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In a significant development for the web3 gaming industry, Google Play made a groundbreaking policy change recently, giving developers the green light to incorporate digital assets, including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), into their apps and games. The announcement marks a significant step towards embracing blockchain technology and opens up new possibilities for the web3 gaming ecosystem.
On July 12, Google Play’s Group Support Manager Joseph Mills announced the policy change, which comes as a paradigm shift for traditional gamers. The integration of NFT-backed assets allows players to truly own their in-game items, providing them with the power to monetise their gaming skills and time through play-to-earn models. “These new guidelines were developed in close consultation with app and game developers,” Mills said.
Shubham Gupta, co-founder and CPO at Indian web3 fan engagement platform STAN, highlights the benefits of P2E gaming models that Google Play would now help democratise. “Investing time and energy in a game is now rewarding with the play to earn gaming models, which allows users to earn a sustainable income through gaming directly, and also indirectly through content creation, flipping assets and investing right.”
The gaming community has been increasingly drawn to NFTs, which offer players genuine ownership of in-game assets and the ability to monetise their gaming skills through play-to-earn models. Google Play’s policy change aims to promote innovation and enhance gaming experiences by enabling the integration of NFT-backed assets into games. This move empowers players with unique, irreplicable ownership of their digital items, contributing to the growing popularity of web3 gaming.
Needless to say, this has come as an exciting turn of events for platforms operating in web3 gaming and esports, such as STAN. Gupta states, “Google Play’s acceptance of decentralised digital assets like NFTs and cryptocurrencies, mirroring the Apple App Store’s approach, signals a watershed moment especially for mobile gaming.” He further points out, “The challenge however lies in ensuring mainstream adoption by gamers without overwhelming them with tech they might not necessarily need to understand in depth to enjoy the game.”
When discussing a solution to this issue, Gupta cites the working of STAN as an example. “Users are on boarded with a ready to use custodial wallet, while gamers who understand the web3 ecosystem can plug and play with any non-custodial Ethereum wallet ensuring users have complete control and ownership.”
Google Play’s policy change marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of web3 gaming. It allows developers to explore innovative ways to leverage NFTs and blockchain technology while players enjoy a more immersive and rewarding gaming journey. As the industry embraces this transformative shift, vigilance will be essential to ensure a safe and sustainable environment for gamers in the ever-evolving world of web3 gaming.
The writer is the founder at yMedia. He ventured into crypto in 2013 and is an ETH maximalist. Twitter: @bhardwajshash
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