Review on CryptoKitties by Thalhat Tee
Transition to crypto kitties
Despite many industries getting crushed by the coronavirus pandemic, the online gaming sector has been the talk of lockdowned towns.
Whether by government mandate or through self-imposed social distancing, people around the world have spent more time hunkered down at home than ever before in recent history. And many are now turning to gaming — including games powered by blockchain — as a way to pass the time.
In the second quarter of this year, sales of video game content reached US$10.2 billion, up 28% from a year ago. Some of the most popular games this year include Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons — a runaway hit that is helping fuel quarantine escapism into online parallel worlds. Blockchain-enabled games — including metaverses with virtual real estate that could be bought, developed, rented out and resold — are now part of that same growing customer base.
Redefining ownership
A key component of Animal Crossing, as with many other popular games, is item ownership. With blockchain facilitating greater trust in the authenticity and uniqueness of virtual gaming items, some players have now gone beyond mere hobby collecting to trying to turn a profit. In some corners of Animal Crossing, virtual turnips are now the subject of real-life trades in a “stalk market.” Microsoft’s Minecraft, a perennially popular game, also recently integrated a blockchain plug-in to create a trusted marketplace for players to buy and sell their in-game items.
Pros
- it made it through the pandemic
- it is safe
Cons
- None so far
