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MadWorld Game Early Access Playtest Registration Opens
MadWorld, an innovative post-apocalyptic shooter game designed for iOS and Android, has commenced registration for its early access playtest, granting players the unique opportunity to engage with its NFT-driven territory control features. The game studio responsible for this captivating title, Carbonated, has disclosed that it recently secured $11 million in fresh funding from prominent investors.
Carbonated Inc: Leaders in Innovation
Established in 2015 by experienced professionals from distinguished entities in the video game industry such as PlayStation and Electronic Arts, Carbonated Inc has shared with Decrypt’s GG that it successfully secured a $11 million Series A funding round. The primary investor leading this impressive round is Com2uS, a renowned gaming entity from South Korea that underpins the XPLA blockchain network – the foundation supporting MadWorld’s on-chain components.
Noteworthy contributors in this funding round include the likes of Andreessen Horowitz, Bitkraft Ventures, Cypher Capital, Blocore, Goal Ventures, and WAGMI Ventures. Previously, the studio raised $8.5 million in 2020 with Andreessen Horowitz and Bitkraft Ventures participating in that funding round as well.
MadWorld Game Overview
Scheduled for a public launch sometime in 2024, MadWorld seamlessly blends competitive shooting action in a third-person perspective with strategic territory control mechanics that revolve around NFT land assets. The game unfolds in a post-apocalyptic rendition of Earth, unfolding six months after a catastrophic incident known as “The Collapse” – thereby laying the groundwork for intense battles for survival.
Screenshots from MadWorld:
Tokenized Territory Control in MadWorld
Players in MadWorld have the opportunity to own, enhance, and trade tokenized replicas of real-world locations positioned on a hex grid comprising over 250,000 land plots. Each section of land in MadWorld offers specific resources and potential advantages. Should in-game clans wish to engage in battles on these plots, leveraging the unique benefits available, they are required to pay “tribute” to the NFT landowner.
Tribute payments are made in “Rounds,” an in-game currency that is destined to transition into an on-chain cryptocurrency, fueling the game’s tokenized economy. Carbonated’s CEO, Travis Boatman, elucidated that landowners can enhance and amplify tribute benefits by investing Rounds into their land. These Rounds can subsequently be converted into the studio’s forthcoming on-chain token, pending early access feedback from players.
Boatman, a distinguished figure in mobile gaming with a rich background encompassing executive roles at Zynga and Electronic Arts, asserts that mobile platforms offer an ideal testing ground for cryptographic innovations, provided that the games possess wide-ranging appeal.
“Mobile gamers are highly proficient in acquiring digital goods using digital currency. We believe that transitioning this process to an on-chain framework involves just a single additional cognitive step,” expressed Boatman. “While usability improvements are essential – and numerous reputable firms are diligently working on this – it ultimately pivots on delivering exceptional gaming experiences to drive adoption.”
Regulatory Outlook and Game Development
Industry dynamics are evolving, with Google indicating a softened approach towards Web3 games on the Android Play Store, while entities have introduced NFT experiences on the iOS App Store while adhering to Apple’s controlled ecosystem. Boatman opines that regulations serve as a protective mechanism for consumers, aiming to avert the exploitative practices that proliferated during the nascent stages of free-to-play mobile game emergence in the early App Store era. Accordingly, game developers are expected to operate within the prescribed boundaries.
“Generating a demand for ownership necessitates that games offer such compelling experiences that players are willing to traverse significant hurdles,” articulated Boatman. “This is an arduous task – which is why we observe a diminishing number of adept teams with profound expertise pursuing ventures in this domain.”
Editor’s note: This story originally stated an incorrect amount of funding raised. It has been corrected.
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