Zilliqa will launch the Web3 Games Console in early 2023

Layer-1 blockchain Zilliqa is preparing to dive into the world of Web3 gaming, with the launch of a hardware console and gaming hub.

A prototype version of the console was unveiled today, showing off a sleek design with an array of ports including HDMI, Ethernet, and USB-C and USB 3.0 connections. Full specifications for the console remain under wraps, though Zilliqa touts its ease of use, with Web3 features including a crypto wallet and mining integrated to “hide the complexity of Web3 from the end user,” according to a press release shared with Decrypt.

Zilliqa’s engineers spent six months in the research phase designing and testing the console with the intention of seamlessly integrating Web3 aspects – crypto wallet, mining software, blockchain technology – into a recognizable gaming experience.

Zilliqa “took the approach of hiding the complexity by creating the built-in Web3 wallet,” said Valentin Cobelea, head of gaming technology at Zilliqa. Decrypt. Cobelea pointed to the example of NFT collection NBA top shot as a benchmark to emulate.

Players will be able to earn Zilliqa (ZIL) tokens through completing “skill-to-earn” quests, tasks and missions in the game. In this case, tokens can be considered similar to coins or rewards in traditional games, but with the additional features of blockchain technology.

In addition, Zilliqa noted that “players will be able to mine ZIL tokens,” a process that they expect will “lead to further decentralization of the Zilliqa blockchain by expanding the number of miners globally.”

As for exactly how much income players can earn, both for skilled participation and mining, Cobelea said their income “depends on how good the players are, and the amount they earn will reflect that.”

While Zilliqa has yet to release details on the console’s pricing, it says the console “could eventually pay for itself.”

What is Zilliqa?

Founded in 2017 and launched two years later on the mainnet, Zilliqa is a tier-1 smart contract blockchain. In recent months, it has aggressively pursued efforts to expand its influence in the gaming sphere, joining the Blockchain Gaming Alliance (BGA) in April this year, partnering with esports teams MAD Lions, RRQ and more recently Alien Worlds and XBorg.

Zilliqa’s partnership with Web3 esports organization XBorg will see XBorg’s community assist in creating gaming tournaments and marketing efforts, as well as receiving beta access to test Zilliqa’s gaming hub in October.

After this testing phase, the game console is due to launch in the first quarter of 2023, with the joint release of two Zilliqa-native titles, including the first-person shooter (FPS) WEB3WAR.

The growth of Web3 games

Web3 games revolve around the principle that players should have full autonomy and ownership over their acquired assets, using blockchain technology as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

With cryptographically unique NFTs representing in-game assets such as weapons, skins and badges, the idea is that the player can own their digital property, resell it or even migrate it between virtual worlds at the outset. metaverse.

But early adopters of blockchain gaming technology have faced backlash from skeptics in the traditional gaming community, who have raised concerns about the consequences of financialization for the gaming experience, the environmental impact of blockchain and the effects of “play to earn” bet on consumers in emerging markets.

Cobelea told Decrypt that Zilliqa does not plan to recreate the “play-to-earn” model of games such as e.g Axie Infinitywhich – at least for a time – enabled players in some Asian countries to make a living.

“We don’t want to compare ourselves to the Axie approach, but instead compare ourselves to the Counter-Strikes of the world, where the focus is on the gaming experience and not the monetization part,” he said. “If you have fun, you enjoy the game, and then you get rewarded.”