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Welcome to the WGMI Gaming Newsletter.

Web3 Gaming insights, early alpha, and how we’re building a game.

Quests

1. You'll Never Believe How Blockchain is About to Revolutionize Gaming

2. Quick Bytes & Alpha Of The Week

3. Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Long Road to the Vallarok first Gameplay footage

HIGHLIGHT STORY

You'll Never Believe How Blockchain is About to Revolutionize Gaming

This week I had a call with a Crypto VC that told me not to use blockchain in our game. To my surprise, he didn’t see the need for blockchain in any game, unless it’s a fully on-chain game. This led me down a rabbit hole of research on blockchain in games.

Gaming is being reimagined before our eyes. We are so deep that we don’t even realize it. We have to zoom out to see the big picture.

Blockchain and tokens are transforming gaming. Some view this with skepticism. But the potential benefits are too promising to ignore. Let's dive into the top reasons every game should embrace blockchain.

1. Players Truly Own In-Game Assets

Today, items you buy or earn in games are not yours. The game company controls them completely. But with NFTs (non-fungible tokens), assets become unique digital property that players own.

Imagine you spend years building a rare armor set in an RPG. With blockchain, that armor is yours - provably scarce, unable to be taken away or duplicated. You earned it, and you own it, forever - even if the game shuts down.

2. Games Become Open Economies

Blockchain allows developers to create thriving economic systems within games. Take Axie Infinity. Cute monster Axies can be bred, battled, and traded freely by players. Axie has seen:

• Over $4 billion in all-time trades

• Some players earn over $1,000 per month

• Land and other in-game NFTs sold for millions

Open economies give players agency. And it provides motivation beyond just gameplay - you're invested in the growth of your assets.

3. Improved Security and Transparency

Unfortunately, hacking and cheating run rampant in gaming. Blockchain's ultra-secure decentralized ledger brings several key benefits:

• All transactions and ownership are public, verifiable information that can't be altered. No more duping or stealing items.

• Code replacing back-end servers is unhackable. Bugs can still happen, but the core system is resilient.

• Players can verify drop rates of items are true as advertised, not secretly changed to increase profits.

Ultimately, blockchain reduces distrust between players and developers - a win-win for all.

4. Fosters Digital Communities

Communication tools like Discord serve gaming communities well. But blockchain allows deeper bonds - communities can become collaborative ecosystems.

Notable examples are:

• DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) where players collectively govern games.

• Kickstarter-like crowdfunding of games, connecting creators and fans.

• Groups collaboratively purchasing rare items or virtual land.

Blockchain facilitates new ways for game communities to self-organize and create value together.

The Future is Bright But Also Tough

This is only the beginning. We'll see metaverse concepts like Ready Player One becoming a reality only too soon. Games with interconnected virtual economies. Mainstream adoption is still early, but blockchain will open fronts we can't yet fathom.

At heart is a shift of power - from closed centralized studios to open ecosystems owned by players. The revolution is brewing. The problem will be all the people who are skeptics of blockchain and crypto, but I guess it’s just a matter of time.

QUICK BYTES

• Palworld hits 19M Players in 2 Weeks

• MixMob launches their token $MXM

• Blocklords with details on their token $LRDS

• Immutable zkEVM mainnet live

• AOFverse revisits its airdrop structure after major pushback from the community

BUILDING IN PUBLIC

Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Long Road to the Vallarok first Gameplay footage

This journey has tested our limits, but the first peek into the world of Vallarok nears. After months of setbacks and breakthroughs, 21 hand-picked community members were granted access to the Realm One VIP Discord. They'll be the first outside eyes to experience Vallarok gameplay.

We can't wait to hear the feedback from our top community members. Their insights will help polish Vallarok into the ambitiously immersive game we've always envisioned.

Technical Troubles

Bringing that vision to life has been far from easy. We've faced hurdle after hurdle with:

• Game engine challenges

• Networking bugs

• Incompatible plugins

• Optimization issues

We're creating new tech from scratch. That inevitably comes with headaches. But our engineers have shown resilience and ingenuity in overcoming each roadblock.

Team Turbulence

Technology wasn't our only struggle. Building a team with the skill and dedication needed for a project like Vallarok is no simple task.

We onboarded talented individuals who ultimately didn't fit our collaborative culture. Over time, it became clear we had to part ways with nearly a dozen hires. Never easy, but necessary.

After this refining process, we finally have the dream team in place. Small but mighty, with the passion that perseveres through tough times.

Financial Fears

As a self-funded indie studio, Vallarok has required huge personal investments. Delay after delay meant our runway was dwindling. But we took the leap of faith, doubling down despite the risks.

Why? Because we know the gaming world needs what we're making. An immersive second life, owned by players, filled with infinite potential. We have the skills, the vision, and the courage to deliver - come hell or high water.

Winds of Change

The darkest hour is before the dawn. And despite all doubts, our sunrise finally nears.

Over the past weeks, progress has accelerated dramatically. The pieces are falling into place. Morale is high as momentum builds.

Each playtest reveals new possibilities. Fluid combat, responsive worlds, engaging progression − Vallarok's promise becomes reality.

There's much polishing yet to be done. But we're ready to give our staunchest followers a preview of the gameplay. Their feedback will drive us towards launching the revolutionary gaming experience everyone deserves.

Stay tuned for more groundbreaking updates! Vallarok rises...

LINKS

Thank you for reading.

Until next week,

Aiem.

PS: I would greatly appreciate it if you send this newsletter to a friend: WGMI.GG