Exclusive interview with Gunzilla Games: How does the developer of "Game of the Year" "Off The Grid" view Web3 game skepticism

Original title: "Gunzilla Games' Theo Agranat: Web3 Gaming Skepticism 'Will Always Exist, and for Good Reason'"

Original author:Kurt Robson

Compiled by: Zen, PANews

2024 is coming to an end, and the game industry has gradually become a new hot spot for the rise of Web3 technology. Once a niche area of ​​the gaming industry, Web3 games have quickly entered the mainstream in the past 12 months, causing developers to imagine endless possibilities for the future.

Among them, Gunzilla Games seized on these possibilities with its first game, Off The Grid, and achieved significant success this year.

In an interview with cryptocurrency outlet CCN.com , Gunzilla Games’ Web3 Director Theo Agranat discussed the obstacles to widespread blockchain adoption in video games, future regulations that may impact the industry, and why skepticism will always be with gamers.

Embrace the ever-present skepticism

On October 8, 2024, Gunzilla Games officially launched “Off The Grid”, a free battle royale game set in a dystopian cyberpunk future. The game stands out for its 150-player multiplayer gameplay and strong narrative elements helmed by Oscar-nominated director Neill Blomkamp of “District 9.”

In addition to rich gameplay, "Off The Grid" uses blockchain technology to integrate an NFT market that supports in-game asset ownership and trading. Unlike other pure Web3 games, Gunzilla is committed to bridging the gap between traditional players and Web3 game enthusiasts, including blockchain elements as an optional additional feature. This decision may stem from Gunzilla's awareness of the widespread skepticism among players. In fact, they believe skepticism is an important part of the industry.

"Skepticism is always there, and for good reason. It keeps game developers transparent and pushes them to prove their worth through hard work," Agranat said. Even skeptical players will be surprised once they actually try Off The Grid. , they are usually shocked. Because it feels exactly like a traditional game, but with asset ownership, peer-to-peer trading of in-game items, fully verifiable transparency, and other unique benefits that blockchain technology brings.

It's critical for Gunzilla to ensure that traditional players can experience Web3 elements without being forced to participate, Agranat added. "In fact, players can choose to avoid these features if they wish. At no time are these features intrusive to players. Instead, it is more of a free choice experience to participate in,"

After recently launching on Playstation 5, Off The Grid has attracted more traditional players, which may expose more people to the potential of blockchain.

Put product and compliance first

“Gunzilla Games understands that there are huge obstacles to overcome in advancing blockchain games to the top of the industry.”

Agranat said that there has long been a sense of distrust between traditional media and gamers, as well as those who exist purely in the Web3 space. However, developers believe that these barriers are gradually being broken down as more and more traditional people begin to understand the charm of blockchain.

"We are working hard to gain recognition from both areas, including passionate players and top industry stakeholders."

Agranat said these efforts will be synchronized with compliance with possible future regulatory requirements, which appears to be increasingly important, especially in the wake of recent clampdowns by global regulators. For example, Australian Web3 gaming platform Immutable recently became the first blockchain gaming company to receive a “Wells Notice” from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to Immutable’s announcement, which mentioned its IMX token listing and private sale in 2021, the SEC suggested that no actual exchange of value occurred between the parties to the transaction at that time.

However, Agranat believes that as long as regulation remains reasonable, future regulations will be positive. He also said developers should work with regulators, not against them. "Web3 developers and publishers need to put product and compliance first and Web3 technology second," Agranat said. "In my opinion, this is a healthy direction for progress and will help the industry mature."

Emphasis on transparency as key to Web3

Agranat said that Gunzilla Games puts transparency at the core of product development, which is also the key to the growth of blockchain games. The German game developer recently announced that crypto venture capital firm Delphi Ventures will become the largest validator of its blockchain platform GUNZ.

Agranat mentioned that the venture capital firm will provide advice on Gunzilla’s Web3 roadmap, marketing strategy, and in-game feature implementation to safeguard its upcoming utility token. In addition, the venture capital firm will help create a dashboard that will provide players with transparency across the GUNZ ecosystem.

"We want to let players, stakeholders and partners know that we are very serious about this," Agranat pointed out that Gunzilla only serves the player group. He further stated that the company believes that the labels Web2 and Web3 are outdated.

“In the future, no matter what technology is used to provide a superior user and player experience, all of them will be simply called ‘games.’” Agranat concluded.