Web3 games must be ‘fun and engaging’ to be sustainable — OKX exec

OKX chief innovation officer Jason Lau urged blockchain gaming firms to focus on educating gamers on the benefits of Web3 technology.

As the blockchain gaming ecosystem continues to develop, firms are attempting to capitalize on the momentum by forming alliances that could bring more gamers on board and introduce them to the world of Web3. 

On March 8, Immutable announced that it had onboarded 75 Web3 games in the last three months. This brings the total number of blockchain-based games on Immutable to 270.

With its gaming ecosystem showing significant growth, the crypto exchange has OKX capitalized and moved into Web3 gaming through Immutable.

Jason Lau, the chief innovation officer of crypto exchange OKX, said the exchange has partnered with Immutable to expand the Web3 gaming ecosystem further.

Lau told Cointelegraph that Web3 has a lot to bring to improve gamers’ experiences, including enabling true ownership and “driving innovation” in gaming.

He explained that Web3 lets gamers own, trade and earn from their assets in-game, enhancing the experience. He said it also “encourages unique game mechanics, business models and community involvement.” 

According to Lau, OKX and Immutable are working on a GameFi launchpad, which could keep the Web3 gaming adoption momentum going. The launchpad will support gaming launches on Immutable’s zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) chain.

When asked how the crypto community will benefit from the collaboration, Lau said the upcoming launchpad would help improve discoverability and access to upcoming Web3 games, experiences and assets.

Games launching on the Immutable chain will be able to access a suite of OKX solutions, including its exchange, wallet and nonfungible token marketplace.

Furthermore, the OKX Wallet service will be integrated with Immutable Passport, a login method developed by the Web3 game publisher for games within its ecosystem.

As the two organizations provide tools for Web3 gaming firms, Lau believes blockchain gaming firms have a role in onboarding gamers into Web3. He urged gaming projects to prioritize making game mechanics unique. Lau explained:

“Games must be fun, engaging and of high-quality to attract and build a sustainable community. By experimenting with what Web3 uniquely enables, we hope to see games that break free from the existing Web2 game mold.”

In addition, Lau highlighted that blockchain gaming firms must focus on cultivating their communities around each game. The executive said that apart from promoting games, the gaming companies should also educate players on the benefits of Web3.

Related: Immutable launches ‘Passport’ wallet infrastructure with Google or Apple login

Immutable has been improving its gaming ecosystem by adding features that make Web3 gaming easier for players. On Dec. 13, 2023, the blockchain platform announced its proprietary zero-knowledge proof scaling platform called zkEVM. This lets game developers remove gas fees for users, allowing a more “frictionless” onboarding for Web3 gamers.

Immutable also launched its passport wallet infrastructure on Dec. 19. The feature allows users to create and recover their wallets using a Google or Apple account. The service aims to help Web3 gamers by making account management more convenient for players.