New layer one blockchain Sui already has over 40 gaming projects in development
Sui, the new layer-1 blockchain network, has already gathered more than 40 games building on its network after launching its mainnet on Wednesday. The protocol has managed to attract game makers due to its unique technical specifications and a different approach to on-chain assets.
Horizontal scaling – can it make a difference?
Pepe and the recent memecoin hype have caused Ethereum fees to once again surge, highlighting the need for solutions. Although still untested, Sui may be a viable alternative as it processes transactions in parallel and scales horizontally by adding more nodes, thus keeping transaction fees low as more games and dapps come online.
Dynamically-updated NFTs and an “object-based” model may also prove appealing to game designers, Sui creator Mysten Labs claims. Sui is not Ethereum-compatible via the Ethereum Virtual Machine, but Mysten Labs believes the network’s innate gaming appeal will onboard mainstream gamers.
Anthony Palma, the Head of Gaming Partnerships at Mysten Labs, said that Sui’s mission is to “go after great games built by great game developers that want to leverage Web3 to enhance their player experience and provide more engagement and agency.”
Priority on gameplay over blockchain mechanics
Palma emphasized the gameplay before any crypto elements, an approach that other firms, including Magic Eden, Ava Labs, Solana Foundation, and Gala Games, have expressed in recent months. Sui is an “object-based” chain, which is well-optimized for games consisting of hundreds, if not thousands, of in-game objects created in game engines like Unreal Engine 5 or Unity.
Palma believes that Sui allows game developers to more easily and seamlessly evolve in-game asset NFTs over time, allowing Sui’s on-chain assets to change dynamically in real-time as players level up items like a sword. Rival player kills and achievements secured with specific items can be added to that item’s metadata automatically, allowing players to “write” their own histories with each item as they play.
Palma argued that such dynamic items are possible on Sui without having to burn and reissue items to reflect the new data, as developers might on other blockchain networks.
Deep connections with web3 gaming studios
Mysten Labs has been working closely with game developers, with a Walking Dead game and Final Stardust from Orange Comet, Project Eluune from Arrivant, and Run Legends from Talofa Games, as well as metaverse game Worlds Beyond and the Overwatch-esque Bushi, set to launch on Sui over the next month.
Ghost Ivy, a Web3 game studio building a first-person shooter (FPS) game called Haven’s Compass for PC and mobile, chose Sui because of its “usability” for gaming. Abyss World is another Web3 game in development from Metagame Industries that will leverage Sui in a number of ways.
