NewsBTC: Does the gaming world really need a decentralised mobile gaming store?
Jon Comer: The gaming industry doesn’t need one if it doesn’t want to transcend past the current state of mobile gaming. As of right now, mobile gaming is the fastest growing sector in the global games industry, expected to pass 50 billion dollars in just a couple of years. But with every growing industry comes a need for new interactivity and a better user experience. PC gaming has found a way to allow competitive gamers to reap the benefits of their devotion and skill. A decentralized mobile gaming store would bring competitive game play to the mobile sector. The GameCredits Store will allow users to host their own decentralized tournaments and matches awarding the highest scoring players with MobileGo. At the same time, peer to peer item exchange becomes possible with decentralized smart contracts. This economic ecosystem will be run by the players, and fees will be minimal compared to what gaming industry leaders would charge. Decentralization effectively cuts out the middle man and creates a truly interactive gaming experience.
But aren’t people happy enough with the centralised gaming stores of Google and Apple? Can Gamecredits add anything on the top?
People are happy, but only because there is no better alternative. In the west (The Americas and Europe) Google play and Apple have 98% of the mobile market. These monopolies currently charge 30% of all game developer revenue, they don’t pay for up to 60 days, and developers face massive amounts of chargebacks/fraud. Using GameCredits developers would have a revenue fee of just 10%, they’d receive payments in just 60 hours, and chargebacks would be eliminated using trusted blockchain technology. From a developer standpoint GameCredits would massively improve revenue and functionality. At the same time gamers could transfer currency from game to game, enjoy higher deposit limits, and enjoy discounts and coupon codes when using GameCredits.
How has the response from gaming developers been so far?
So far developers love the idea. One of our close partners is Datcroft Games, a PC and mobile game developer with over 10 years of experience. Using our combined list of contacts, we have established connections with hundreds of interested developers who see our vision. Just a couple days ago, we finished developing our API which allows any developer to integrate GameCredits as a means of payment for in-game items. One by one we’ve been helping developers integrate GameCredits. We’re confident that using these early adopters input we’ll perfect our products usability and help thousands of developers increase revenue.
And gamers?
At it’s very core GameCredits is designed to revolutionize the way gamers make payments. In the first month of 2017 we launched GameCredits in Datcrofts MMORPG Fragoria. To incentivize gamers to use the platform we have offered GameCredits coupons. Gamers have been able to sign up on our web wallet and use coupon codes found playing Fragoria to redeem GameCredits. Once a gamer has GameCredits in their wallets they can make instantaneous purchases. This single possibility has opened the eyes of many gamers who now actively support the project. In a world where GameCredits is accepted in every game, gamers could enjoy streamlined payments, one in-game currency, and the ability to earn money directly from gameplay.
How are you funding a project of such massive scale?
For the past 3 years we’ve been entirely self-funded. However, on April 25th we begin the MobileGo crowdsale. Of the funds raised, half will go to direct marketing of the GameCredits Store. The other half of the fund will be used for team expansion, development, and legal expenses. We hope to have millions of active users by the middle of 2017, which we think is entirely possible given how close we are to releasing our mobile store and the promising crowdfund in April.
How would you define the opportunities for MobileGo investors?
As a MobileGo investor you will directly benefit from the success of the GameCredits Store. A successful MobileGo crowdsale will mean millions of dollars going to direct gamer acquisition. As the GameCredits Store grows in popularity, a portion of the profits will go to buying back MobileGo from investors and burning the tokens. This will reduce the supply and ultimately increase demand for the token. Once MobileGo features, such as decentralised tournaments, launch on the store demand for MobileGo will increase as well. We believe this is one of the most exciting investments in the cryptocurrency space, as you will see the product your investment is funding almost immediately after your initial investment.
How, or should I ask, where do MobileGo and Gamecredits’ tokens relate?
GameCredits will be the only currency used for buying games and in-game content. The GAME Store will also host centralised tournaments that will payout in GameCredits. MobileGo on the other hand will be used for decentralised player run tournaments, a virtual item marketplace, and peer to peer match play. These features will run MobileGo smart contracts that will safely allow for the exchange of resources. MobileGo will also be used to “gamify” the Mobile Store. A user holding MobileGo in their profile can achieve a certain status in the store. This status will give them access to exclusive tournaments, GameCredits discounts, and video game beta tests. The idea is to use this token to maximise the stores interactivity.
When can we see a fully-functional Gamecredits’ mobile gaming store?
The Mobile Store development has been entirely completed. This spring or Q2 of this year we plan on launching the fully functional Mobile Store with hundreds of games.