We had a chance to connect with the CryptoBlast team and learn more about their innovative project.
Q: Can you tell me a bit of background about you and your team? What inspired you to get into blockchain / crypto games?
A: We are a mix of online and local friends who have been gaming for most of our lives. Some of us are long-time game developers and others have worked with blockchain technology for countless hours. Our game development experience is rooted in traditional 3D games with titles such as RAGE, DOOM (2016) and Wolfenstein II but we have also worked on a variety of mobile titles. Some members of our team are also old-school crypto miners with experience in blockchain development going back to 2011. In addition to this, we have a variety of contract artists and technical people helping out with our game as well.
Combining traditional 3D gaming with the blockchain is something our team has wanted to do for a while and so working together on this felt like a natural fit. For us, cryptoBLAST is about making a game that we would want to play.
Q: Tell me about how the vision for cryptoBLAST came about. What inspired you to make a game like this?
A: The inspiration for our game comes from witnessing how competitive everything in this space has become since coins like Ethereum started gaining attention. Crypto communities never stop arguing with each other in regards to their favorite altcoins. We want to see what it would be like to have gamers facing off with each other while representing their favorite crypto.
We’re big fans of action-scenes that can be found in movies like Ready Player One. We want players to feel the satisfaction of destroying their opponents while picking up crypto coins in battle at the same time.
Q: What is the basic gameplay, story, and marketplace of cryptoBLAST? How does the game and marketplace work?
A: The story is simple. It is the future and humans are assumed dead. Self-aware blockchains now seek to destroy each other for victory. You are playing your part as a soldier in this ‘crypto war’.
The game types available for open-beta will be Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch. Players can expect to throw BLAST into a wagering pot before a battle begins. Each player will begin a match with their customized weapon loadouts for different “phases” achieved during play. There will be an urgency to attain successive phase levels as fast as you can when the match starts. With higher levels, players unlock the true potential of their chosen load out including class-specific skills.
The marketplace will be host to a variety of items and weapon types ranging from standard fire weapons to rockets and bombs as well as close combat melee attachments. The first version of the game will start with unlockable weapons attained during combat. We will have more details about our marketplace, inventory, and upgrade system in the near future.
Q: What are some of the barriers you see ahead for your project and Crypto Games in general?
A: Instead of doing an ICO, we are working with a Proof-of-Work coin called BLAST. We think part of the fun of crypto is to mine for it. Starting from scratch creates a new set of challenges but it also allows for more freedom to try different things. We’re open to technology partnerships where it makes sense for us. As an example, BLAST recently joined with BlockNet and is now compatible with their cross-chain dApp platform.
Some other challenges currently going on right now we feel are being experienced throughout most of the crypto scene is the perception of value. While we think cryptocurrency and collectibles are a store of value, there still seems to be a lot of skepticism towards these ideas from people we talk to in the game industry.
Convincing gamers that crypto games are worth their time is the biggest barrier in our minds. We personally think more traditional 3D gaming experiences utilizing crypto will help bridge the gap. That is the bet we are making.
Q: Tell me about your perspective on blockchain technology and games in general. Where is this all going? and why is it important to you?
A: We first got involved with bitcoin for economic reasons such as digital scarcity. We think blockchain technology can improve the lives of everyone around the world in different ways. If we can help introduce more people to the blockchain space through an artistic medium like video games then this is where we want to be.
Q: What is your roadmap, and what plans do you have for the future for your team and your project?
A. In terms of a roadmap for the coin, the current version can be found here. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2547036.msg32185978#msg32185978
An update for this will come soon.
As for cryptoBLAST, the plan is to finish a gameplay trailer and have a playable closed-beta some time after. The open-beta will be available in 2019. We would like to do an item sale and place a rarity on that. That will come online as our coin tech evolves.
As for our team, we're seeking people that have a good amount of knowledge in multiple areas of game development and we're trying to be as efficient as possible during this process as to grow sustainably.
Q: Any key dates or milestones coming up that you would like to share? Any announcements coming up?
A: For the near future, people can look forward to in-game screenshots, a series of video clips demonstrating mobility and combat, more details about the inventory / equip / marketplace system and a gameplay trailer. We want to make sure what we show off when we do will capture the excitement and quality that gamers can expect for the release of cryptoBLAST.
If anyone would like to be part of our closed-beta, visit their website at: https://cryptoblast.io/
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