Blockchain, NFTs, Crypto, and Gaming: Much Ado About Something TBD

This IDC Market Perspective has three main parts: a primer on consumer-facing blockchain, NFTs, and crypto for those who may be unfamiliar with this technology; five gaming-specific use cases that were featured or touched on at GDC 2022 (i.e., Sky Mavis' Axie Infinity, Wemade's MIR4, WHITE SANDS' White Sands Game, Pixowl's The Sandbox, and Dapper Labs' CryptoKitties) that help clarify how gaming and blockchain are currently connected; and IDC's assessment of what the combination of gaming with blockchain, crypto, and NFT technology may help unlock for marketplace vendors in 2023+."While it remains early days for the connection between blockchain tech and gaming tech, and while the 'crypto crash' of 2Q22 shined a very different light on this potentially important bridge, it's clear that several game developers and publishers have rolled out interesting experiments at the intersection of gaming and blockchain tech, and a few of them are working on novel approaches that could help unlock untapped value for a range of vendors and indie content developers next year." - Lewis Ward, research director, Gaming and VR/AR, IDC