Forte launched last month to solve a specific problem in gaming: how to better align player engagement and developer business models. New platforms enable new models: cloud and mobile evolved the gaming industry from shrink-wrapped discs delivering static experiences to free-to-play, social games that were constantly evolving and accessible across all platforms. This shift not only introduced business model innovations, such as in-game items, but also new user behavioral models such as virtual self-expression and online congregation. But on the way to the Metaverse, the balance between monetization and user fun became difficult to manage and were often in tension.

The parallel dynamic is that games have been a core driver of adoption for new platforms: personal computers, mobile, social and VR. The thesis extends that similar forces are at play between gaming and crypto and there are exciting early indicators of this. At Xpring, our core belief is that crypto presents an opportunity to realign interests and incentives of marketplaces of all types, including between gamers and developers. The potential is that, by using crypto, the unidirectional relationship (developer sells virtual item to user) can evolve into something radically more powerful: fully functioning peer-to-peer economies where users are primary and active participants.

Forte’s platform design aligns well with where crypto is headed, with a sharded, application-specific architecture and coherent protocol-based abstractions for cross-chain interactions. Towards this, we’ve worked with the Forte team from early on to deeply embed Interledger, Codius and XRP in the platform architecture to maximize cross-chain interoperability, security and liquidity. With this technical foundation bundled other core technologies, tools, and easy-to-use services, Forte is building one of the most exciting platforms that will enable developers to reach mass consumer audiences.

We have continually been impressed by the Forte team. With backgrounds from Kabam, GarageGames, Unity and others important companies, they have been leaders in transforming the gaming industry. They have a deep understanding of the economic and technical potential of crypto and ask the important questions around how concepts such as scarcity and liquidity can apply to game developers’ needs. They are intensely focused on great gameplay, new user behavioral models and delivering the best experience for developers and players. We believe Forte is the right team to tackle these problems and ultimately deliver mainstream adoption for crypto-based games — you can learn more about their approach here.

We’re thrilled to partner with Forte on this journey to realign the economic relationship between players and developers, as well as deliver new gaming experiences that will begin to diverge from legacy formats and into novel new territories.