created by @themikesteez

Issue #7 | October 21, 2021

Gm frens!

As I mentioned yesterday, I am the proud daddy of a newborn baby girl.

I haven’t been getting much sleep lately, which is why I was behind on this week’s newsletter.

But just like parents of newborns, the crypto and NFT worlds don’t sleep.

So here I am, finally back in your inbox with another issue of the top news about Web3 gaming.

The major stories today are about 2 traditional gaming entities — Steam and Epic Games — and their respective stances on allowing blockchain games on their platforms.

So let’s get to it.

Now…LFB 🧱🧱🧱(let’s f*cking BUILD — shoutout to Yohei for this one 😉)

— Michael 

🔥This week’s lineup:

🚫Steam bans blockchain games from its platform

🎮 Epic opposes Valve by allowing blockchain games on its platform

🍬MicroBites (other crypto gaming stories of the week)

💰VC Land & Money Talk

🕳Down the Rabbit Hole (deep dives)

🐦Random Tweet

– Michael

ICYMI: The ultimate thread on the intersection of Web3 and gaming

👾

Steam bans blockchain games from its platform

The biggest news coming out of the crypto gaming world this past week is the decision by Valve to ban all blockchain games from its Steam gaming platform.

According to its updated Rules and Guidelines, Steam now prohibits “applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.”

Steam changed these rules quietly, but the news got leaked on Twitter when SpacePirate Games tweeted that their blockchain game, “Age of Rust”, was kicked off the platform along with other blockchain games.

As of this writing, we still don’t have an official statement from Valve or Steam as to the reason why.

To read some theories as to why Valve did this…and what this means for blockchain games, read the full story here.

👾

Epic Games CEO says blockchain games are welcome on Epic’s platform

While Valve decided to ban blockchain games on Steam, its competitor, Epic (who created “Fornite”), told The Verge that it’s open to having “games that support cryptocurrency or blockchain-based assets” on its games store.

Epic’s CEO and founder, Tim Sweeney, tweeted: “Epic Games Store will welcome games that make use of blockchain tech provided they follow the relevant laws, disclose their terms, and are age-rated by an appropriate group.” 

However, Epic still hasn’t wavered on its stance to not include NFTs in its own games.

👾

MicroBites

Zed Run has deployed an in-game cross-chain bridge to allow players to transfer assets between Polygon and Ethereum.

Mythical Games partners with digital money platform Uphold to allow crypto payments on its Mythical Marketplace (the hub where players can buy and sell in-game NFTs for Mythical’s popular multiplayer part game, “Blankos Block Party.”

Crypto gaming analyst Jon Jordan argues that Steam’s decision to ban blockchain games is a good thing for the Web3 movement.

PlayDapp, a blockchain gaming project that’s listed on Coinbase, will launch its play-to-earn RPG, “Along with the Gods: Knights of the Dawn” on October 27.

👾

VC Land & Money Talk

💰Animoca Brands raised $65 million from Ubisoft and others, bringing its valuation to $2.2 billion.

🎮Patron, a new investment fund started by ex-Riot Games executives Brian Cho and Jason Yeh, raised $90 million to invest in “the spectrum of play.”

🐉 VC Tim Draper’s Draper Dragon fund invested $1.75 million into SpaceY 2025, a blockchain tower defense game.

🤖Mark Cuban, Crypto.com, Alameda Capital, Dapper Labs, and more have invested in a $16 million round for Alethea AI, a platform combining NFTs with AI (I included this because we may see these AI NFTs in the metaverse or individual games).

👾

Down the Rabbit Hole

🎥 WATCH: Enjin CTO Witek Radomski discusses NFTs and the future of gaming

At the Level Up KL game developer conference, Enjin CTO Witek Radomski discussed the future of NFTs in games and how Enjin’s tech stack helps developers integrate NFTs into their own games.

Tap here to watch.

👾

Random Tweet:

This 20-part story of PixelBeast 8877 is beautifully written, heartbreaking, and illustrative of the talent within the PixelBeasts community, so give it a read here.

👾

Whether you’re new to Crypto GameBites or you’ve been here since Issue 1, please feel free to email me anytime with any questions, thoughts, and feedback.

I’m also working on Twitter thread on why AAA game publishers will most likely be slow to adopt blockchain and NFT tech, so if you want to see it first, follow me there. (If you’re not on Twitter, that’s okay because I’ll include it in the newsletter).

Remember, it’s still early and you’re GMI.

🚀🚀🚀

– Michael, editor of Crypto GameBites

PS – Can you forward this email to someone you think would enjoy it?

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🏴‍☠️

Disclosure: From time-to-time I might add links in this newsletter to products I use and I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Also, I hold crypto assets (shocking right?). See my investment disclosures here.

Disclaimer to protect my a$$: All investment strategies and investments involve risk of loss. Nothing contained in this magical newsletter should be construed as financial or investment advice. We’re just two brains connecting through cyberspace and shooting the shit about the wild world of blockchain gaming, where buzzwords like “crypto” and “NFTs” roam freely. Any reference to an investment's past or potential performance is not, and should not be construed as, a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit. Remember to do your own damn research and don’t just ape into things like I did with all those shitcoins from the Spring 2021 bull run.