Tag: game development

Nexus Mods' Monetization U-Turn: A Win for Gamers or a Delay?

Nexus Mods' Monetization U-Turn: A Win for Gamers or a Delay?

• Commentary

The announcement of the sale of Nexus Mods to this Chosen thing has hit the community like a badly compressed paid mod. The first announcement—total secrecy. Strike one. The premature and vague retraction from “Foledinho” regarding not selling mods… oh wait? Strike two. If you see the “Gaming Startup Monetization...

Avalanche's Gaming Battle Pass: A Win for Emerging Artists?

Avalanche's Gaming Battle Pass: A Win for Emerging Artists?

• Commentary

Gee, the crypto world sure is a gilded cage, huh? A world of Cpos, Crusoe, laser eyes, and frankly just a bunch of noise. Yet every once in a while, something comes along that penetrates the hype and provides an actual opportunity. Avalanche’s free gaming battle pass could be that...

Gala Games Pulls Plug on The Walking Dead NFT Game

Gala Games Pulls Plug on The Walking Dead NFT Game

• NFT Drops

Gala Games has announced it will shut down The Walking Dead: Empires, a multiplayer survival game built around Ethereum NFTs, by July 31. Developed by Studio Wildcard, the action-adventure role-playing game based on the massive multiplayer game had previously been announced in 2021. Players finally got their hands on its...

MagicBlock's $7.5M: A Win for Southeast Asian Game Devs?

MagicBlock's $7.5M: A Win for Southeast Asian Game Devs?

• Commentary

I would reminisce about the time I attended a small scale game dev game jam in Jakarta a few years ago. Talented artists, coders brimming with ideas… but the conversation kept circling back to the same problem: access. Access to funding, access to mentorship, access to a global audience. And...

Japan's Bitcoin Revolution: A Boon for Artists and Web3 Creators?

Is Japan on the verge of accidentally unleashing a tsunami of creative destruction and financial liberation onto the rest of the emerging markets? I know this seems like a tall order, but hear me out. Japan’s regulatory change to officially recognize Bitcoin as a financial product. This step is a...

5 Ways This Crypto Bill Empowers Southeast Asian Artists, Not Wall Street

Let’s be honest, when you hear about crypto regulation, your first thought probably isn't Southeast Asian artists finding new avenues for creative expression. Surely visions of Wall Street honchos and inscrutable derivatives dance in your head. Well, what if I told you that the Senate’s Banking Committee just released their...

Crypto's 'Light-Touch' Regulation Gamble Will It Protect You?

The Senate Committee’s proposed “light-touch” regulatory framework for crypto is a long high-stakes poker game. Are we all truly holding a winning hand, or are we collectively bluffing our way into a future financial crisis? It’s a question every investor, every innovator, and frankly, every citizen should want to know....

Trump Jr. at KBW2025: Web3's Punk Rock Moment or Sellout?

Or I think about Nandar, a wonderful Burmese artist that I met in Yangon, sharing with me her latest NFT collection. Each work exploded with vivid imagery, bravely fighting back against the junta’s repressive hold. She began selling them directly to supporters around the world, allowing her to cleverly sidestep...

KBW2025: Is Trump Jr. Web3's Trojan Horse or its Savior?

Donald Trump Jr. at Korea Blockchain Week? It's a head-scratcher, isn't it? About as easy as locating a MAGA hat at a Burning Man soirée. Before we put this down as just another short-lived publicity stunt, let’s take a closer look at what this could IoTally Web3 means. Cynical ploy...

Schiff's Crypto Ban: Is He Protecting Us or Silencing Innovation?

Senator Adam Schiff's proposed crypto ban, the COIN Act, aimed at preventing the President (read: Donald Trump) from dabbling in digital assets, raises a critical question: Is this genuine protection against corruption, or a veiled attempt to stifle innovation, especially for emerging markets? Let's be real, the optics are terrible....

Immutable's Gamble: Will Gas-Free Trading Save Web3 Gaming?

Yet the hype around Web3 gaming is real, offering gamers true digital ownership and player-driven economies. Let’s get real: that promise usually meets a very different fate. High gas fees and a clunky user experience can quickly derail those intentions. Immutable is taking a big bet with its zkEVM and...