The video game and toy retailer has launched a website and smart contract for a new platform running on Ethereum. Further, there might also be a GameStop token launched as the tracker “GME” has been set on the contract. Details are still scarce at this point, but it’s tough not to speculate on possibilities while we wait to hear more. The Wall Street Bets Reddit community arguably played a crucial role in the direction Gamestop has taken forward. It’s hard to imagine the /r WSB crew not taking notice of GME crypto ambitions, and that’s where one’s mind can really run wild! We won’t get carried away projecting Gamestop's next moves or Wall Street Bets' interest in them just yet. It’s a little early to gauge, though a path in this new direction has certainly been suggested before!
This is good idea
— Pomp 🌪 (@APompliano) February 24, 2021
It’s very exciting to see this obviously fitting merger of real-world games, toys, and collectibles companies with the digital realm of crypto and NFTs. This news makes me think of Zed Run and its recent commercial partnership success. For those unfamiliar with Zed Run, you should watch a quick live stream race.
In January this year the classic video game company Atari signed a partnership deal with Virtually Human Studio (VHS), the creators of Zed Run, to lend its intellectual property for utilization within the Zed Run ecosystem. This is planned to be a long-term agreement between VHS and ATARI, indicating plenty more future content and collaboration between the two partners. Some of the in-game content being provided by Atari includes games assets from classic titles like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Pong, and more.
“Working together with VHS enables us to introduce our loyal ATARI community to an exciting new game such as ZED RUN as we take steps to play our part in shaping the blockchain gaming and technology space.”Fred Chesnais – CEO, Atari
Of course, Atari has taken a broad interest in Ethereum and cryptocurrency over the past year, both launching their own erc20 token, ATRI, as well as partnering with Decentral Games with plans of a virtual casino built in Decentraland, where the gaming platform will showcase classic video games and Atari-themed NFTs as well. Interesting moves for the classic gaming company and the success of projects like Zed Run just might be proving them right!
Zed Run has experienced great adoption and reception over the course of its beta program. The project and community have both built the strong foundation necessary for a sustainable NFT gaming project. Joining forces with Atari to further focus on the potential of collectible in-game items really takes things to the next level, opening up exciting possibilities for both business partners.
The open ecosystems which Ethereum allows is essential to the long term ambitions of such a game. It enables these digital assets to be integrated and utilized within various other virtual worlds. VHS recently purchased virtual real estate in Decentraland, where Zed Run users will be able to socialize with each other, watch races, and much much more!
"We've talked about AR and VR since the day we started this… You could put a headset on and see some horses run up the Las Vegas strip, or pull your phone out and simulate them running through the actual environment in front of you."-Chris Laurent
The ZED Augmented Reality (AR) application is a one-stop shop for ZED horse owners and delivers a real horse ownership experience.
With ZED AR, you can bring your digital racehorses out of their virtual stables and into the real world.
Using the latest AR technologies, users can place multiple racehorses into their environment and interact with them.
Zed Runs tightly integrated, even cornerstone in-game digital ownership aspect of the owner/player experience provides a crucial element becoming evermore mainstream. Each individual's engagement with the game is unique, in turn, a relationship of sorts forms with the accompanying digital assets. Initiatives like these are taking on bigger and bigger roles shaping the metaverse which is slowly but surely being constructed before our eyes. With this in mind, it’s not hard to imagine why Gamestop might not be the only brick and mortar company interested in the potential of crossing over into the digital world of crypto and NFTs...
“Zeros and ones but still a brick.”
The Lego Group tweeted and quickly deleted a short teaser alluding to crypto and NFTs. Ashnflash’s video doesn’t give us a whole lot to go on, but with all the great crossover news at hand we’re already busy connecting dots, and it’s clear. People want to care about what they spend time interacting with. Great games and toys don’t have to be traditional, or tangible, or come from a brick and mortar store for players to love them. In turn, traditional toy and game storefronts can bring their users what they’ve always hoped to deliver them, perhaps more effectively than ever before, within this exciting, expansive, and undeniably fitting new-age digital realm.
