The reach of blockchain technology and Web3 is further than we can anticipate, with the majority of the benefits currently theoretical or completely unknown. One area that has interested me for some time is how gamer identity — really digital identity entirely — can evolve.
Token Gamer and NFT Insider have decided to combine forces to launch a weekly podcast, Mint One (formerly WAX Lyrical). John Nichols of NFT Insider and I will discuss a new topic every week, as well as feature special guests. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, make sure you let us know through the Token Gamer Discord or Twitter, or the NFT Insider Discord or Twitter.
In the last episode, John and I went through the discussion topics of the major panels at Enter the Metaverse ahead of the event. This week, we’re investigating one element in depth.
Mint One, Episode 47: Digital Identity in Web3
If you listen to the Mint One podcast religiously — and you really should — you may have noticed that I have brought up gamer identity a few times. It’s one of the unsung benefits of blockchain technology and I believe it’ll become a core feature of Web3. We hadn’t dedicated an episode to it before now, so it was high time, but let me give you an overview.
Since only gaming, a gamer’s identity has been more or less their username. This fragile and disconnected method rarely ran a strand of “you” between games even if you insisted on using the exact same name every time. It’s a shame, really, all those gamer friends you’ve made and lost over the years that you will almost certainly never cross paths with again.
Conversely, it is so easy to be someone new almost every time you log on that there is another important disconnect: between you online and you in reality. Many gamers — and I am no doubt guilty of this from time to time — will say things that would never come near their lips away from a computer.
So, persistent, blockchain-based identities could allow your persona to move with you from game to game, carrying with it your history, achievements, and connections. In turn, that may dissuade toxic players from sullying their good name for fear of future ramifications. As desirable as this sounds, however, it isn’t without its own risks and issues as you will find out in this episode.
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