Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, recently announced that Blankos Block Party NFT game is available on the Epic Games store from the 15th of September. The game can be downloaded for free before the 28th of September when season one will begin.
This could not come at a better time after Minecraft decided to stop accommodating NFT games in July.
At that time, people wondered whether other gaming platforms would follow. So when Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the company would not ban NFTs, there was a collective sigh of relief.
This was, however, just a re-confirmation of the company’s long-term Web3 gaming strategy, which has seen them embrace the idea of NFT games and includes a $2 billion fund to build a Web3 metaverse.
Hence, it is great to see Mythical Games’ Blankos Block Party added to the Epic Games marketplace as their first NFT game.
Blankos Block Party
Blankos Block Party NFT game is a private blockchain-based game developed by Mythical Games that brings vinyl toys to life.
Mythical Games Blankos has come a long way since they released the open Beta version in 2020. Even then, it had a fun feel to it with great graphics.
Since then, it has collected more than one million players and partnered with fashion company Burberry for NFT accessories drops. Another partnership worth mentioning is their latest partnership with Atari for a retro-themed build competition.
The Game
Blankos Block Party is an MMO sandbox game that allows you to control your Blankos NFT and play games. You can also chat with friends and make your own worlds and mini-games.
The game centers around vinyl toy culture, with the NFTs being digital representations of toys with a certain degree of rarity. Each toy NFT is designed by prominent artists and is available on the Mythical marketplace for a limited time.
To play, you first need to open an account. Additionally, not being familiar with blockchain is not a barrier to playing, as your initial Blankos character is not an NFT. You can play the game and earn “Moola” (the in-game currency) just by playing to get fantastic accessories and game items.
You can buy the Blankos NFTs using FIAT only, as the game has not integrated cryptocurrencies. Therefore, when you buy or sell digital collectibles on the Blankos Block Party marketplace, you will use and receive FIAT as payment. Mythical Games will announce if this changes.
Epic Games’ faith in Web3 gaming
Although Blankos Block Party is the first NFT game on the Epic Games store, others are sure to follow. With a $2 Billion fund received from Lego makers, KIRBI ($1 billion), and Sony ($1 billion) to build a metaverse and another Web3 gaming partnership with Gala Games, this is only the beginning.
Epic Games store has some major titles, including Fortnite. Moreover, the company is the developer behind Unreal Engine.
Pushback from gamers
As with other companies embracing blockchain, NFT, and Web3 technology, Epic Games has not been immune from criticism.
Nevertheless, they will continue to embrace these new technologies.
Addressing the criticisms in a July tweet, CEO Tim Sweeney gives his quite blunt views on the subject.
Afterthoughts
NFTs and crypto have taken a battering over the last few months, with OpenSea marketplace trading dropping over 99%. Times have changed, and the focus of NFTs has moved to in-game NFTs.
Blankos Block Party’s addition to the Epic Games store, plus the partnership with Gala Games, brings good news to an otherwise bleak landscape for NFTs.
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