The Web3 Gaming Renaissance in the Asia Pacific with Serkan Toto
Fresh out of the studio, Serkan Toto, CEO & founder of Kantan Games joined us in a discussion to discuss web3 gaming after the three eras of gaming in the Asia Pacific: console, desktop and mobile. Serkan explained what makes web3 games different from the past and explained why the next breakout of web3 games would likely be from Asia. He also explored the debate that divided the traditional hardcore gaming and web3 gaming community and elaborated on the strengths and weaknesses of web3 gaming in the Asia Pacific. Last but not least, he offered his perspectives on what a great web3 game would look like.
"Yes a lot of the blockchain companies don't know how to make games, and a lot of the game companies don't know how to incorporate blockchain into their games properly; there's really some truth to that. And there are some companies that put together both things like Animoca Brands for example, which started also as a gaming company and then morphed into a crypto gaming company. So they're trying to put these areas of ex expertise in together." - Serkan Toto
Introduction
- Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of Kantan Games (@serkantoto, Linkedin)
- Since our last conversation, what have you been up to?
- Based on our long relationship since 2008 and we have all evolved in our careers over the past decade, what are the lessons that you can share with my audience about your career journey?
The Web3 Gaming Renaissance in the Asia Pacific with Serkan Toto
- How to build the winning game & Blockchain Gaming in Web3
- Given your experience with console, desktop and mobile gaming, can you set the context and definition for web3 gaming?
- What distinguishes web3 or blockchain gaming from the past waves of gaming?
- Why are the well-known traditional gamers and game makers against the concept of web3 gaming and the concept of play to earn or play & earn depending on who you talk to?
- What is the one thing you know about web3 gaming that not many people know?
- What are the major weaknesses of web3 or blockchain gaming in the Asia Pacific or globally that you have observed from talking to many game developers out there?
- One interesting challenge for web3 games is the embedded capital market that sits inside the game, say, for example, the Ronin Chain. Do you think that this will lead to regulation from financial institutions on these games as assets such as NFTs and tokens can be securitized?
- Based on recent web3 gaming trends, for example, Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam are countries with growing gaming communities specifically, the rise of guilds in web3 games. What is the mental model for web3 gaming companies in engaging these communities, for example, Yield Guild Games (YGG) to accelerate the go-to-market strategy?
- How do the concepts of interoperability and scalability for web3 gaming affects the gaming industry?
- What are the key trends of web3 gaming in the Asia Pacific and specifically how has it been evolving in different countries such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and China?
- Can you share some examples of web3 gaming in the Asia Pacific?
- What are the ingredients for a great web3 game from your perspective?
- What does a great web3 game look like in the future?
Closing
- Do you have any recommendations that have inspired you recently?
- Serkan's recommendations: The Super Mario Bros Movie and Poverty: A History by Bronisław Geremek.
- How does my audience find you?
Podcast Information: The show is hosted and produced by Bernard Leong (@bernardleong, Linkedin) and Carol Yin (@CarolYujiaYin, LinkedIn). Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G.Thomas Craig (@gthomascraig, LinkedIn).
