Ultra’s upcoming gaming marketplace will enable users to resell digital games
Ultra, a prominent Web3 gaming company, is preparing to unveil its Ultra Games marketplace by the end of this month, boasting a one-of-a-kind feature that permits players to resell digital games they have previously acquired.
Competing against Steam and Epic Games Store
Ultra Gaming, which is founded on the Ultra layer-1 network and is a fork of the EOS blockchain, has been in the works since 2018. Since then, the project has been gradually expanding its ecosystem with additional features such as the Ultra Wallet, the forthcoming Ultra Arena esports platform, and the Uniq Marketplace for NFTs.
Ultra has announced that its upcoming digital PC gaming marketplace will launch with a collection of 60 to 70 games. The platform will feature a mix of both Web3 games, such as Cards of Eternity, Cross the Ages, and MARS4, as well as Web2 games with no blockchain elements, such as Syberia, Lords of the Fallen, and The Walking Dead: The Telltale Ultimate Series.
Allowing clients to resell games from their libraries
Ultra’s Uniq Marketplace allows for game resale through tokenized license rights, potentially providing publishers with an additional source of revenue. According to Nicolas Gilot, Ultra’s Co-CEO, game studios could establish a no-resale period, set a minimum price point, and determine a royalty percentage that would be paid automatically.
Nicolas also noted that, besides the Epic Games Store, traditional digital game marketplaces haven’t backed blockchain-based gaming. He added that marketplaces like Steam, which don’t support Web3 games, don’t provide publishers with as much flexibility to explore novel revenue streams.
Ultra Games has established a guideline for publishers utilizing their new business model: the royalty charge cannot surpass 70% of the sale price. Nicolas Gilot, the Co-CEO of Ultra, argues that if the gamer does not receive a significant amount for selling a game, they wouldn’t be motivated to sell it. Hence, every game developer must determine the appropriate royalty percentage for their game.
The NFT assets of Ultra Games, known as “Uniqs,” are owned by the users, enabling developers and publishers to generate digital collectibles that can be traded and act as tokenized game licenses. This unique feature provides the opportunity for these assets to be utilized in multiple games, which is uncommon for such assets. Gilot expressed that this opens the possibility for creative business concepts.
Web3 elements will be hidden to encourage adoption from non-crypto users
Ultra Games will allow users who are not familiar with Web3 to sign up using their phone numbers and email addresses. The cryptographic elements, including wallet addresses, will be concealed behind a Web2 interface, but users will have the option to access them if necessary. Furthermore, the platform will not levy any fees for network gas when users make transactions.
According to Gilot, Ultra Games places a strong emphasis on supporting publishers and developers who prioritize NFTs. By allowing the resale of digital games, developers have an opportunity to earn revenue from them rather than leaving potential profits on the table for hackers or other individuals. Although digital collectibles and assets have already gained popularity in games like Counter-Strike, user-owned NFT assets provide even more transparency and opportunities for developers and publishers to explore.
Later this month, Ultra Games plans to launch these features and capabilities to the general public. The extent to which they will be successful will depend on the level of developer adoption and gamer interest. Gilot anticipates that studios will be drawn to Ultra because of its distinctive revenue-generating options and the company’s partnerships with industry leaders like Web3 metaverse game The Sandbox, Atari, and gaming giant Ubisoft.
