Andrew Saunders, Chief Marketing + Growth of SKALE, has an impressive track record spanning Web2 and Web3. He has engineered campaigns and partnerships for over 250 global brands, including Amazon, Apple, Nike, and many more. With campaigns ranging from $150K to $150M, Andrew's innovative approach has generated over $1B in revenue streams and earned him recognition in major publications and speaking engagements across the globe.
In this episode, Andrew shares his expertise on the convergence of gaming and blockchain technology, drawing from his extensive experience in cloud gaming at Amazon and his current role at SKALE. Our conversation delves into the transformative potential of web3 gaming as a catalyst for widespread blockchain adoption. By leveraging the massive reach and popularity of gaming, web3 has the opportunity to introduce blockchain technology to a vast new audience, making it accessible, engaging, and user-friendly.
Tune into my full conversation with Andrew here:
Now, let’s explore this idea of how gaming can be the accelerant to blockchain adoption with these four quotes from Andrew in the episode:
- [3:29] Gaming: The Gateway to Blockchain Adoption
- [15:52] Simplifying Web3 for Mainstream Adoption
- [31:27] SKALE: Eliminating Gas Fees for Frictionless Gaming
- [38:15] Seamless Integration: Making Blockchain Invisible
1. Gaming: The Gateway to Blockchain Adoption
The gaming industry has reached massive scale, with some online games boasting player bases in the hundreds of millions. Saunders sees this as a tremendous opportunity for blockchain adoption:
"When considering how to bring people on-chain, I always look at three different buckets. One of them is gaming. If you examine the massive online games that have emerged over the years and the size of their player bases, it's clear that if someone can create an incredible, fun-to-play game franchise, it could become a massive onboarding tool."
By leveraging the popularity and reach of gaming, web3 has the potential to introduce blockchain technology to a vast new audience. The key is to create engaging, enjoyable gaming experiences that seamlessly integrate blockchain features, making the technology accessible and appealing to mainstream users.
2. Simplifying Web3 for Mainstream Adoption
One of the main barriers to mainstream blockchain adoption is the technical complexity involved. From setting up wallets to managing transactions, the current user experience can be daunting for the average person. Saunders believes that abstracting away these complexities is crucial for web3 gaming to thrive:
"Blockchain is still technical and cumbersome, with barriers for the average person, such as setting up wallets, wallet connects, and processing transactions. I think what's going to happen in the industry is that a lot of this will be abstracted and removed."
By simplifying the user experience and hiding the blockchain backend, web3 games can attract a wider audience. Players should be able to dive into a game without worrying about the underlying technology, just as they do with traditional gaming platforms. This abstraction layer is essential for making web3 gaming accessible and appealing to the masses.
3. SKALE: Eliminating Gas Fees for Frictionless Gaming
One specific technical hurdle for web3 gaming is the issue of gas fees. In many blockchain ecosystems, users must pay a small fee for each transaction, which can quickly add up and disrupt the gaming experience. SKALE addresses this problem by offering gas-free transactions, as Saunders explains:
"With SKALE, you're playing a game without having to stop every five minutes to process a transaction or pay a gas fee. You simply play the game and enjoy it."
By eliminating gas fees, SKALE removes a significant source of friction for gamers. This makes web3 gaming more accessible, especially for players in regions where even small transaction fees can be a barrier to entry. Gas-free transactions also enable a more seamless and immersive gaming experience, as players can focus on the game itself rather than managing their cryptocurrency wallet.
4. Seamless Integration: Making Blockchain Invisible
Building on the idea of abstracting away technical complexities, Saunders emphasizes how SKALE enables web3 games to provide a user experience that is indistinguishable from traditional gaming:
"If games use a technology like SKALE, there's no friction. When you played a game 20 years ago, you signed up online and started playing. With SKALE, you can effectively have that same experience. Case in point, the games on the Epic game store—you download them and just start playing."
By offering a seamless, familiar gaming experience, SKALE-powered web3 games can attract players who might otherwise be hesitant to engage with blockchain technology. The blockchain elements become invisible to the user, allowing them to enjoy the game without any extra hurdles or learning curve. This smooth onboarding process is critical for driving mainstream adoption of web3 gaming.
