PPB August 2021

TECH TALK NFTs MakeTheir Way Into Video Games We’re on the verge of an NFT takeover, as the non-fungible tokens and the use of related blockchain technologies are adapted into digital games. NFTs are making their way into the world of video games, and it’s starting with Blankos Block Party . The free- to-download multiplayer game, available for PC, was produced by Los Angeles-based Mythical Games and according to the company, it already has high- profile brands, such as Burberry, and celebrities, such as DJ deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman), looking to design high-tech, playable, collectible NFTs to incorporate into the game. Blankos Block Party , released in 2020, is designed as a virtual, buildable, open- world game, wherein players can explore colorful, creative artwork and participate in games, such as shooting and racing, and even create their own. The game currently has 20,000 levels, which were created both by Mythical Games and by players themselves. However, what really separates Blankos Block Party from others in a similar category, is that once players purchase a character or items in the game, known as “Blankos,” they become the official owners of that item, and thus they have the option to sell the items through the game’s marketplace for actual currency. Mythical Games’ marketplace is built on a private EOSIO blockchain, which traces the sale and ownership of in- game NFTs and also prohibits players from selling their in-game items to buyers outside of the game. Blankos Block Party is the largest game yet to feature NFT technology, wherein players have digital ownership over their avatars and items. When players download and begin the game, their assigned character is an NFT—and players have immediate ownership of it. This is a major appeal to players as, writes Venture Beats , prior to blockchain technology, video gamers spent hundreds of hours invested in a game with no return on investment aside from progressing through the game. Now, Blankos Block Party players have the option to sell items that are no longer useful to them—and if they were to stop playing altogether, they can sell their inventory for a profit before logging off. Some of the NFT projects underway for Mythical Games to feature in Blankos Block Party is the creation of a Blanko and accessory package inspired by deadmau5’s cat, Professor Meowingtons, and the DJ’s renowned mouse-shaped helmet, available this summer. The British luxury fashion brand Burberry will create its own NFT to be featured in the game as a way to reach prospective customers, and Mythical Games is also working with Marathon Clothing, a brand owned by the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, on Blankos-inspired apparel to debut later this year. | AUGUST 2021 | 69 THINK