTs can be stored and handled safely. Each NFT should be guaranteed to be unique and real, and this system should stop anyone from being dishonest.An interface that is easy to use can make your platform more appealing and user-friendly by making it easy for users to find their way around.User accounts must be easy to set up, keep track of, and use so that they can be used to buy and sell collectibles.The market should accept a variety of payment methods, such as PayPal, credit cards, and other payment gateways.Making it easier for people all over the world to do business on your platform can help.

"Unlocking the Future: A Deep Dive into Web3 Gaming and Top Blockchain Networks" is your ultimate guide to the exciting intersection of gaming and blockchain technology. Delve into the dynamic world of Web3 gaming, where players not only play but also earn and truly own their in-game assets. From exploring the top blockchain networks like Binance, Ethereum, and Polygon to discovering the diverse genres of blockchain games, including RPGs, MMORPGs, sports, and casual games, this article covers it all. Learn how blockchain technology is revolutionizing gaming by providing transparency, security, and ownership of virtual assets. Plus, stay updated on the latest play-to-earn gaming news, ensuring you're always ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving landscape. Whether you're a seasoned gamer, a blockchain enthusiast, or a curious newcomer, "Unlocking the Future" invites you to join the journey into the thrilling world of Web3 gaming.

Urvit Goel of Polygon says that 2023 will be a big year for the Web3 industry and metaverse. He says that this is when we will see high-quality blockchain games.There are a lot of hopes for blockchain games, and many people expect them to live up to those hopes. Since 2023 is a "put up or shut up" year, it's likely that things will work out. But it's more likely that we'll see great Web3 games that are already being made by people with a lot of experience making games. Urvit Goel, Vice President of Games at Polygon, talked to VentureBeat about how important 2023 will be for the blockchain gaming industry. He also talks about the role that Polygon is playing in making the change happen.Goel said that 2023 will be a big year for the gaming industry, especially in terms of how blockchain technology is used. People will pay close attention to the promises made about upcoming games, and it's important that results start to show. Many developers are still in stealth mode and haven't put out any products yet. As more games come out, it will be easier to figure out how good they are and where the industry is headed. Polygon is making progress in the right direction, as it recently integrated Magic Eden into its chain. Additionally, blockchain games like The Sandbox, Decentraland, and more have embraced Polygon. However, it isn't as easy as it sounds, especially after the FTX collapse and the raging crypto winter. Despite the challenges, Dappradar reports that the Web3 blockchain gaming sector saw more than $500 million in investments. Goel facilitates the integration of cutting-edge technologies and marketplaces into the development process. He does this with a view to producing superior products. In support of this, Polygon has created a fund worth $100 million to invest in Web3 gaming and related sectors. A significant portion of this funding has been provided from the company's own resources, derived from a previous funding round that generated $450 million.Goel says that the blockchain gaming industry is growing up very quickly. At first, most people were interested in how blockchain and cryptocurrencies could be used to make money. This made games that were easy to understand and didn't impress serious gamers. Goel, on the other hand, thinks that the industry has reached a point where good games are being made. This shows a change toward becoming more mature and trustworthy.Goel says that the only developers left in the blockchain gaming industry are those who are very dedicated to making high-quality games that gamers will enjoy. Most of the time, these teams have a lot of money and all the tools they need to make great games. On the other hand, Web2 developers who move into Web3 projects are also likely to make a difference in the field. Even though the business has changed recently, Goel doesn't see any signs of a slowdown in the near future.

The first Web3 security breach makes headlines in 2023 as the blockchain game Sandbox gets compromised and sends phishing emails to users.The Sandbox Sends users are at risk of phishing or malware emails after an unauthorized third party gained access to an employee's computer.The popular metaverse firm, The Sandbox, has issued a warning to its community members about a security breach. In their recent blog post, the platform disclosed that an unauthorized third party has successfully evaded its security measures and could have obtained information about its users. The Sandbox has warned its community not to open any suspicious emails that could give attackers access to their digital assets. This is the first significant Web3 breach to make headlines in 2023. According to the official blog post, the email titled 'The Sandbox Game (PURELAND) Access' may have been delivered to the email inboxes of The Sandbox community members. The email has links to malware that can sneakily install itself on users' computers and access their data without their knowledge.The blog post further explains that an employee's computer at The Sandbox was unlawfully accessed by a third party. It allowed them to obtain several email addresses to which they sent the email. An unauthorized third party had gained access to the computer of an employee of The Sandbox. This enabled the third party to access a number of email addresses. It then sent an email targeting the community.The Web3 game ecosystem provider identified the security breach at the end of the previous month. It is now contacting users who may have received a malicious phishing email. People have told these people not to click on the links in the email, which means they shouldn't open, play, or download anything. To address the issue, The Sandbox has blocked the employee's accounts and access to their platform. Additionally, it reformatted their laptop, and reset all relevant passwords while requiring two-factor authentication. While the company has not discovered any additional impacts resulting from the breach, they are actively monitoring the situation.“We have blocked the employee's accounts and access to The Sandbox, reformatted the employee's laptop, and reset all related passwords including requiring two-factor authentication. We have not identified any further impacts. However, we are working to monitor the situation,” the blog added.The Sandbox has urged its community members to utilize a trusted antivirus program and reformat any affected systems. In 2018, Animoca Brands, a game software company based in Hong Kong, acquired The Sandbox, a mobile game firm. Moreover, Animoca revamped the platform with a metaverse twist.