What if game money from RPG games is converted into cryptocurrencies, which could in turn be used in the crypto exchange? Users are able to generate profits with games that have been thought merely as a hobby. Introducing cryptocurrency can be a new breakthrough to games that had been popular once but lost real subscribers.

For this reason, GameXCoin (GXC) has developed “Game X Port,” a development package where games can apply a token economy, and a blockchain platform specializing in game DApps (decentralized applications). In an interview with Decenter, GXC director Huh Jeong-hwi said, “We focus on grafting a token economy onto existing games. We also developed GXC blockchain for DApp developers wishing to leave records of game assets on the blockchain network.”

The game GXC opted for first is “Flyff,” Gala Lab’s original MMORPG game. On Monday, GXC released the veta version of “Flyff for GXC” using Game X Port. The central function of “Flyff for GXC” is to confirm “FLY Coins” earned through activities in the GXC wallet application, transfer them out of the game and exchange them for cryptocurrency GXC. This is the concept applying only the token economy of blockchain technology. “If all activities inside the game are based on blockchain, it could trigger the problem of slow speed. So we grafted only the token economy through Game X Port,” Huh said.

Image of Flyff for GXC game/courtesy of GXC, edited by Park Hyun-young

One has to link the Flyff account to the GXC account to play “Flyff for GXC.” First of all, he or she has to download the “GameXPlay” mobile app that will be used as a game linkage tool and GXC wallet. This reporter downloaded the app and created the GXC account before installing the “Flyff for GXC Client” game in the web. As I entered the GXC account and the Flyff account, respectively, on the game login screen, the QR code and the OTP (one-time password) appeared on the screen. After executing the mobile app on my smartphone and scanning the QR code on the screen, the GXC account and the Flyff account were connected. Moving back and forth between the mobile phone and the web was inconvenient somewhat but the linkage process was not difficult.

Thanks to the linkage, I was able to confirm FLY Coins earned from Flyff games in the wallet of the GameXPlay app. The amount of FLY Coins being converted into cryptocurrency GXC appeared on the app screen too. I created characters and began games in earnest to obtain FLY Coins. One can get FLY Coins if he or she destroys “Mob” or breaks “Quest.” I received 12 FLY Coins by destroying a small Mob. The content came up to the GameXPlay app at once and total assets were stated as 1.2 GXC after being converted into cryptocurrency GXC. If 10,000 FLY Coins are obtained, the player can convert the coins earned inside the game into those outside of the game, exchange them for GXC and transfer them to other users. I felt like having made money through brief activity inside the game.

Enabling people to make money through games, namely introducing the reward system into games, is what GXC targets. This is an aspiration to increase game users and the cryptocurrency ecosystem. GXC director Seo Yong-deok said, “Should the token economy be introduced into games, GXC investors as well as existing game users can be attracted into the game ecosystem,” adding that “you can prevent the breakaway of users if you put in a token-earning mission after analyzing in what situations users break away most.”

Asked why the company opted for games like Flyff, he said, “Its users already number 50 million and paid and unpaid users are mixed well.” “If users seeking to get cryptocurrency compensation or those wanting to receive reward by creating contents inside the game are added, the token economy will be circulated.”

GXC plans to develop more games like Flyff. There are entry barriers from the creation of the wallet in existing game DApps and games where the token economy was already grafted, but GXC’s Game X Port lowered such barriers. That’s because game money can be exchanged for cryptocurrency if connected with the GXC account. “Like the developer of ‘Anypang’ and Kakao met to create ‘Anypang for kakao,’ we want to be the ‘for kakao’ in the blockchain-based gaming industry. We will strive to create a lot of commercialization examples of token economy games by providing the development package for existing games,” Huh said.

GXC plans to offer a blockchain platform for game DApp developers in the long run. The GXC blockchain, which was developed using EOS source codes, released its mainnet Dec. 31 last year and four EOS block producers are taking part. “Currently, the GXC blockchain consists of only a few BPs but we will head for the public blockchain for game DApps by raising BPs. Our utmost aim is to release game DApps operating well because the number of game DApp users is still small,” Huh said. /hyun@decenter.kr

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