Blockchain-based gaming is igniting a new era in the digital asset ecosystem, and at the forefront of this revolution stands Big Time Studios.
With players spending over $100 billion on in-game assets since 2018, it was only a matter of time before the worlds of traditional gaming and blockchain technology collided, giving birth to a host of exciting GameFi (Game Finance) projects.
One name that's been making waves across industries is Big Time Studios. Before we dive deep into what makes Big Time so remarkable, let's start with a brief introduction to the company and its visionary team.
Introducing Big Time Studios
Founded in 2020 by Decentraland co-founder Ari Meilich, Big Time Studios is on a mission to bring blockchain-based gaming to the masses. To make this dream a reality, they've assembled a star-studded team of game developers from renowned companies like Epic Games, Blizzard, EA, and Riot.
These are the minds behind gaming giants such as Fortnite, God of War, Call of Duty, and Overwatch. With this impressive lineup, Big Time Studios is well-equipped to set a new standard in blockchain gaming.
Their debut title, “Big Time,” aims to be the first AAA blockchain game and serves as a model for other established gaming companies to integrate NFT technology into their economies.
Big Time: A Free-to-Play RPG Adventure
At its core, Big Time is a free-to-play, multiplayer Role-Playing Game (RPG) that immerses players in a fantasy adventure. In the game, players travel through space and time to defend history itself against a mysterious force that threatens to tear apart the fabric of reality.
Along the way, players encounter distorted historical figures, characters, and events. They join forces with six other warriors to battle monstrous entities, earning valuable loot in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). To add a personal touch, players can customize their characters with armor and clothing from various historical periods.
Aesthetically, Big Time offers fast-paced action gameplay reminiscent of titles like God of War, combined with co-op mechanics similar to those found in AAA games like World of Warcraft and Diablo.
The Intricate In-Game Economy
Big Time's in-game economy revolves around five key elements:
- Time Machines: Players receive their first Time Machine early in the game, which grants them a virtual home to decorate and customize. This Personal Metaverse is their portal to a unique universe within the game, allowing them to meet with friends and showcase NFTs and loot. These Time Machines can also be customized using SPACE NFTs.
- SPACE NFTs: These virtual land upgrades come in various rarities and sizes, offering increased functionality and aesthetics. They are blockchain-backed, tradable, and limited in supply, currently available for trading on the Big Time Marketplace.
- Time Keepers: Summoned into SPACE NFTs, these can also be purchased in-game or through the Big Time Marketplace. Time Keepers are crucial for creating Hourglass NFTs or refilling them.
- Hourglass NFTs: Essential for unlocking the ability to collect Big Time Tokens as loot drops within the game. They represent a unique way to acquire the Token, with no pre-sales, IDOs, or token grants to the development team.
- Forges: Installed on SPACE NFTs, Forges allow players to upgrade their in-game equipment, increasing their rarity. Over time, Big Time's team plans to introduce additional utilities and in-game functionalities to SPACE NFTs.
The Value of SPACE NFTs
With a maximum supply of 600,000 tokens, SPACE NFTs are the primary in-game utility asset, central to the AAA blockchain gaming experience. Beyond aesthetics, SPACE NFTs offer players unique gameplay features and utilities, such as additional portals, extra rooms, and specialized crafting areas. They also enable players to create and personalize their Time Machines, crafting environments tailored to their preferences and achievements.
Beyond their in-game economic value, SPACE NFTs empower players to explore new worlds, battle enemies from other dimensions, and collect the Big Time Token during gameplay, including limited-edition NFTs in the form of loot. These NFTs represent both in-game economic and cosmetic value, enhancing the gaming experience and providing opportunities for real-world economic value through trading on external platforms or cross-chain interactions.
The Tech Behind Big Time
Traditional AAA games often lock in-game assets within their “Walled Garden,” limiting their utility and transferability. In contrast, Big Time Studios aims to create a system where players can enjoy asset scarcity, trading in-game assets across worlds and ecosystems. The game is built on Ethereum, offering the security and programmability of smart contracts while enjoying a high level of mainstream adoption.
Big Time's Vault Technology
A groundbreaking addition to the game's architecture is its patented Vault technology. This feature makes NFT-based gaming accessible to a broader audience, eliminating the need for external wallet management, self-custody of assets, and costly on-chain transactions. Via the Vault, the studio stores records of items created or purchased in its own database, avoiding automatic minting of NFTs on the blockchain to reduce transaction costs.
Big Time's Vault aligns with Ari Meilich's vision of integrating traditional AAA gaming structures with the economic principles of NFTs. It offers an off-chain custody system where both NFTs and regular items coexist, allowing players to transition from off-chain to on-chain at any time. This innovation paves the way for wider adoption of NFT technology in AAA gaming protocols.
In the long term, Big Time Studios plans to create pathways for players to withdraw their assets and move them to any desired blockchain, potentially enabling cross-chain interactions for Big Time's SPACE in-game NFTs.
Conclusion: A Glimpse into the Future
Blockchain-based gaming represents an untapped realm of possibilities in the digital asset space. The synergy between DeFi, NFTs, and gaming has given rise to groundbreaking projects, and Big Time by Big Time Studios is leading the way.
While Big Time is still in its pre-alpha phase, it has already attracted significant attention from gaming enthusiasts, investors, and NFT collectors. The potential for this AAA-inspired, NFT-infused gameplay is immense. However, we must remember that the game is still in its early stages, and as of now, we can only be spectators. The true test of Big Time's promise lies in its ability to deliver the immersive AAA-style gameplay, intricate NFT economic models, and advanced in-game mechanics it aspires to provide.
As we eagerly await further developments, one thing is clear – Big Time Studios is on a mission to redefine the gaming experience, and their innovative approach holds the potential to shape the future of blockchain gaming.