NFT Steez met with Will Weinraub, the creator of Cryptoys, this week to discuss how play and toys relate to nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and Web3 in general.
Playing isn’t just for kids, according to Weinraub, who asserts that even as adults, “we still crave the aspect of play throughout life.” According to Weinraub, as technology has advanced, so too has playing behavior. This layer of ownership has been revealed by NFTs through play, particularly in games.
Weinraub’s perspective on Web3 gaming
Weinraub and Cryptoys tought that adults simply want to feel like children again. Weinraub believes that one of the most significant things he has discovered regarding the evolution of play, keeping the question “How does play change?” in mind.
Weinraub demonstrated how much the internet has changed how people play and game by observing his children play with action figures and creating virtual worlds in Roblox. According to Weinraub, gamers are no longer constrained by the limits of their communities or locales.
Regardless of where they are played, Weinraub noted that modern games are “very, very different” from those from the past and tend to be “social play.”
Weinraub acknowledged the issue when questioned about concerns over how at ease kids and young adults are with their online social contacts compared to their in-person social engagements. But he added that while it might have an impact on some people, it might also exacerbate some of those issues.
Weinraub noticed that gaming appears to be shifting toward more “social play” and that there are numerous methods to use it to “enhance communication skills.”
What is the future of cryptocurrency and games?
Weinraub responded, “They are a fundamental foundation of blockchain gaming,” when asked what role in-game cryptocurrencies and tokenomics play.
There was a degree of “exuberance” when play-to-earn models were initially developed and tested, and Weinraub praised the pioneers who were the first to travel these new waters. In the coming year or so, the industry is expected to have “extremely fruitful grounds,” and in the long run, token-based economies and gaming will be “relaunched in a lot healthier, more sustainable form,” according to Weinraub.
Weinraub stated that the “Web3 economy is based on tokenization” while discussing in-game tokens and their current use. According to Weinraub, adopting tokenization and changing how the next generation engages with ownership is “very vital and the proper thing to do.”
