Sony PlayStation filed a new patent, hinting that they are now going to use NFTs to track in-game assets. This will become a novel PlayStation Web3 solution to use the distributed ledger and blockchain technology for creating, using, and modifying in-game assets. The patent is called “Tracking Unique In-Game Digital Assets Using Tokens on a Distributed Ledger.”
Quick Take:
- Sony PlayStation filed a patent to use NFTs for tracking in-game assets.
- The PlayStation Web3’s new tracking system is called “Tracking Unique In-Game Digital Assets Using Tokens on a Distributed Ledger.”
- Xbox and Microsoft also concur that NFTs can be used to deliver “some interesting things” in the future.
According to the filing, digital assets can refer to in-game items or characters, as well as gameplay moments such as video clips or images. There are no Web3 terminologies in the document. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the entire system is powered by blockchain technology.
For example, the patent states that once a digital asset is created, a distributed ledger (a.k.a. blockchain) tracking the asset’s history will be created and stored across devices. This asset could also be tokenized, giving it a unique identifier and metadata, similar to how NFTs work today.
“Changes to properties of the digital asset, such as ownership, visual appearance, or metadata, can be identified in a request to update the history. A new block can be generated for, and appended to, the distributed ledger identifying the changes to the history of the digital asset. The new block can include hashes of previous blocks,” wrote Sony in the filing.
Sony Playstation Embarks Web3 Journey Via NFTs and their Applications
An NFT can gain more value if an individual can transfer it across blockchains or other platforms. Sony already has several components associated with NFTs and their technology. For this application, Sony is working with Thera Labs to create and launch 3D NFTs. These NFTs will be compatible with spatial reality displays.
This means that individuals can view these NFTs in mixed reality. Technologies like Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality are making great headways today. In this, Sony is leveraging this rising trend and integrating NFTs with them, and representing PlayStation Web3 to the next level. Moreover, Sony Music is also looking to file a trademark for their Columbia Records logo to use it for NFT releases.
Sony is taking an example of the baseball card collection systems. If the users can transfer the card, they can also experiment with the NFTs that hold some value for the owners.
At present, Sony is the only organization taking this route. Xbox, a PlayStation competitor, only hints at using NFTs at this level. However, Microsoft’s Head of Gaming, Phil Spencer, says that gaming and NFTs can lead to some interesting things. The focus will be on the play-to-earn mechanism. However, Mr Phil also urges us to proceed with caution.
NFTs Have Potential – Gaming Studios
In addition to Sony’s PlayStation Web3, several gaming studios are using NFT technology for a wide range of purposes. Also, this includes Square Enix launching its Symbiogenesis NFT project, where users will get an NFT-based interactive experience. Atari also launched its NFT collection in association with Butcher Billy.
Plus, Ubisoft came up with Ubisoft Quartz for playable and energy-efficient NFTs. Sony’s Europe segment joined the Blockchain Validator Program by Theta. Hence, this shows that several global-level organizations are using NFT technology and delivering new experiences to their communities.
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