Tech
Co-Optimus – Community Blog – How cryptographic technology can revolutionize player cooperation
Some of the industry’s biggest games rely on cooperation between players, as developers have realized the potential of online experiences and live services. As of this writing, co-op is strictly limited to gameplay and in-game events. However, there is emerging technology that could change this in the future, allowing players to work together even when the game is turned off.
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How encryption works
Since 2010, cryptocurrencies have steadily gained prominence thanks to projects like Bitcoin. As a technology, cryptocurrencies were created for much grander purposes than gaming, but they promise to change every digital industry if they become commonplace. Today, most consider cryptocurrencies as an investment asset while its enthusiasts want to use them as currency. Some of the world’s largest companies like Microsoft, Twitch, and even KFC accept Bitcoin transactions. Some sites use cryptocurrencies instead of other funds, to manage bets more efficiently Bitcoin Casino. With all these use cases, it’s no surprise that cryptocurrency technology can also take gaming to the next level.
This is where blockchain comes in. Cryptocurrency only works because it is integrated into a blockchain, a digital ledger that records all transactions. Such transactions are visible to anyone, although the identities of the parties involved are anonymized. Records cannot be changed, assuming the blockchain is decentralized, as it would require consensus from hundreds or thousands of moderators. Blockchains strengthen trust among their users, making cryptocurrency viable rather than just meaningless numbers on a screen.
Presentation of digital resources
To date, the gaming industry has not yet embraced cryptocurrency technology. Nor should they, until the technology is sophisticated enough to add value to the experience and consumers indicate they want the benefits. However, cryptocurrencies are just the beginning of what blockchain can do.
Blockchain can support much more than just digital currency: virtually any type of digital file can be recorded on a blockchain. This is done by turning the file into a non-fungible token or NFT. For better or worse, the NFT art craze of 2021 has introduced many people to this idea. It was then that digital artist Beeple sold 5,000 days of his work as an NFT for $69 million. Anyone could appreciate his art, but the new owner was officially registered on the blockchain. In the ensuing craze, there were both creative and cynical projects whose scope varied depending on the audience.
However, the use cases for NFT technology extend far beyond art. During that time, some artists have also released music NFTs, while e-books can also be tokenized on the blockchain. This is achievable for creators through smart contracts: programmable terms attached to the digital asset. For music NFTs, many artists scheduled automatic royalties, so they would receive a cut of subsequent sales every time the NFTs changed hands. NFTs can also be attached to physical objects – think luxury brands or baseball cards – so their owner never has any doubts.
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Cooperation with smart contracts
This finally brings us to understand how gaming communities can benefit from this technology. In some games we already trade skins and other collectibles that only exist on screen, without any technology to support them. By tokenizing collectibles in the game, each would correspond to a unique place in the blockchain with a registered owner. Functional game items and even special missions can get this treatment, not just shiny collectibles you can gawk at.
After becoming an NFT, skins or other collectibles will be easier to trade in a secondary market. Since that market should exist on the blockchain, players can have confidence that transactions will go through without any problems, in a completely transparent process. If programmable royalties are included in the mix, you could discover a rare item in the game and then sell it, receiving a kickback every time it changes hands.
We won’t see a system like this for quite some time as it relies on blockchain technology becoming mainstream. If implemented in the future, it could open up unprecedented collaboration between players as they find, trade, and benefit from their gaming adventures. In the meantime, we’ll keep track of the game’s upcoming developments on our blog.