Stonks Go Moon Podcast: XAI and Confiction Labs – Blockchain Gaming’s Future
Staff Writer • 2024-10-16
Streaming from South Africa to the world, the Stonks Go Moon Podcast dives into gaming, blockchain, and beyond. This episode, Rocco Strydom welcomes two powerhouses: Soby Saqib from XAI and Igor Tanzil from Confiction Labs. Together, they break down how blockchain, abstraction, and cross-platform play are reshaping the future of gaming. Rift Storm's Rise: The Making of a Hit "Rift Storm has been in development since 2021," said Igor Tanzil, reflecting on the shooter-roguelite’s rapid rise. The game captivated over 22,000 players in its Steam pre-alpha playtest—a remarkable achievement that stunned even the development team. Tanzil believes that Rift Storm hit the perfect blend between fast-paced twin-stick shooter mechanics and roguelike gameplay. “It’s Diablo with guns,” he joked. "We took that visceral joy you get from clicking and killing, added emergent systems and cooperative play, and came out with a game that players really love.” He credits the resurgence in extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov for inspiring the game’s genre evolution. But not all studios get it right. “Some teams spend years without finding their sweet spot. Shoutout to Ubisoft—you’ve spent three years, but you still don’t know what’s going on!” Rocco quipped. Blockchain: Abstraction Is the Key Soby Saqib, a seasoned crypto veteran from XAI, tackled one of the biggest hurdles blockchain games face: user experience. “We’ve invested a lot into abstraction—removing complexity so the player doesn’t feel burdened by blockchain mechanics,” Soby explained. “For example, instead of writing down a 12-word seed phrase, we offer social logins with email-based recovery. Gas fees? Covered by us—players never see them.” The goal, according to Soby, is to ensure that blockchain-based games can offer the same seamless experience players expect from traditional platforms. “We’re talking 75x faster speeds than Ethereum or Ronin by building on Arbitrum’s Layer 3, so gamers won’t even realize they’re interacting with blockchain infrastructure,” he said. “All the benefits of asset ownership, but with the speed and UX of Web2.” The New Economy of Web3 Gaming Gaming is evolving, and Web3 gaming introduces economic scalability that legacy models simply cannot match. Soby explained: “Let’s say a player creates an item in Roblox or Minecraft worth $2. In today’s system, the admin and transaction costs are so high, it’s not even worth it to cash out.” In developing regions, even small payouts can have a significant impact. “A kid earning $100 a month playing games? That’s life-changing in many parts of the world. Even in the West, that’s extra income,” Soby pointed out. “It’s the future: you get intrinsic fun, and you get paid—why would you ever go back to free-to-play?” Building with AI and Cross-Platform Play The two guests also teased exciting developments around AI integration and cross-platform play. “We just announced a $10 million grant program,” Soby shared. “We’re exploring AI-driven gameplay elements—whether it's NPC behavior or AI-generated levels, it’s a fascinating area.” For Tanzil, the ability to port Rift Storm across platforms is paramount. “From day one, our codebase was built to support console, mobile, and PC,” he revealed. “We’ve spoken with Sony, Xbox, and Google to ensure a seamless rollout when the time is right.” When Rocco asked if Microsoft still has its heart in gaming, Tanzil disagreed with the skepticism. “The Xbox ecosystem is thriving with legacy franchises and services like Game Pass. We want Rift Storm to live there too,” he affirmed. Web3 Distribution: Beyond Steam and Epic Distribution, both digital and physical, is king. “It’s like cereal boxes on a grocery shelf,” Soby analogized. “The more shelf space—whether on Steam, Epic, or consoles—the more visibility your game gets.” XAI works closely with publishers to ensure that Web3 titles can penetrate traditional platforms. Looking ahead, Soby hinted at the possibility of games becoming multichain, supporting region-specific blockchains to facilitate local fiat integration. “A game targeting South Korea might partner with a Korean blockchain for payments while also working with Arbitrum globally. That’s the future,” he predicted. Leveraging User-Generated Content and Community Feedback Both guests agreed that user-generated content (UGC) is essential for building a strong game community. “We constantly engage with content creators and influencers,” said Tanzil. “Their insights are invaluable. Some of the best game features come from the offhand comments of streamers and players.” “Every new batch of players teaches us something,” he continued. “Our playtests, running since 2021, keep us in tune with what gamers want. We incorporate feedback, iterate fast, and onboard more creators with each phase.”
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