Non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Magic Eden is continuing its expansion into Web3 gaming by forming the Web3 Games Collective (W3GC) with several leading publishers and communities.
The new industry group, unveiled at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Friday, is focused on driving mass adoption of Web3 gaming by leveraging its collective expertise and resources. Members of W3GC include Web3 gaming decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) Game7, decentralized guild network Yield Guild Games and Web3 gaming publisher Fenix Games.
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“We’ve seen an emphasis on infrastructure investment for blockchain games, and many teams are doing great work tackling important problems in the technology and services ‘stack’” said Steven Chen, core contributor at Game7. “A focus on bringing in more quality games and [intellectual property] will drive the sector forward, as we saw with PC, console and mobile games.”
Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG, said in a statement that discovering and accessing Web3 games remains too complicated for the average user. "Working with a DAO like Game7 and a game publisher like Fenix Games enables YGG to address the industry's challenges by simplifying the landscape and growing the ecosystem for mass adoption."
The group also hopes to "de-risk" the space for investors and developers and help find and scale a blockchain "mega-hit" that will bring in new users.
Magic Eden has expressed a growing interest in Web3 gaming in recent months. In December, the company named former Electronic Arts executive Chris Akhavan as its chief gaming officer, and, in February, Magic Eden Ventures invested in 11 Web3 gaming studios.
The expansion continued earlier this month with "Mint Madness, an initiative to launch a dozen games on three blockchains through March. On Wednesday, the company launched Magic Eden Games, a platform aimed at helping game studios connect with players and share game updates.
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