Bridging virtual and real economies with blockchain games – Interview with Gold Fever

The world is on the precipice of an exciting new era in gaming, which will see the incorporation of blockchain technology as a revolution in the space. With enhanced player ownership and the possibility of real economies within virtual realms, blockchain gaming is changing paradigms and redefining possibilities.

A key player in this exciting development is Emilian Ciocanea, a veteran entrepreneur and early blockchain investor. With over two decades in business and product management, Ciocanea has effectively utilized new industries and created value-creating business models. Now, as the CEO and founder of Gold Fever, a truly player-owned project, he is blending the world of gaming and the blockchain. In this conversation, he shares his insights on the current and future state of blockchain gaming, and delves into the innovative use of NFTs within Gold Fever.

Q: Can you tell us about your background as a business builder and blockchain investor and how that has influenced your journey with Gold Fever?

My 20-year background in business building and blockchain investing significantly influences my work with Gold Fever. After investing in over 50 ICOs, watching Ethereum’s growth from a value of just $5 and being a passionate gamer, I realized the potential of blockchain in gaming. Gold Fever began as a bootstrap project in 2020, with its potential confirmed by Changpeng Zhao, aiming to create a blockchain-powered MMORPG that harmonizes entertainment and commerce. We tackled smart contract complexities, introduced a true-to-life economy, and pioneered commercial NFTs, allowing players to start in-game businesses and intertwine real and metaverse economies. Gold Fever showcases the transformative potential of NFTs in gaming, empowering players to participate in a blockchain-powered ecosystem, empowering them to shape their virtual destinies and wealth, and redefine financial interactions.

Q: How do you perceive the current blockchain gaming landscape and its potential for growth and innovation in the coming years?

The current blockchain gaming landscape is a mix of challenges and opportunities, with the potential for significant growth and innovation in the near future. NFTs, brought by blockchain integration, have transformed digital asset ownership and value perception.

At Gold Fever, we have pushed this innovation further by establishing a decentralized economy and commercial NFTs, which allow players to set up in-game businesses and connect real-world economies with the Metaverse. These usher in opportunities for gamers, developers and entrepreneurs, and the potential for job creation and building economies within GameFi.

We envision that blockchain games will become not only a source of entertainment but also viable revenue generators. For example, Gold Fever has an innovative job system where players can earn a living on jobs linked to player requirements and facilitated by commercial NFT managers.

Q: What are some of the major challenges facing blockchain gaming in terms of scalability, user experience and mainstream adoption, and how do you think they can be addressed?

Blockchain games face challenges in scalability, user experience and mainstream adoption. Scalability issues arise due to high transaction volumes and network congestion, preventing seamless gameplay. Solutions such as layer-2 protocols and off-chain scaling techniques can solve this. Improving the user experience requires simplified onboarding, intuitive interfaces and education to familiarize players with blockchain concepts.

Mainstream adoption depends on security, interoperability and regulatory clarity. Strengthening security measures, promoting interoperability and establishing clear guidelines builds trust. Educating players and developers, offering user-friendly tools and showcasing successful projects will raise awareness. Cooperation within the ecosystem is essential.

Partnerships, knowledge sharing, research and support for open standards accelerate progress. Overcoming these challenges leads to scalable, user-friendly and widely adopted blockchain gaming experiences. By working together, we can build a thriving ecosystem that pushes the boundaries of gaming and brings blockchain technology into the mainstream.

Q: Can you explain the concept of Gold Fever and its gameplay elements from a player’s perspective?

Gold Fever is an immersive multiplayer survival game that offers players an unprecedented level of ownership and control in a fully decentralized economy. With its realistic graphics and decentralized economy powered by commercial NFTs, players can pick up the in-game currency NGL and participate in battles in a blockchain-powered world.

In this upgraded play-to-earn model, players have the opportunity to earn money from the gaming experience by buying and selling parts of the game itself. For a better illustration, here is our gameplay video:

The game boasts a mature economy that is decentralized in terms of ownership. It mimics a real-life one-to-one economy and has the same features as a real-life economy.

Commercial NFTs act as a bridge between real and metaverse economies, allowing players to set up shop and become integral parts of the blockchain economy. They generate revenue and have similar behavior to a real business – for example, an in-game butcher’s shop generates revenue in the same way as in real life – from players buying meat from it.

Q: Can you provide examples of commercial NFTs available in Gold Fever and how they contribute to the gaming experience?

To fully decentralize the economy, we’ve made two types of commercial NFTs available in Gold Fever: commercial buildings such as butcher shops, carpentry shops, tool shops, hotels, stables and airports; and commercial items such as Horse NFTs, Gold Tool NFTs, Weapon NFTs and so on. A very detailed map of commercial NFTs is on our website.

Here are some examples from each class to understand their contribution to the gaming experience:

1. Airport commercial NFT — The airport is Gold Fever’s hub for aviation enthusiasts, and offers essentials such as gas, maps and aircraft maintenance. It is a space for players to stock up on supplies, fix planes and pay for these to the airport owner, not the game developer, socialize with other enthusiasts and park planes, foster a dynamic aviation community and improve gameplay.

2. Horse NFT — The horse NFT is a valuable resource that enables efficient exploration and resource hunting. Players can use their horse for travel and battles, or put it in a stable NFT when offline for rent, generating income for horse and stable owners. This dynamic use of equine NFTs enriches gameplay, promotes player interaction and trading, and enhances the game’s ecosystem.

Horse NFT test. Source: Gold Rush

These examples show the diverse range of commercial NFTs in Gold Fever and how they contribute to the immersive gaming experience, fostering financial interactions and player-driven economies.

Q: Why did Gold Fever choose Polygon as the network to build on and are there any plans to expand to other chains?

Gold Fever chose Polygon due to its reasonable fees, robust gaming ecosystem, scalability and fast transaction speeds, ensuring a smooth gaming experience. In addition, Polygon’s technical and marketing support has helped Gold Fever attract a wider audience. Although specific plans have not been outlined, Gold Fever may consider expanding to other blockchain networks to align with strategic goals and improve the player experience.

Q: Finally, what are your predictions for the future of blockchain gaming in terms of new game mechanics, immersive experiences, and the convergence of virtual worlds with real economies?

The future of blockchain gaming holds enormous potential for cutting-edge game mechanics, immersive experiences, and the convergence of virtual worlds with real economies. Improved ownership and true asset interoperability will revolutionize gameplay, allowing players to truly own and monetize in-game assets. These advances, combined with realistic graphics and physics, create highly immersive and interactive gaming experiences.

In parallel, the workplace of the future is being shaped by the AI ​​revolution, where automation and AI technologies are transforming industries. Blockchain gaming’s integration with real economies paves the way for new job opportunities and revenue streams in virtual worlds. Players can make a living by participating in the blockchain economy, building and running in-game businesses, and providing valuable services.

This convergence of blockchain gaming and the workplace of the future represents a powerful intersection, where virtual economies and real economies intertwine. It provides a glimpse into a future where gaming becomes a legitimate source of income, creates innovative economic models and transforms the way we work and play in the AI ​​revolution.