ePlay Digital (EPY.C) dove headfirst into the non-fungible token craze by unveiling their NFT platform at the e-sports investor day event today, according to a press release.
Non-fungible tokens are all over the place right now and most anyone who’s anyone has been trying to find a way to get themselves associated with this new fad. We’re tired of talking about Logan Paul and Mark Cuban, so let’s talk about Rob Gronkowski and Beeple, the Tampa Bay Buccaneer who cashed in to the tune of $1.8 million in digital trading cards, and the conceptual artist who has managed to move $69 million of digital art and is clearly the big winner so far in the NFT sweepstakes.
But ePlay Digital’s usage is different in that it actually has a function beyond selling the technology itself. The company’s NFT Platform introduces styles, scenes and rewards to games as collectibles tied to a blockchain. NFT’s make natural sense for eSports, maybe more than any other industry, because they can be used to package rewards and loyalty programs, collectibles and any other intangibles that may work with the gaming system in place.
“ePlay games are super competitive – down to the viral droplet in Howie Go Viral and down to the inch in our upcoming fitness app. Users tap, swipe, and move their feet, negotiate virtual worlds, advance levels, purchase premium digital items, and, now, bid on limited edition NFT art, wearables, worlds, gear, props, leaderboards, rewards, and highlights all viewable in 3D and augmented reality within various game worlds, NFT marketplaces, and beyond,” said Trevor Doerksen, CEO of ePlay Digital.
As you might expect, the NFT Platform will work with all of ePlay’s in-app marketplaces, including NFT marketplaces, and ePlays assortment of titles, including Big Shot Basketball , Howie Go Viral , and other titles. As you might not expect, the platform comes with a software developers kit (SDK), which will help artists, partners, etc, create, export and import their own NFTs both on and off the marketplace.
At least for right now, NFTs are being used as commemorative collectibles, and ePlay’s augmented reality, 3D, and immersive fitness, sports, eSports and other entertainment options are often celebrity-driven and unique enough to justify being made into a NFT and kept. The company’s application lets customers and clients do that without requiring a third party.
New partners for the NFT Platform will be announced when details are finalized.
eSports Digital is up a penny today, and trading at $0.215.
—Joseph Morton
