The
AAA
gaming
space
is
absolutely
massive
(“AAA”
refers
to
the
biggest
games
produced
by
the
biggest
developers).
To
put
it
into
context,
it
is
bigger
than
the
movie
and
music
industry
combined
–
almost
300%
bigger.
The
stories
are
better
and
stronger,
and
the
overall
experience
is
more
satisfying
and
enriching.
A
great
example
of
this
is
the
Grand
Theft
Auto
(GTA)
6
trailer,
surpassing
184
million
views
since
December.
Large-scale
games
like
GTA
have
firmly
established
themselves
as
a
gaming
phenomenon
and
a
cultural
and
economic
powerhouse
within
the
entertainment
industry.
This
op-ed
is
part
of
CoinDesk’s
GameFi
Week
2024.
Jack
O’Holleran
is
the
Co-Founder
and
CEO
of
SKALE,
a
gas-less
EVM-compatible
blockchain
designed
for
Ethereum
scaling.
Take
Bethesda
Game
Studios,
for
instance.
The
amount
of
developers
behind
each
game
has
increased
by
266%
between
Fallout
4
and
Starfield.
From
AAA
console
games
with
huge
budgets
to
massive
mobile
phone
virality,
there’s
parallel
growth
in
the
Esports
industry
and
the
accompanying
revolution
in
content
consumption
led
by
streamers
across
YouTube
and
Twitch.
The
Esports
audience
has
risen
to
over
640
million
–
an
over
140%
increase
since
2019.
Gaming’s
entertainment
versatility
swallows
all
mediums.
How
Web3
Changes
the
Game
Implementing
Web3
technology
into
the
stack
would
transform
the
AAA
economic
model,
opening
up
the
marketplaces
to
a
global
audience
of
gamers
and
enthusiasts
who
watch
more
than
play
and
want
to
participate
in
the
economy.
Game
companies
will
not
only
be
able
to
monetize
in
their
walled
garden,
but
also
every
global
NFT
marketplace.
In
addition
to
opening
up
to
a
wider
marketplace,
the
scope
of
purchases
would
skyrocket.
Land,
assets,
cars,
skins,
gear,
and
more
would
be
open
to
buyers,
fans,
and
enthusiasts
across
the
globe.
This
all
sounds
great,
but
until
now,
it
has
not
been
impactful
due
to
technical
complexity,
UX
friction,
and
scaling
issues.
These
have
been
a
significant
blocker
to
mass
adoption.
The
answer
to
this
UX
and
scalability
conundrum
is
implementing
an
invisible
blockchain
experience
–
and
here’s
how
it
would
look.
Thanks
to
recent
innovations
in
UX-focused
products
like
wallets,
fiat
ramps,
frictionless
compliance
tools,
and
easy-to-use
marketplaces,
the
UX
hurdles
have
been
handled.
Still,
scaling
to
serve
hundreds
of
millions
of
smart
contracts
and
daily
transactions
across
one
blockchain
has
been
a
blocker.
Thanks
to
the
help
of
modular
appchains,
this
global
scaling
challenge
is
finally
being
addressed.
To
be
clear,
this
type
of
game
obviously
wouldn’t
be
built
on
the
ETH
mainnet
and
would
frankly
be
too
much
for
any
one
monolithic
chain
in
its
current
state.
Too
much
happens
in
a
major
global
game
at
one
time
for
the
legacy
technology
of
monolithic
chains
or
rollups
to
handle
if
a
true
on-chain
gaming
experience
is
desired.
This
is
primarily
due
to
congestion
caused
by
“gas
hog”
applications
or
“noisy
neighbors.”
The
only
real
solution
would
be
a
horizontally
scalable
blockchain
coupled
with
modularity
and
a
gas-free
experience
for
end
users.
Modularity
Appchains
Solve
the
Noisy
Neighbor
Problem
The
“noisy
neighbor”
problem
is
a
significant
hurdle
in
blockchain
networks,
where
one
resource-hungry
application
can
monopolize
network
resources,
causing
performance
issues
and
security
risks
for
all
users.
This
issue
resembles
a
loud
tenant
in
an
apartment
building
disrupting
the
entire
complex.
In
blockchain,
a
single
application
consuming
excessive
resources
can
create
bottlenecks,
slow
down
transactions,
and
increase
latency
for
everyone
sharing
the
network.
This
can
be
particularly
problematic
with
popular
gaming
or
viral
AI
apps
driving
up
blockspace
prices
and
creating
network
slowdowns.
Modular
appchains
address
these
scalability
challenges
through
horizontal
scalability
and
modularity.
They
offer
a
solution
that
enhances
the
performance
and
security
of
decentralized
applications
by
operating
as
independent
blockchain
networks
within
a
larger
ecosystem.
Each
appchain
functions
like
a
soundproof
apartment,
ensuring
that
a
disruptive
application
on
one
chain
doesn’t
affect
others.
Read
more:
David
Z
Morris
–
5
Blockchain
Games:
What
Works
and
What
Doesn’t
Each
modular
appchain
has
its
own
dedicated
computational
power,
storage,
and
bandwidth,
preventing
any
single
application
from
hogging
resources
and
maintaining
balance
across
the
network.
Despite
their
independence,
these
appchains
inherit
security
properties
from
the
entire
network
of
nodes,
providing
robust
protection
similar
to
a
high-security
building
where
each
apartment
benefits
from
overall
security
measures.
Modular
appchains
also
support
seamless
chain
communication,
allowing
applications
to
interact,
bridge,
and
share
data
securely
with
zero
fees.
This
ensures
that
while
residents
enjoy
privacy,
they
can
still
collaborate
and
share
information
when
needed.
The
Web3
industry
is
now
equipped
with
the
technology
to
support
the
next
generation
of
AAA
gaming,
aiming
for
an
“Invisible
web3
Experience”
where
players
simply
engage
with
games
in
a
global
marketplace
without
concern
for
the
underlying
technology.
This
creates
a
win-win
scenario,
generating
more
revenue
for
games
and
offering
a
superior
experience
to
players
with
enhanced
transparency,
trustlessness,
and
true
asset
ownership.
The
infrastructure
is
ready
––
the
next
step
is
the
arrival
of
big
games.
Note:
The
views
expressed
in
this
column
are
those
of
the
author
and
do
not
necessarily
reflect
those
of
CoinDesk,
Inc.
or
its
owners
and
affiliates.