Bandai Namco – the Japanese game publisher behind titles like Elden Ring, Dark Souls and retro classics like Tekken and Pac-Man – continues to conduct research and development in the mobile blockchain gaming sector for the Asian market.
Karim Farghaly, Bandai Namco’s SVP of Corporate Development, shared his perspective on the potential role of blockchain in video games – and what the studio is exploring in the world of crypto – in an interview with Declutter at the Esports and Gaming Business Summit in Las Vegas this week.
Farghaly, who worked under Bandai Namco’s U.S. division for more than eight years, said the publisher is exploring how blockchain integrations can fit into its mobile-centric business model.
“We have done internal research into how Web3 infrastructure could work,” Farghaly said Declutter. “From an Asia perspective, I’m working very closely with a team in Tokyo through our business planning thinking about these things and the differences between the Western market and the Asian market when it comes to Web3.”
“Web3 is definitely something that doesn’t have the backlash that gamers in the West are feeling in Asia,” Farghaly added. “I think the very first games that will be successful in Web3 and crypto and attract a large audience will most likely be in Asia – that’s my personal opinion.”
In Asia, less stigma around blockchain games means more activity. So far, this has proven to be true, and then some major publishers in Japan and Korea are actively developing blockchain games than in the Western world.
“There’s just more going on there,” Farghaly said of blockchain gaming activity in Asia.
“And for us it’s a bit of a challenge because of the setback that Web3 has had in general. I was a little surprised because I know there are some big IPs looking at the Web3 space as well.”
Like it SegaBandai Namco has similarly collaborated with blockchain company Double Jump.Tokyo to develop blockchain games. This summer, Bandai Namco launched an AI-powered virtual pet game called Ryuzowhere players can own their own Ryu creatures as NFTs.
The Ryu NFTs exist on the Oasys blockchain. Bandai Namco has invested in Oasys, and Sega and Ubisoft have also committed to construction projects in the Oasys chain.
“We have invested in a few Web3 companies through our venture capital fund in Japan,” Farghaly said, referring to both Oasys and Double jump.TokyoWeb3 community platform GaudiyAnd Geniusesan NFT wearables company.
Farghaly sees a unique value proposition in blockchain games, specifically for whom he calls the “whales” of the gaming world.
“Owning a digital asset, and being able to trade that asset, sell that asset, hold that asset for a very long time… I think it’s very interesting for gamers, especially gamers who tend to to spend money on games,” Farghaly said. Declutter.
Farghaly also believes the mobile gaming sector will lead the way.
“Mobile will probably push Web3 and crypto faster just because you now have the combination of iOS and Googling so you can take the property out and hit it,” Farghaly said.
“I think we’re going to see that more than anything. So mobile is probably a little ahead, and PC will have it, but PC without multi-platform is just PC. And at the end of the day, that’s probably not where we look at our audience.”
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.