VP of Gaming at Polygon excited about game releases in 2023
Polygon, the most used layer 2 blockchain, is expected to deliver high-quality games in 2023, according to Urvit Goel, the Vice President of games at Polygon.
Blockchain gaming is maturing as an industry
Goel believes that blockchain and gaming will be judged on all the promises made about great games. He is driving the adoption of blockchain technology, connecting developers to technology and marketplaces to build better products.
Polygon had previously set up a $100 million fund to invest in Web3 gaming and other verticals, which Goel believes is getting closer to being a mature industry, with builders pushing through and removing the noise. The bear market has left the high-quality builders in the space, who are committed to building fun experiences for customers.
Goel does not view other blockchains as competition. Instead, he believes that different blockchains are trying different experiments. He thinks that a rising tide lifts all boats, and the industry is still in the early stages of blockchain gaming.
Polygon at the forefront of Web3 gaming
Polygon NFTs have been recently integrated into popular NFT marketplaces, like Magic Eden and Binance, and top games, such as The Sandbox, Dencentral Games, and more. The company has also launched partners such as Fractal.
Polygon has made hundreds of investments so far, with the $100 million fund operational and the company looking at the builders applying to it. Other funds are also putting money into blockchain games, which helps because Polygon isn’t planning to bankroll blockchain game studios on its own completely.
Goel joined Polygon about a year ago, diving into Web3 for the first time after a decade of service at Amazon in game-related roles. He serves as the head of games at Polygon, reporting to Ryan Wyatt, who previously headed YouTube Gaming and now oversees all of the vertical industries at Polygon. Goel believes that Polygon is well-positioned to be a leader in the industry because of its Web3 infrastructure and experience in building scalable systems.
According to Goel, the number of active wallets has been consistently going back up in recent months, and games are accounting for a large part of all blockchain transactions. He thinks that players will play games whether the industry is in a bull or bear market, and there are a lot of free digital collectibles ready to drive the top of the funnel. Goel also noted that Square Enix is working on Symbiogenesis with Polygon.
Goel believes that the focus should be on helping developers get to the market, and consumers will tell us what they like. He said that the builders in the industry have the runway to build great games, or it’s large Web2 developers who have Web3 initiatives and can continue to build.
