The role of NFTs in video game interoperability

On October 9, 2022, Sony filed a patent titled “NFT Framework for Transferring and Using Digital Assets Between Game Platforms.” This patent represents a potential step forward for a unique NFT use case that people have been discussing for years.

NFTs can allow players to transfer items from one game to another. For example, you can earn an outfit in “Fortnite” and use it in “Call of Duty.” However, there are several hurdles that publishers and developers must overcome to make this idea a reality.

Sony’s patent

According to the patent, Sony aims to create a system where players are awarded NFTs when they earn an in-game item. “The digital asset can be used, via NFT, across several different computer simulations and/or across several different computer simulation platforms. Ownership of the NFT can also later be transferred to other end-user entities for their own use across different simulations and/or platforms.”

There is no information on how Sony plans to use this technology and whether users will have to pay a fee to participate. It’s too early to say if it will be isolated to specific games, but their language suggests it’s intended to be cross-platform.

How do NFTs enable interoperability for video games?

NFTs are one of the easiest ways for developers to achieve interoperability in video games. When a player logs into their account, they can connect to their crypto wallet. The game will read the contents of the player’s wallet and determine what in-game items they have based on the NFTs they own.

When a player switches from one game to the next, the new game will again read the contents of the wallet and give them in-game items according to the wallet contents.

Benefits of interoperability in video games

• In-game ownership: Many games, such as “Fortnite” and “Pokemon Go,” prohibit players from selling their accounts or in-game items, meaning they do not truly own them. Using NFTs in traditional video games will give players the benefit of owning the things they earn.
• Improved gaming experience: Gamers often spend many hours on a single video game because their hard work and achievements cannot be transferred to a new game. Interoperability will give them the advantage of using their rewards across different titles.
• New revenue opportunities for developers: Developers and publishers can add royalties to NFTs for game objects, giving them a new revenue stream.

Interoperability barriers for video games

Licensing issues are sure to be a barrier to interoperability in video games. Developers will likely want to keep the artifacts and intellectual property out of competing titles.

Interchanging items across different titles will create new development burdens for video game creators. Porting an element from one game to another would be relatively easy if they used the same engine and had similar art styles. On the other hand, creating a comparable “Minecraft” element in a game like “Halo” would be challenging.

While it’s difficult to create comparable items for different titles, developers can use a system similar to Nintendo’s Amiibos. For example, a player with a “Zelda” Amiibo can unlock a sword if they scan it while playing “Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” But scanning the same Amiibo while playing “Super Smash Bros” can give them a new outfit.

NFTs can be used to unlock items of similar value in different games, even if they are not exactly the same.

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*All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFT Plazas are from personal research and experience of our site moderators and are intended as educational material only. Individuals are required to research all products before making any type of investment.