Introduction
Block-Based Gaming Captchain Silk Boulevard
Ah ha! Hello Windows 3.1! Anyone remember that operating system? I have it installed on my computer right now using DosBox so I could play a game called Castle of the Winds and various other Dos games. Including:
- StarCon
- Oregon Trail
- Lode Runner
- Doom
- Arkanoid
- Scorched Earth
- Golden Axe
- Beast
- Etc.
If you know what any of these are, congratulations! You were born long before the Internet was even invented.
Turn-Based Games
Why do I waste my time going back and playing dumb old games on relic operating systems? Well, besides nostalgia, I believe we are going to see a resurgence of retro games like this connected directly to the blockchain.
The infrastructure is already here, and the ability to play games directly on the blockchain means we can place bets on the outcome with no middle man involved (impossible to regulate). More importantly, we can adapt turn-based games to block-based games.
One of the biggest problems with multiplayer turn-based games is that they do not scale. If a game of civilization takes 8 hours, it takes 16 hours with 2 players and 48 hours with 6 players. By modifying the foundation of the game from turn-based to block-based, we will create a hybrid between real-time and turn-based where each tick of time is one block on the blockchain. Combine this with the ability to create scarce digital assets with real world value owned by the community and it becomes obvious that this new movement will be a totally unique push in the gaming realm.
Imagine a token where the only way you can earn any is to win a game of Oregon Trail. Wouldn't that be odd? A move like this is close to happening, and once it starts there will be a flood because this space is self-funding. Diehard gamers will help in development and get paid to do so. They are already doing this for free.
Permissionless
Intellectual property is on the verge of not existing. Without a centralized entity to attack corporations will have zero recourse in the fight to stop blockchains from violating patent law. If you thought torrents were bad for the entertainment industry, just wait until that happens to everything that gets put on the blockchain. At least sites like Pirate Bay had their servers clustered in one location; easy to attack. This corporate problem is going to explode exponentially in the face of blockchain nodes being run in every country.
For example, we could adapt any boardgame we like and not even have to change the name.
- Settlers of Catan
- Carcassonne
- King of Tokyo
- Risk
- Monopoly
- Life
- Candy Land
- Battle Ship
- Etc Etc Etc
All registered products can be adapted to the blockchain, violating copyright law left and right without a care. What will they do? Honestly, they won't be able to do anything. Shut down a witness server just for it to be immediately replaced? Yeah, that's not going to work. Many of our corporate overlords are approaching the fight of their lives to stay relevant and they don't even realize it. The blockchain doesn't have to ask for permission; small wakes will escalate into tidal waves, crushing the real competition (establishment).
Who are they going to sue? The witnesses? The developers? The players? None of these are real options, just like we saw with torrenting back when it was popular, except this time it's going to be 100 times more volatile because there is money embedded in the very core of every blockchain.
How will they collect the money? Freeze our bank accounts? LOL.
Mutual Exclusion
The main conflict of adapting a turn-based game to block-based is the order in which things happen. For example, in a board game two pieces may not be allowed to occupy the same space. What happens if two players move there on the same block? Not all turn based games will be able to migrate to the block based model, but at the same time this isn't that big of a deal. The blockchain is reverse compatible and can easily manage turn based logic. This just means that games with a lot of players will continue to not be viable in turn based form.
Here are some examples of already established games we could copy:
- Final Fantasy
- Warhammer
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Magic The Gathering
- Hearthstone
- Civilization
- Heroes of Might and Magic
- Worms
- XCOM
- etc etc etc
The open source economy is coming, and with it, true free markets with healthy competition without boundaries or regulation. It only takes one person or group to make a template or game engine to spawn a multitude of other products. At this point, it isn't a matter of if, but when.
We don't need to ask for permission.
"Just Do It," will no longer be the property of Nike.
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