Cryptogaming: Promises of the Blockchain and the Future of Play

This book examines the discourses surrounding the rise of the cryptogaming industry and the use of blockchain technology in videogames. Using a discourse analysis of industry materials published by cryptogame developers and venture capital firms, the book explores the promises made by proponents of cryptogaming, including the potential for resist power asymmetry in the value chain, the ability for players to generate income through their in-game actions, and the convergence and interoperability of games built on blockchains. The book also critiques the limitations and challenges of blockchain technology in the context of gaming, and considers the potentially deleterious impacts on players and developers. Overall, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the discourses shaping the future of the videogame industry and blockchain technology.

Ben Egliston is postdoctoral research fellow at the Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He has published extensively on emerging technologies such as Virtual and Augmented Reality, AI, and data analytics. He is an experienced media commentator, writing widely for public consumption and speaking directly to the press in print, radio, and TV to communicate the results of his research and to help interpret emerging issues with technology. He is recognized nationally as an authority on cryptogaming and has recently appeared on a national broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to discuss the harms of cryptogames for players, and was profiled (amongst crypto industry leaders, critics, and academics) in the Sydney Morning Herald.