The wealth of talent that is moving en masse to Web3 and blockchain gaming is something we have been closely monitoring. Whether it’s pioneers of Web2 like Jack Dorsey, the Head of YouTube Gaming, or Justin Kan, founder of Twitch, there is an undeniable trend. Now, ex-VP of Warner Bros. Games Boston has joined FTX to head up gaming partnerships in their newest division.
Steve Sadin Joins FTX Gaming
FTX is a multifaceted crypto organization at this stage — and one of my favorites — offering the best-in-class portfolio app as well as low barrier of entry onboarding. Their move into blockchain gaming with their FTX Gaming division was one I was pleased to see. The blockchain gaming sector is in a precarious position and I would recommend this week’s podcast episode for an explanation as I go into depth about why I think that is.
Steve Sadin makes for an impressive addition to any gaming-centric outfit, and I’m pleased to see it’s in the crypto space. Sadin has been VP of Product at SEGA and then VP & Studio Head of WB Games Boston, working on major IPs in his time at both companies.
There is of course no guarantee that simply because someone of good standing in the gaming industry moves to blockchain gaming, they bring with them the intentions and sagacity to improve the space. From Sadin’s comments made so far, primarily to Decrypt, he is at the very least in tune with the current landscape. One quote stood out in particular and that is the following:
“Our primary focus is providing Web3 support for gaming companies, Whether you’re a one-person indie or a global developer/publisher with tens of thousands of employees, we want to help enable you to safely and easily build and operate fully compliant crypto games that will be enjoyed for decades.”
Steve Sadin, Decrypt
While the first half of that passage is nice, it doesn’t tell us much about FTX Gaming’s strategy or how they plan to support indie developers. I have no reason to doubt they will, but I do hope they follow through. It is the indie developers who have pioneered the space into existence while AAA studios cowered behind negative focus group results and refreshed their Twitter notifications after mentioning NFTs to monitor the backlash.
The end of that quote, and what Decrypt has implied to have been added to it, brings about a faintly glowing feeling of hope for me. The long-term vision of blockchain gaming is what excites me most and Decrypt wrote in their subheading that Sadin claimed gamers will keep assets from blockchain games for decades. This is one component of NFTs’ role within gaming that had me dive into the space in 2018. The thought of looting a legendary item in a game and keeping that in your wallet for decades adds a dimension of significance to the acquisition far beyond the excitement that already exists.
Sadin’s move to FTX is yet another example of the growing trend: the river of talent flowing from Web2 to Web3 is nearing torrents.
